How to Use This Tool
Upload a PDF
Click Upload PDF or drag and drop a PDF file onto the input area. Files up to 200MB are supported.
Choose Conversion Method
Click Convert to Text for text-based PDFs (instant). Click Convert with OCR for scanned documents (slower but works on images).
Review Extracted Text
The output area displays the extracted text page by page with word and character counts. Copy the text or download it as a .txt file.
Copy or Download
Click Copy to copy all text to your clipboard, or Download Text File to save as a text file.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is my PDF uploaded to a server?
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No. This tool runs 100% in your browser. Your PDF is never uploaded anywhere. Text extraction and OCR happen entirely on your device.
What is the difference between Convert to Text and Convert with OCR?
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Convert to Text reads the embedded text layer from the PDF - it's instant and works for PDFs created from Word, web pages, or any app. Convert with OCR renders each page as an image and uses an OCR engine to recognize text - use this for scanned documents where no text layer exists.
Why did Convert to Text return nothing?
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Your PDF is likely a scanned document (images of text, not actual text). Click Convert with OCR instead - it uses optical character recognition to read text from the page images.
What languages does OCR support?
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OCR currently supports English. Convert to Text works with any language since it reads the embedded text layer directly.
What is the maximum file size?
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PDFs up to 200MB are supported. Files exceeding this limit are rejected with an error message.
Can I edit the extracted text?
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The extracted text is read-only in the output area. Click Copy to copy it to your clipboard, then paste into any text editor to make changes.
What happens if I refresh the page?
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Everything is saved to your browser's IndexedDB - the uploaded PDF, extracted text, and conversion status. Refreshing restores everything. Click Clear All to remove all stored data.
How accurate is OCR?
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OCR accuracy depends on the quality of the scan. Clean, high-resolution scans produce the best results. Pages are rendered at 2x resolution before OCR to maximize accuracy.
What Is PDF to Text?
PDF to Text is a tool that extracts text content from PDF files. It works with both text-based PDFs (using built-in text extraction) and scanned PDFs (using OCR for English). Upload a PDF, click Convert to Text for instant extraction, or Convert with OCR for scanned documents — all directly in your browser. This tool runs 100% client-side. Your files are never uploaded to any server.
It supports PDFs up to 200MB with page-by-page extraction, word and character counts, copy to clipboard, download as .txt, progress tracking, and IndexedDB persistence across page refreshes.
Features Explained
Convert to Text
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Uses built-in text extraction to read text directly from the PDF's text layer. This is instant and works for all text-based PDFs — documents created from Word, web pages, or any application that embeds text.
Convert with OCR
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Uses an OCR engine to recognize English text from scanned pages. Each page is rendered to a canvas at 2x resolution, then OCR processes it. Best for scanned documents where Convert to Text finds nothing.
Page-by-Page Extraction
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Text is extracted and displayed with page markers (--- Page 1 ---, --- Page 2 ---, etc.) so you can identify which text came from which page.
Auto Error Guidance
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If Convert to Text finds no text, it suggests trying Convert with OCR instead. This guides users to the right method without needing to understand the difference between text-based and scanned PDFs.
Word & Character Count
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The output label shows real-time word and character counts, plus whether OCR was used. Useful for checking document length requirements.
Copy & Download
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Copy all extracted text to your clipboard with one click, or download it as a .txt file named after the original PDF.
Drag & Drop Upload
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Drag a PDF file from your file explorer directly onto the input area. The area highlights when a file is dragged over it.
File Info Display
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After uploading, the input area shows a styled file card with a PDF icon, filename, page count, and file size.
Progress Bar
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During extraction, a progress bar shows which page is being processed. After completion, it stays at 100% in green.
IndexedDB Persistence
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Your uploaded PDF, extracted text, and conversion status are saved to IndexedDB. Refreshing the page restores everything. Click Clear All to remove all stored data.
File Size Limit
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PDFs up to 200MB are supported. Files exceeding this limit are rejected with an error message.
Who Is This Tool For?
Researchers
Extract text from academic papers, journal articles, and research documents for analysis and citation.
Students
Convert lecture slides, textbook chapters, and handouts to searchable, copyable text for studying.
Writers & Editors
Pull text from PDF manuscripts, proofs, and published documents for editing or repurposing.
Data Analysts
Extract tabular or structured text from PDF reports for further processing in spreadsheets or databases.
Legal Professionals
Extract text from contracts, court filings, and legal documents for review, search, and reference.
Archivists
Digitize scanned historical documents and make them searchable using OCR.
Teachers & Professors
Extract text from course materials, syllabi, and academic PDFs for creating new handouts or quizzes.
Journalists
Extract text from press releases, public records, and PDF reports for articles and investigations.
Accountants
Pull text from financial statements, tax forms, and audit reports for data entry and review.
HR Professionals
Extract text from resumes, cover letters, and policy documents for applicant tracking and compliance.
Translators
Extract source text from PDF documents to paste into translation tools or CAT software.
Librarians
Convert scanned book pages, catalogs, and archived documents into searchable digital text.
Marketing Teams
Extract copy from PDF brochures, whitepapers, and case studies for repurposing across channels.
Real Estate Agents
Extract text from property listings, disclosures, and contracts for quick reference and comparison.
Healthcare Workers
Extract text from medical records, referral letters, and patient documentation for electronic systems.
Insurance Agents
Pull text from claim forms, policy documents, and correspondence for digital processing.
Government Workers
Extract text from permits, applications, and regulatory filings for data entry and archiving.
Nonprofit Workers
Extract text from grant applications, donor letters, and annual reports for reuse and reporting.
Consultants
Pull text from client deliverables, audit reports, and strategy documents for analysis.
Paralegals
Extract text from depositions, case filings, and legal briefs for case preparation.
Administrative Assistants
Extract text from memos, meeting minutes, and scanned documents for digital filing.
Project Managers
Pull text from project charters, status reports, and documentation for summaries and tracking.
Procurement Officers
Extract text from RFPs, vendor proposals, and bid documents for comparison and evaluation.
Small Business Owners
Extract text from invoices, receipts, and contracts for bookkeeping and record-keeping.
Convert to Text vs Convert with OCR
| Convert to Text | Convert with OCR | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Text-based PDFs | Scanned / image PDFs |
| Speed | Instant | Few seconds per page |
| Accuracy | Exact (reads text layer) | High (OCR engine) |
| Engine | Built-in text extraction | OCR Engine |
| Languages | Any (text is embedded) | English |
| Works offline | After first load | After first load |
Tips for Extracting Text
Try Convert to Text first
It's instant and works for most PDFs. Only use OCR if no text is found or the result is garbled.
OCR takes time
The OCR engine processes a few seconds per page. The progress bar shows which page is being processed.
Scanned PDF? Use OCR
If your PDF is a scan of a printed document, Convert to Text won't find any text. Convert with OCR reads the image.
Check page markers
Text is labeled with page numbers (--- Page 1 ---) so you can find content from specific pages.
Download for later
Click Download Text File to save the extracted text. The file is named after your original PDF.
Your work persists
Uploaded PDF and extracted text are saved to IndexedDB. Refresh the page and everything is restored.
Copy for quick use
Click Copy to send all extracted text to your clipboard. The button shows 'Copied!' for 2 seconds to confirm.
Check word count
The output label shows word and character counts. Useful for checking if extraction captured all content or if something was missed.
Higher quality scans = better OCR
OCR accuracy depends on scan quality. Clean, high-resolution scans at 300+ DPI produce the best results.
Empty pages are skipped
Pages with no extractable text are automatically excluded from the output. Only pages with content appear.
Privacy & Security
This tool runs 100% in your browser. Your PDF file is never uploaded to any server. Text extraction and OCR happen entirely on your device.
Files are stored in your browser's IndexedDB so they persist across page refreshes. This data lives only on your computer and is never transmitted. Click Clear All to remove all stored data immediately. No cookies are used, no analytics track your files, and no third-party services have access to your documents.