Extract text already stored in the PDF
Read the document's selectable text layer instead of rendering page images.
PDF to Text Online
Extract selectable text already stored in a PDF into a plain-text file. PDF to Text does not recreate the original page layout, and scanned image-only PDFs require OCR before text can be extracted.
or drop one PDF here
Up to 50 MiB and 500 pagesView limits & supported files
- Supported input
- Select a PDF
- Limits
- Up to 50 MiB and 500 pages
- Additional limits
- Up to 1,000,000 extracted characters
- Processing
- No file upload
- File handling
- Files remain in your browser
Browser processing
No account required
Direct download
Extract selectable PDF text into a plain-text file
Use PDF to Text when the PDF already contains a text layer and you need the words without the fixed page design. The result is intended for plain-text workflows, not layout reconstruction.
Use OCR for image-only scanned pages
If the PDF contains only page images, run OCR PDF first when supported recognition is needed.
Expect reading order instead of page design
Columns, tables, headers, footers, and positioned text may appear in a different sequence because plain text does not preserve PDF coordinates.
Turn PDF text into a simple editable text file
PDF to Text is useful when you need searchable, copyable text without PDF formatting. It is not a replacement for Word conversion when document layout and styles matter.
Useful for
- Move selectable PDF wording into notes, scripts, or text-processing tools.
- Search or edit extracted wording in a plain-text editor.
- Create a lightweight text copy of a digital PDF.
Good to know
- Scanned image-only pages require OCR first.
- Reading order may be imperfect in multi-column or highly positioned layouts.
- Images, styling, tables, and page geometry are not preserved as plain text.
How to Convert PDF to Text
Choose a PDF that contains selectable text, extract the text layer, review the reading order, and download the text file.
- Choose a supported PDF.
- Start text extraction.
- Review paragraphs, page breaks, and reading order.
- Use OCR PDF if the source contains scanned pages with no selectable text.
- Download the plain-text result.
Related PDF tools
PDF text extraction questions
Can PDF to Text process a scanned PDF?
Not by text-layer extraction alone. Use OCR PDF when the scanned pages do not already contain searchable text.
Will the original PDF formatting be preserved?
No. Plain-text output does not preserve page coordinates, fonts, images, or full table layout.
Why is the reading order different from the PDF?
PDF text can be positioned by coordinates instead of stored in normal reading sequence. Multi-column and complex layouts can therefore extract in an imperfect order.
Will images be included in the text file?
No. Plain-text extraction includes the PDF's text layer and does not create placeholders for images.
Can I edit the extracted text?
Yes. The downloaded plain-text file can be edited in a normal text editor.
Are my files uploaded to PDFKaka?
No. Selected PDF contents are processed locally in this browser.
Practical PDF guides for complete tasks
PDF to text guide
How to extract selectable text from a PDF
Create a UTF-8 text file from characters already stored in a digital PDF and optionally keep page headings for review.
Read guide →
PDF to text guide
How to convert a scanned PDF to text with OCR
Use two tools in order: run OCR PDF to create a reviewed searchable PDF, then open that result in PDF to Text and export the recognized text as TXT.
Read guide →
PDF to text guide
How to clean line breaks after PDF-to-text extraction
Join line wraps that came from fixed page positions while preserving real paragraphs, lists, headings, and page boundaries.
Read guide →
View all PDFKaka Guides →