Can this tool extract text from scanned PDFs?

This tool extracts text that is selectable in the PDF. For scanned documents (image-only PDFs), the text is embedded as an image and cannot be extracted without OCR. If your PDF has a text layer from OCR processing, the tool will extract it.

Does the extracted text preserve formatting?

The tool extracts plain text in reading order. Formatting like bold, italic, fonts, and layout is not preserved. Tables may appear as separated text. For layout-accurate extraction, use PDF to PNG instead.

Do my files get uploaded to a server?

No. Text extraction is done entirely in your browser using pdfjs-dist. Your PDF never leaves your device.

Is there a page limit?

No hard limit. The tool processes all pages in the PDF. Very large documents (500+ pages) may take a few seconds depending on your device.

Can I extract text from a password-protected PDF?

You need to unlock the PDF first. Use the Unlock PDF tool to remove the password, then extract the text.

PDF to Text Online: Free, No Upload Required

Related tools

PDF to PNG PDF to JPG Compress PDF

How it works

Upload your PDF

Drop your file onto the upload area.

Extract text

The tool reads each page and extracts all selectable text content, preserving the reading order.

Copy or download

Copy the extracted text to your clipboard or download it as a .txt file.

Frequently asked questions

PDF4.dev API

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PDF to text