PDF Extract Text
Extract text from PDF files online. Copy or download extracted text as TXT or Markdown. Free, private, runs in your browser.
How does PDF text extraction work?
This tool uses pdf.js to parse your PDF file and extract text content from each page. It reads the text layer embedded in the PDF, preserving the reading order. The extracted text can be copied or downloaded as a plain text or Markdown file.
Why is some text missing or garbled?
Some PDFs use custom fonts with non-standard encoding, or contain text as images (scanned documents). Text extraction only works for text-based PDFs. Scanned PDFs require OCR (Optical Character Recognition) which is not supported by this tool.
Is my PDF data safe?
Yes, all processing happens entirely in your browser. Your PDF files are never uploaded to any server. The text extraction runs locally using JavaScript libraries.
Can I extract text from specific pages only?
Yes, you can choose to extract text from all pages or specify a page range (e.g., 1-3, 5, 7-10). You can also choose between plain text and Markdown output format, and toggle page numbers in the output.
What is the difference between plain text and Markdown output?
Plain text outputs the raw extracted text without any formatting. Markdown output preserves basic structure like headings, lists, and line breaks using Markdown syntax, making it easier to reuse in documents or notes.
Can this tool extract text from scanned PDFs?
No, scanned PDFs contain images of text rather than actual text characters. This tool only extracts text from digital PDFs that have a text layer. For scanned documents, you would need an OCR tool.
Is there a file size limit?
Since processing happens in your browser, the limit depends on your device's memory. Large PDF files with hundreds of pages may take longer to process. For best results, split very large files into smaller chunks.
Can I extract text from password-protected PDFs?
If the PDF has an open password, you'll need to unlock it first before extracting text. If it only has a permissions password, text extraction may still work. This tool does not remove PDF passwords.
Does the tool preserve text formatting?
Basic text formatting like line breaks and paragraph spacing is preserved. However, complex layouts, tables, and multi-column text may not be perfectly maintained. The Markdown output option helps preserve some structural elements.
Can I use this tool offline?
Once the page is loaded, the core text extraction functionality works offline since all processing is done in your browser. However, you need an internet connection to initially load the tool.
How to Use PDF Extract Text
Pull all the text out of a PDF and copy it or save it as TXT or Markdown. Extraction runs entirely in your browser, so your document never leaves your device.
- Add your file by clicking or dragging it onto the area that says “Click or drag PDF file here”.
- Set Extract Mode to All Pages, or choose Specific Pages and type ranges into the Page Range field, following its placeholder: e.g. 1-3, 5, 7-10.
- Under Output Format pick Plain Text for clean paragraphs, or Markdown to keep headings and lists.
- Turn on Include page numbers if you want each block labelled with the page it came from.
- Press Extract Text and check the result under Extracted Text, where the word and character counts update as you go.
- Copy everything with Copy All, or save the file with Download TXT.
If the result comes back empty, the PDF is probably a scan with no text layer — page images need OCR before any text can be extracted.
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