Out of a document

Convert PDF to plain text

The text layer, without invented structure.

On this device

Extract the text layer

The result appears here before download, so you can read and copy it immediately.

    Opened on this device · never transmitted

    What this tool does, exactly

    Reads the characters already stored in the PDF and restores them into visual line order. It does not guess headings or tables, and it says plainly when the pages are scans with no text layer.

    What it keeps
    Words, line order and optional page-break markers in a UTF-8 .txt file.
    What it leaves out
    Fonts, images, layout, columns and inferred document structure. Use PDF to Markdown when headings and tables matter.
    Scanned pages
    A scan contains pixels rather than characters. The tool names empty pages and offers no empty file when the whole PDF is a scan; OCR a PDF is the right tool then.

    About this tool

    Why is no text found?

    The PDF is probably a scan: its letters are pixels, not stored characters. Use OCR a PDF to recognise them.

    What is the difference between text and Markdown?

    Plain text keeps lines and words only. Markdown also infers headings, lists, emphasis and tables from their appearance.

    Is the PDF uploaded?

    No. The text layer is read inside this browser tab and the .txt bytes are made here.

    More out of a document tools · All 52 · How they work