Text is extracted page by page into a downloadable text file. Scanned PDFs without a text layer return little or no text.
How to extract text from a PDF
- Add your PDF to the panel.
- Click the button to extract the text.
- Download the .txt file with the text of every page.
When to convert a PDF to text
Extracting text is the first step whenever you need a PDF's words in a usable form: copying quotes without re-typing, searching a document in any editor, or feeding content into another tool.
The output is a plain .txt file with the text of each page in order, ready to paste anywhere.
Why extract PDF text in your browser
Extraction runs locally on your device, so the document is never uploaded. That is important for contracts, drafts, and other text you may not want on a server.
Free with no sign-up, on any browser. The PDF Shrink iPhone app offers the same local tools offline.
FAQ
Does it work on scanned PDFs?
Only if the scan has a text layer. Image-only scans have no extractable text and would need OCR first.
What format is the output?
A plain .txt file with the text of each page in order.
Is the original file changed?
No. The PDF is only read; the text is written to a new file.
Are my documents uploaded?
No. Everything runs in your browser.