PDF to TXT Converter
Need to convert this file type? Drop it below — or drop any other file and we'll auto-switch. Outputs are auto-deleted after 2 hours; share links expire after 4.
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Drop multiple images to combine them into one PDF, Word document, or PowerPoint presentation — or convert each image separately.
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Convert PDF to TXT online
Convert PDF to plain text to get the words out with nothing around them. The text layer is read straight out of the file with pypdf — nothing is rendered and nothing is recognised, so this is fast and exact for any PDF that was generated by software.
When should you convert PDF to TXT?
- Pull the content out of a report for searching or analysis
- Feed a document into a script or a text-processing tool
- Copy text from a PDF that blocks selection in your viewer
- Get a clean starting point before reformatting from scratch
Before you convert
A scan will produce an empty file
If the PDF is a photograph of a page there is no text layer to read. Run the searchable-PDF/OCR step first, then convert.
Reading order can surprise you
Extraction follows the PDF's internal order, which on multi-column pages is not always the order a person reads in.
What happens to your file
The text layer is read straight out of the PDF and written to a plain text file. Nothing is rendered and nothing is recognised — this simply extracts the characters the PDF already stores.
Settings this conversion runs with
| Engine | pypdf |
|---|---|
| Output | Plain text, no styling |
What changes
- A scanned PDF has no text layer, so it extracts to an empty file. Use the OCR option on that kind of source.
- Reading order follows the PDF's internal order, which for multi-column pages is not always the order a person reads in.
About PDF and TXT files
PDF document
Strengths
- looks identical everywhere
- great for printing and sharing
- widely supported
Limitations
- hard to edit
- not reflowable like Word
plain text file
Strengths
- opens anywhere
- tiny files
- no compatibility issues
Limitations
- no formatting
- no images
PDF vs TXT
| Format | TXT | |
|---|---|---|
| Compression | Lossless | — |
| Transparency | — | — |
| Best for | sharing documents, printing | notes and logs, simple readable text |
Guides for this conversion
- Why PDF to Word breaks tables and columns
PDF stores where marks sit on a page, not what the document meant. That single fact explains almost every strange result you get from a PDF to Word conversion — and points at how to get a clean one.
- Scanned PDFs: why conversion returns an empty file, and what OCR does
Two PDFs can look identical and be completely different files. Here is how to tell which one you have, and what to do when yours is a picture of a document.
Related tools
Frequently asked questions
- How does the PDF to TXT conversion work?
- The text layer is read straight out of the PDF and written to a plain text file. Nothing is rendered and nothing is recognised — this simply extracts the characters the PDF already stores.
- What should you know before converting PDF to TXT?
- A scanned PDF has no text layer, so it extracts to an empty file. Use the OCR option on that kind of source.
- Is this PDF to TXT converter free?
- Yes. You can convert PDF to TXT online for free, with no account and no watermark.
- Do I need to install software or sign up?
- No. Use the converter from your browser without installing software or creating an account. Files are uploaded to our servers for processing.
- Are my files safe?
- Yes. Files are processed only to complete the conversion and are auto-deleted after 2 hours. We never share them.
- Can I convert multiple PDF files at once?
- Yes. Drop several files to convert them in a batch and download the results as a single ZIP.