How to extract text from a PDF

  1. 1

    Upload your PDF

    Click to upload or drag your PDF onto the tool. The file is processed entirely in your browser.

  2. 2

    Extract text

    Click Extract Text. All selectable text from every page is extracted instantly.

  3. 3

    Copy or download

    Copy the extracted text directly from the page or download it as a .txt file.

About PDF to Text extractor

Extracting raw text from a PDF is useful when you need to copy large amounts of content into another application, run it through a text analysis tool, or simply read the document in a plain format without the original layout. DocumentFlipper pulls the complete text from every page of a PDF and gives it to you as clean, readable output.

This tool is fully client-side: your PDF never leaves your browser. Text extraction is performed locally using the pdf.js library, which is the same technology powering Firefox's built-in PDF viewer. Because no upload is needed, extraction is instant and completely private — there are no servers involved and no two-hour deletion window, because the file was never stored.

If your PDF contains scanned images without a text layer, no text will be extracted. Use the OCR PDF tool first to add a searchable text layer.

Frequently asked questions

Does this tool upload my file to a server?
No. PDF to Text is 100% client-side. Your PDF is processed entirely in your browser using pdf.js and never leaves your device.
What if my PDF is a scanned image?
Scanned PDFs contain only images and have no text layer. Use OCR PDF first to generate a text layer, then use this tool.
Will the extracted text preserve formatting?
Basic paragraph structure is retained, but rich formatting like columns, tables, and indentation may not carry over to plain text.
Can I extract text from a password-protected PDF?
You need to unlock the PDF first using the Unlock PDF tool. Once unlocked, text can be extracted normally.
Is there a page limit?
No. Since processing happens locally in your browser, all pages are extracted. Very large PDFs may take a few seconds to process.