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FOCUSED BROWSER-BASED TOOL

Extract Text from PDF Online

Read embedded text and OCR scanned pages privately in your browser.

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PDF Tool

PDF to Text

Extract embedded or scanned text from a PDF and export an editable copy.

FreeBrowser BasedNo Upload

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Processed locally

PDF text extraction guide

Digital text when possible, OCR when needed

A PDF-to-text converter turns document content into editable plain text. Digital PDFs already contain character data, while scans contain page images. Smart extraction checks each selected page, reads a meaningful embedded layer directly, and renders only pages that need OCR. This is generally faster and more accurate than OCRing everything.

How to extract selected pages

Upload a PDF, enter a range such as 1-5, 7, 9, choose Smart extraction, select the printed language and review the page statuses. Results remain in document order even if the input range is not ordered.

Improve OCR accuracy

Use the correct language and orientation. Try Balanced quality first; High accuracy renders more pixels and uses more memory. Grayscale, threshold, inversion and enlargement can help difficult scans but can also remove faint detail.

Passwords and privacy

Supported encrypted PDFs can be opened with a password held only in page state. Parsing, rendering and recognition happen locally, results are not retained after reset, and embedded PDF JavaScript evaluation is disabled.

Formatting limitations

Plain text cannot exactly retain fonts, tables, columns or visual layout. OCR is an estimate, particularly for handwriting, receipts, forms and damaged scans. Proofread important output against the original.

Supported input and limits

Process one PDF up to 100 MiB and 300 pages. A job that may use OCR is limited to 100 selected pages, and each rendered page must stay within the 25-megapixel safety limit.

Available output

Edit the combined result before copying it or downloading UTF-8 TXT. JSON output includes page-level method and status information; DOCX and structured spreadsheet export are not part of this tool.

Common uses and a review workflow

Create editable drafts from scanned reports, invoices, receipts, academic papers, forms, manuals, notes and archived documents. The page-by-page report identifies embedded, OCR and mixed extraction and isolates failures so one difficult page does not discard earlier results. For an important document, compare names, dates, amounts and headings against the page image before using the text elsewhere.

Troubleshooting extraction

A digital page returns little text: try Smart extraction so pages without a meaningful embedded layer can fall back to OCR.

OCR confuses characters: confirm the printed language, correct page rotation and compare Balanced with High accuracy. Thresholding can help high-contrast scans but remove faint marks.

Columns read in the wrong order: plain-text extraction cannot reconstruct every layout. Process a smaller page range and rearrange the editable result while checking the original.

The PDF is protected: enter the password when prompted if supported, or use Unlock PDF only for a document you are authorized to open.

Related document workflows

Use OCR PDF when English recognition of scanned pages is the whole task, Image to Text for a photograph or screenshot, and the OCR versus text extraction guide when you are unsure whether a PDF has selectable text. The PDF password guide covers protected-file limitations.

Frequently asked questions

How do I extract text from a PDF?

Add one PDF, choose all pages or a valid page range, select an extraction mode and language, then choose Extract text. Review the editable result before copying or downloading it.

Can FiloTool extract text from scanned PDFs?

Yes. Smart extraction OCRs pages without a meaningful text layer, while OCR Every Page recognises every selected page.

What is the difference between OCR and normal PDF text extraction?

Normal extraction reads characters already stored in a digital PDF. OCR estimates characters from rendered page pixels and can contain recognition errors.

Can I select specific PDF pages?

Yes. Process every page or enter values such as 1-5, 7, 9. Duplicate, empty, reversed and out-of-range selections are rejected.

Can I extract text from a password-protected PDF?

Yes when PDF.js supports its encryption. Enter the password when prompted; it stays in component memory and is cleared on reset.

Does the tool preserve formatting?

It preserves basic text and line breaks where practical, but does not reproduce fonts, exact layout, columns or page geometry.

Can it extract tables?

It may recover table words, but rows and columns are not guaranteed to remain structured. Use the PDF to Excel tool for supported digital tables.

Which languages are supported?

English, Hindi, Spanish, French, German, Italian and Portuguese OCR data are available. Choose the language manually.

Are my PDFs uploaded?

No. PDF parsing, page rendering, preprocessing and OCR run locally in your browser. The selected OCR language data is downloaded by the OCR library, but your document is not sent to it.

Can I edit the extracted text?

Yes. The combined output is an editable text area, and TXT and JSON exports use your current edited text.

Can I download the result as TXT?

Yes. TXT export is UTF-8 and uses a sanitized version of the PDF filename.

Can I download the result as DOCX?

Not currently. This version offers TXT and JSON because no lightweight, reliable browser DOCX exporter is installed.

Why did OCR recognise some words incorrectly?

Small text, blur, handwriting, unusual fonts, rotation, poor contrast, complex columns and an incorrect language choice can reduce accuracy.

How long does PDF OCR take?

Digital text extraction is usually quick. OCR runs one page at a time and may take several minutes for long or high-quality jobs, depending on the device.

Is there a page or file-size limit?

Yes. PDFs are limited to 100 MB and 300 pages. Jobs that may use OCR are limited to 100 selected pages, and individual renders have a pixel-area safety limit.

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Related guide: Compare OCR with embedded PDF text extraction.