Extract Text from PDF
Upload a PDF and extract every line of embedded text from all pages, displayed in a scrollable text area you can copy with one click. Everything runs in your browser — the file never leaves your device.
This tool reads the text layer that's built into the PDF — the same text you can select and copy in a PDF reader. It does not perform OCR, so scanned documents (where pages are images without an underlying text layer) will return no results. For scanned PDFs, use a dedicated OCR tool instead.
Useful for pulling quotes, migrating content out of a PDF into another format, or quickly searching through a document's text without opening a full PDF reader.
By The Paper Room Editorial Team — PDF Tools
Frequently asked questions
Why is no text being extracted from my PDF?▼
Your PDF likely contains scanned images rather than an embedded text layer. This tool reads the digital text stored inside the PDF — it cannot read text from images. You would need an OCR (optical character recognition) tool for scanned documents.
Does this upload my PDF to a server?▼
No. The text extraction happens entirely in your browser using pdfjs-dist. Your file never leaves your device.
Will the extracted text preserve the original formatting?▼
The text is extracted in reading order as plain text — bold, italic, fonts, columns, and layout are not preserved. Tables and multi-column layouts may appear jumbled because the tool reads text in the order it appears in the PDF's internal structure, which doesn't always match visual order.
Can I extract text from a password-protected PDF?▼
If the PDF requires a password to open (user password), you'll need to unlock it first using the Unlock PDF tool. If it only has owner-level restrictions (e.g. copy disabled), the text may still be extractable since those restrictions are advisory in most viewers.