PDF to Text: how it works
To convert a PDF to text, open the PDF to Text tool, add your file, and download a plain .txt containing every page's text in reading order. Extraction happens in your browser, so the PDF is never uploaded.
How to use PDF to Text
- Open the PDF to Text tool and add your PDF.
- Click “Convert to text”.
- Download the .txt file with the extracted text.
In your browser vs. uploading to a server
Best for grabbing the raw text of a PDF for editing, search, or reuse. It reads the document's existing text layer — a scanned PDF with no text layer needs OCR first (use the OCR tool to add one).
Frequently asked questions
Why is my scanned PDF producing no text?
- Scanned PDFs are images with no text layer, so there is nothing to extract. Run the OCR tool first to add a searchable text layer, then convert to text.
Are my files uploaded to a server?
- No. PDFER runs entirely in your browser using WebAssembly and JavaScript. Your files are read into memory on your device, processed locally, and never sent to PDFER or any third party. Closing the tab or leaving the tool erases them from memory.
Is it free, and is there a file-size limit?
- Yes, it is free with no account, no watermarks, and no daily caps. Because processing happens on your own device, the only practical size limit is your device's available memory rather than a server upload quota.
PDFER is a privacy-first PDF toolkit built by Kiril Urbonas. Every tool runs entirely in your browser — see our security model and privacy policy.