PDF.js
An open-source JavaScript library developed by Mozilla for parsing and rendering PDF documents in the browser. It powers Firefox's built-in PDF viewer and can extract text content, render pages to canvas, and navigate PDF structures.
PDF to Text Extractor
Extract all readable text from PDF documents. View page-by-page text, word count, and character stats — free, browser-based, no upload required.
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Extracts all readable text — processed entirely in your browser
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Extracting text from PDF...
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About PDF to Text Extractor
PDF to Text Extractor pulls all readable text content from PDF documents. It uses Mozilla's PDF.js library running entirely in your browser — no files are uploaded to any server. The tool extracts embedded text from digital PDFs; for scanned documents, the PDF must contain an OCR text layer.
Common Use Cases
- Extracting text from PDF reports for editing in a word processor
- Copying content from PDF contracts or legal documents
- Converting PDF articles into plain text for accessibility tools
- Pulling data from PDF invoices for spreadsheet import
- Indexing PDF content for search or analysis
Key Concepts
Essential terms and definitions related to PDF to Text Extractor.
OCR (Optical Character Recognition)
Technology that converts images of text (from scans, photos, or PDF images) into machine-readable text. PDFs created from scanners may or may not include an OCR text layer depending on the scanning software used.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this work with scanned PDFs?
The tool extracts embedded text from digital PDFs. For scanned documents (which are essentially images), it can only extract text if the PDF contains an OCR (Optical Character Recognition) text layer. If your scanned PDF has no text layer, the tool will report that no extractable text was found.
Is the text extraction accurate?
For digital PDFs (created by word processors, browsers, or design tools), text extraction is highly accurate. The tool uses Mozilla's PDF.js library, the same engine that powers Firefox's built-in PDF viewer. Complex layouts with columns or text overlays may occasionally produce reordered text.
Can I download the extracted text?
Yes. After extraction, click "Download .txt" to save the text as a plain text file. You can also copy the text directly from the output area.
Are my files uploaded to any server?
No. The entire extraction process runs in your browser using PDF.js loaded from a CDN. Your PDF file is processed locally and never leaves your device.
Troubleshooting & Technical Tips
Common errors developers encounter and how to resolve them.
No extractable text found
The PDF is likely image-based (a scan or photo) without an embedded OCR text layer. Run it through an OCR pipeline (Adobe Acrobat Pro, Tesseract, or Google Drive preview) to add a searchable text layer before extracting.
Password-protected PDF cannot be opened
Encrypted PDFs cannot be parsed by PDF.js without the password. Remove the restriction using a PDF editor (or the original source) first, then upload the unprotected file.
Extracted text is out of reading order
PDFs store text by position, not semantic order. Multi-column layouts, floating callouts, and DTP-generated files (InDesign, QuarkXPress) often produce reordered extraction. For cleaner output, prefer PDFs produced by word processors or use the original source document when possible.
Extraction hangs or crashes on large PDFs
Files over ~100MB can exceed browser memory limits, especially on mobile. Split the PDF with the Split PDF tool and extract each chunk separately, then concatenate the text results.