# Extract text from a PDF

> Copy the text out of a PDF into a .txt file in your browser. No upload, no account. Scans without a text layer stay empty.

Words out, file stays here

Extract text reads the text layer of a PDF and saves it as a plain .txt file. Quotes, notes, and passages you want to reuse come out as words you can open in any editor. The work runs in this browser. The PDF you dropped stays on disk.

A scan or a page made only of pictures has no text layer, so those pages come out empty. This page does not run OCR. Columns and tables can land in a different order than you read them. Unlock password-protected PDFs on your computer first. Close the tab and the working files are gone.

Free. There is no paid tier. No account. They stay on your computer. Nothing is uploaded.

## How to extract text from a PDF

1. Drop one PDF. It is read in this tab, never uploaded.
2. Leave “Mark each page” on if you want a page heading in the text file.
3. Click Extract text. The words are copied in this browser.
4. Download the .txt file. The PDF you dropped stays on disk.

## Extract PDF text without uploading

Most “PDF to text” sites take the file and read it on a server. This page uses PDF.js in the tab you already have open. There is no account and no queue. If it fails, the file never sat on someone else’s disk.

Need a picture of the page? Use [PDF to JPG](https://lovethispdf.com/tools/pdf-to-jpg.md).

## Questions

### Can I extract text from a PDF without uploading it?

Yes. LoveThisPDF reads the text layer in this tab and writes a .txt file on your device. Nothing is sent to a server.

### Will a scanned PDF work?

Only if the scan already has a text layer. A picture of a page has nothing to copy. Use PDF to JPG if you need an image of the page instead.

### Does the reading order stay perfect?

Most single-column pages come out line by line. Columns, tables, and headers can land in a different order than you read them. Check the text file before you rely on it.

### Can I mark where each page starts?

Yes. Leave “Mark each page” on. Each page in the text file starts with its page number.

### Will this change my original PDF?

No. You download a text file. The PDF you dropped stays on disk.

## Related tools

- [PDF to JPG](https://lovethispdf.com/tools/pdf-to-jpg.md): Save a picture of each page when there is no text layer.
- [Extract images](https://lovethispdf.com/tools/extract-images.md): Pull the photos stored in the file.
- [Split PDF](https://lovethispdf.com/tools/split-pdf.md): Keep a few pages, then copy the words from that shorter file.
- [Unlock PDF](https://lovethispdf.com/tools/unlock-pdf.md): Remove a password on your computer, then extract the text.
- [Add text](https://lovethispdf.com/tools/add-text.md): Place a line of text back onto the pages you choose.