Convert a PDF to Text
Import a PDF and get all its text, or the text of a few pages, ready to copy or download as a .txt file. The document is read in your browser: it's never uploaded.
- Free
- All pages or a selection
- Copy or .txt file
- 100% private
100% private — Everything is processed directly in your browser: your files, voice, and image are never sent to Chatzam's servers.
How to extract text from a PDF?
-
Import the PDF
Drag the document into the box or select it from your device.
-
Choose the pages
Keep all pages or limit the extraction to a selection, and turn on page separators if you need them.
-
Copy or download
Copy the text in one click, or download it as a .txt file.
Your PDF's text, without retyping
Line order preserved
The text is extracted line by line, in the reading order of each page.
Pages of your choice
The whole document or just the pages you need, with optional page separators so you know where each passage comes from.
Copy or .txt
Paste the text wherever you want, or keep it in a .txt file that opens on any device.
Scanned PDFs detected
If the PDF only contains images, the tool tells you and points you to text recognition (OCR).
Digital PDF or scanned PDF: the difference that changes everything
A PDF created by software (Word, an invoicing website, a bank statement export) contains real text: you can select it in your PDF reader, and the tool extracts it instantly. A scanned PDF, or a photo of a document saved as a PDF, only contains images of pages: there's no text to extract, even if you can see words on the screen. To check, try selecting a sentence in your PDF reader: if nothing highlights, it's a scan. In that case, the tool lets you know; use “Image to Text (OCR)” instead, which recognizes the characters with OCR.
What happens to the formatting?
A .txt file only contains plain text: bold, italics, fonts, colors and images are lost. The tool keeps the order of the lines, which is enough for a letter, a contract, an article or course notes. With a more complex layout, such as several columns or tables, proofread the result: the reading order or alignment may need a few touch-ups. The optional page separators show where each page begins: handy for quoting a passage with its page number or finding the original spot in the PDF.
What is PDF text extraction useful for?
Getting the text back saves you from retyping everything: reusing a paragraph from a contract in an email, copying references into a paper, pasting a document into ChatGPT or Claude to have it summarized or translated, or counting words with our “Word Counter”. Limit the extraction to the pages you need to get a shorter text that's easier to work with. A .txt file opens anywhere, from Notepad to your phone, and takes up very little space. If you'd rather edit the PDF itself or keep only a few of its pages, use “Split PDF”.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I extract text from a PDF?
Import the PDF, choose all pages or a selection, then copy the text or download it as a .txt file. It's free, with no sign-up.
Why is no text found in my PDF?
Your PDF is probably a scan: each page is an image, with no text inside. Use “Image to Text (OCR)”, which reads the characters with OCR.
Can I extract the text from just a few pages?
Yes, select the pages you're interested in instead of the whole document. The optional page separators show where each passage comes from.
Is the PDF's formatting preserved?
No, only the plain text is extracted, in line order. Bold, fonts and images aren't kept, and tables or columns may need proofreading.
Is my PDF uploaded to a server?
No. The document is read entirely in your browser and never leaves your device.