PDF to TXT: Extract Text from PDF
To extract text from a PDF, upload the file and choose TXT as the output. Our server reads the PDF's text layer, joins broken lines back into paragraphs, strips all formatting and saves a UTF-8 .txt file with a byte order mark, so accented and non-Latin characters display correctly. Scanned PDFs have no text layer and no OCR is performed, so they yield no text.
- Free, no sign-up
- Files deleted within 30 minutes
- Up to 100 MB
Files are permanently deleted from our servers within 30 minutes.
How to convert PDF to TXT
Upload your PDF file
Drag your PDF file onto the upload area or browse for it (up to 100 MB).
Keep TXT as the target
TXT is already selected in the menu; you can pick another format if you need one.
Convert and download
Press “Convert” and the download of the converted file starts automatically.
What is preserved?
Kept
- All extractable text in reading order
- Paragraph breaks
- Unicode characters (UTF-8 with BOM)
Changed
- Headings and list items become plain lines
Not carried over
- Bold, italics, colours and fonts
- Images
- Table structure
When to use it
Feeding text into AI tools and scripts
When you want to paste a PDF into a chatbot, a translation service or your own script, a clean text file with no layout noise is the most predictable input and avoids stray characters from copy-and-paste.
Searching and comparing document versions
Plain text makes PDFs easy to search with any editor or command-line tool, and lets you compare two versions of a contract or report with a standard diff tool to see exactly what changed.
Limitations to know
- No OCR: scanned PDFs return an empty-output error.
- Encrypted PDFs are rejected.
- On multi-column pages the line order follows the PDF's internal layout.
About the formats
What is PDF?
PDF (Portable Document Format) is a fixed-layout document format created by Adobe and standardised as ISO 32000. Every piece of text, image and line is stored with its position on the page, so a PDF looks the same on every device and prints reliably. The trade-off is editing: a PDF stores positions on a page, not paragraphs and tables. Scanned PDFs contain only page images and need OCR before any text can be extracted.
What is TXT?
A TXT file contains characters only, with no formatting, images or page layout information. It opens in every program from Notepad to code editors and is the smallest and most portable kind of document. Whether accented and non-Latin characters display correctly depends on the character encoding; UTF-8, today's standard, handles virtually every language. Plain text is ideal for searching, archiving and moving content between systems.
Frequently asked questions
Why is my TXT file empty, or why did I get an error?
Your PDF is most likely a scan. PDFs created by a scanner or phone camera contain only page images, with no selectable text, and this service does not perform OCR. If you cannot highlight words in the PDF with your mouse, run it through an OCR tool before extracting the text.
What character encoding does the TXT file use?
The output is UTF-8 with a byte order mark (BOM). That combination makes accented letters, Turkish characters such as ş and ğ, and other non-Latin scripts display correctly in Windows Notepad, macOS TextEdit and code editors, without any manual encoding changes.
What if I want to keep headings and lists?
Plain text cannot store headings, bold text or images. If you want a lightweight file that still marks headings and lists, convert the PDF to Markdown instead; if you need a fully formatted document you can edit, convert the PDF to Word.
Is converting PDF to TXT free?
Yes, completely free. There is no account, subscription or watermark — just upload your file and convert it.
Is my file safe and when is it deleted?
Your file is transferred over HTTPS and stored on our server under a random code. The upload and the output are permanently deleted within 30 minutes, and the download link only works for whoever holds your unique code.