Convert RTF to Plain Text (TXT)
To convert RTF to TXT, upload your .rtf file and choose TXT as the target. RTF control words such as {\rtf1, \b or \par, the code you see when you open an .rtf in Notepad, are removed, leaving only the readable text. The output is UTF-8 with a byte order mark; paragraphs are separated by blank lines and table cells by tabs.
- 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 RTF to TXT
Upload your RTF file
Drag your RTF 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 readable text in the document
- Paragraph breaks (as blank lines)
- Bulleted (•) and numbered (1.) lists
- Special and accented characters (UTF-8)
Changed
- Table rows become lines with tab-separated cells
Not carried over
- RTF control codes and all formatting
- Embedded images
When to use it
Getting the text out of RTF exports
When a program exports a report as RTF and you only need the words, converting to TXT lets you move the content into a database, form or script without any formatting codes attached.
Making code-like RTF readable
On a server without a word processor, or in a basic text editor, an RTF file looks like a wall of backslash codes. The TXT output gives you the same content as clean, readable text.
Limitations to know
- Text inside images is not extracted; there is no OCR.
About the formats
What is RTF?
RTF (Rich Text Format) is a document format published by Microsoft in 1987 that stores formatted text as plain text with control codes. It can carry bold and italic text, fonts, alignment, lists, tables and images. Its main strength is compatibility: RTF opens in WordPad on Windows, TextEdit on macOS, LibreOffice and Word. It is less capable than DOCX for complex layouts, and its appearance can vary between the programs that open it.
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 does my RTF file look like code in Notepad?
RTF stores formatting as control words mixed into the text: \b for bold, \par for a new paragraph, \f0 for a font and so on. Word processors interpret these codes, but Notepad shows them as they are. Converting to TXT strips the codes and leaves just the readable text.
Will accented and non-English characters come out correctly?
Yes. RTF often stores such characters as escape codes like \'e9 or \u305. During conversion they are turned back into real characters and the file is saved as UTF-8 with a byte order mark, so Notepad and Excel display them correctly.
What happens to tables in the RTF?
Each table row becomes a separate line of text with a tab character between cells. That means you can paste the lines into Excel or Google Sheets and the values fall into separate columns. Borders, cell colors and column widths are not part of plain text.
Is converting RTF 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.