01
A quote from a report
Uploading a 20-page PDF report and clicking Extract text pulls every page's wording into one plain-text box, ready to copy a specific quote out of.
PDF Text Extractor
PDF ToolsExtract text from PDF files online and copy it as plain text — free PDF to text tool.
PDF file
About
About the PDF Text Extractor
Pulls all the selectable text out of a PDF into a single plain-text box you can copy or search.
Researchers use it to copy a quote or passage out of a PDF that doesn't allow normal text selection, while anyone repurposing a report uses it to pull the wording into another document without retyping it. It's one of many free PDF tools on Toolapt, and like every tool here, it's free to use with no sign-up and no limit on how many times you run it.
Examples
PDF Text Extractor examples
3 worked examples
02
A scanned PDF with no text
Uploading a PDF that's really just a scanned image shows a clear message that no selectable text was found, since there's no text layer to pull from.
03
Searching a long document
After extracting the text from a lengthy contract, using the browser's own Ctrl+F find-in-page quickly locates a specific clause.
Related tools
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Quick answers to common questions about the PDF Text Extractor.
What does PDF Text Extractor do?
It pulls all the selectable text out of a PDF, page by page, and shows it in one plain-text box you can copy or search.
Is PDF Text Extractor free to use?
Yes. It's free, with no sign-up, no watermark and no limit on how many files you extract text from.
Is my file safe when I use this tool?
Yes. Your PDF is read entirely in your browser using a small PDF-rendering library loaded from this site — it's never uploaded to a server.
Why does it say no selectable text was found?
That means the PDF is likely a scanned image with no underlying text layer. Try the OCR PDF tool instead, which runs real optical character recognition to pull text out of scanned pages.
Does it preserve the original formatting?
No. It extracts plain text only, with pages separated by blank lines — fonts, columns, tables and layout aren't preserved.
Can I search within the extracted text?
Yes. Once extracted, use your browser's own find-in-page (usually Ctrl+F or Cmd+F) to search the text box's content.
Can I use PDF Text Extractor on my phone?
Yes. The page is fully responsive and works on mobile, tablet and desktop browsers alike.
Does PDF Text Extractor have any limitations?
It only pulls text that's already selectable in the PDF; for images, tables or a PDF's structural metadata, other tools like PDF to HTML or PDF Info are a better fit.