Does it work on scanned PDFs?
No. This tool extracts embedded text only. For scanned documents, use Image to Text (OCR) or convert the PDF pages to images first.
Free PDF to Text Converter
Extract readable text from PDFs. Output is cleaned (hyphenation fixed, extra line breaks removed). Works with digital PDFs that have selectable text—not scanned images. Max 10MB. No sign-up required.
Daily limits: 7 for guests, 15 for signed-in users.
You have 7 of 7 remaining today.
We extract text from your PDF and clean it (fix hyphenation, normalize spaces). Digital PDFs with selectable text only — not scanned. Max 10MB. Your file is deleted after processing.
- No registration required
- Files deleted after conversion
- Max 10MB per file
- Free to use
How to Extract Text from a PDF
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Upload a digital PDF with selectable text (max 10MB).
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Click Extract Text. ConvertFloor extracts and cleans the text.
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Hyphenation and line breaks are fixed for readable output.
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Download or copy the plain text. Your file is not stored.
What happens when you use PDF to Plain Text
Upload a digital PDF (max 10MB) with selectable text and click Extract Text. We extract the embedded text and clean it: we fix hyphenated line breaks (e.g. "docu-\nment" becomes "document"), remove excessive blank lines, and normalize spaces. The result is readable plain text for editing, searching, or repurposing. This tool works only with digital PDFs that contain selectable text; for scanned documents use Image to Text (OCR). Your file is deleted after processing. Need Markdown? Try PDF to Markdown. For Word output, use PDF to Word.
Half the time people need PDF to Word right after PDF to Plain Text—same workflow, different output.
Two writes worth bookmarking: when copy-paste gives you garbage characters and when you need real paragraphs, not a text dump.
If this isn’t the last stop, people often chain PDF to Word then PDF to CSV —same file, different headache.
When PDF to Plain Text is the right call
- When you need plain text from a PDF for editing or analysis
- When you want to search or reuse text without PDF formatting
- When preparing content for other tools that accept plain text
- When you have digital PDFs (not scanned) with selectable text
- When you need clean text without hyphenation or extra line breaks
Formats
In: PDF only. Digital PDFs with selectable text. Max 10MB. No OCR—scanned PDFs not supported.
Out: Plain text (.txt). Cleaned: hyphenation fixed, spaces normalized.
Uploads are processed for conversion only—we are not building a library of your documents.
When it goes sideways
- Scanned PDF or no text extracted: This tool extracts embedded text only. For scanned documents, use Image to Text (OCR).
- File size limit: Maximum 10MB per PDF. For larger files, split first using PDF Split.
- Hyphenation or layout issues: We fix common hyphenated line breaks and normalize spaces. Proofread for complex layouts.
FAQ
What does "clean" text mean?
We fix hyphenated line breaks (e.g. "docu-\nment" becomes "document"), remove extra blank lines, and normalize spaces. Paragraphs are preserved.
Is there a file size limit?
Yes. Maximum 10MB per PDF. For larger files, split them first using PDF Split.
Is my file stored?
No. Files are deleted automatically after processing.
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