Convert PDF to Text Online Free | PdfEditly
By PdfEditly Team · October 23, 2026 · 10 min read
PDF files are really good for the exchange of reports, forms, books, and other work documents. Nevertheless, extracting text from a PDF file is not that easy. The problem is that in some cases it is simply impossible to highlight the text; besides, in some cases, when trying to copy text from a PDF file, you will get some weird line breaks.
For those who are interested in reusing some content extracted from a PDF document, a text extraction service would be handy. The service allows extracting text from a PDF document and using it for your reports, emails, notes, etc. It is not necessary to type everything manually.
This article will give you guidelines on how to turn a PDF into text on the Internet, describe the procedure itself, and share some advice on how to deal with scanned PDFs. Also, we will demonstrate how to check the outcome and prevent common errors.
What Does Converting a PDF to Text Mean?
Conversion of PDF to text is the process where the information within a PDF document is extracted and put into a user-friendly format. The resulting file could be plain text or formatted text depending on which software is used.
For example, let us consider a case where we have a five-page report that contains important information that can be used for your class assignment. You do not need to type the whole document. Rather, you can extract the information that you need through the PDF-to-text conversion process.
It should be noted that a PDF and a text file cannot be used for the same purpose. The PDF file allows keeping the original page layout, pictures, tables, font, and spacing. The plain text file consists of words and paragraphs only.
This implies that the output will not be similar to the PDF file. The columns of the table could be lost, while the heading could be shown alongside the text. You will need to review the output before proceeding with your work. PDF text extraction utility will be beneficial if you need the words rather than the original layout.
How to Convert PDF to Text Online
PdfEditly's PDF-to-Text feature is capable of converting PDF content to formatted text in your web browser. It also provides the opportunity to preview the output as well as to download it in HTML and Word formats. Here are the necessary steps.
Step 1: Open the PDF-to-Text tool
Access the PDF-to-Text webpage on PdfEditly. Locate the area where the file will be uploaded. You can either drop your PDF into that area or click to browse it on your computer. Make sure that you choose the right file before proceeding. In case there are multiple files with the same name, double-check their filenames.
Step 2: Extract the text
Once you choose the PDF, select the "extract formatted text" option. This program will then process the document and display the extracted text on your screen. Give it some time because it may take more time for a large file than a small one. Don’t close the tab until the processing ends.
Step 3: Review the result
Review the preview prior to saving. Ensure that the headings, paragraphs, lists, and line spacing are correctly displayed. Verify that the text appears in the proper sequence. If there are important details such as names, dates, figures, and other information in the document, verify them against the original PDF.
Step 4: Copy or download the text
If the result appears correct, utilize the provided options to save a copy of it. PdfEditly offers options to export the extracted text as HTML or Word. Select the option that will be more appropriate for your particular purpose. HTML can be helpful if you need to preserve the formatting of the text for the web or other uses supported by HTML.
Can You Extract Text From a Scanned PDF?
Yes, but the technique used will depend on the type of PDF document. PDF documents may have text that a computer is able to select and use. PDF documents may also consist of images of pages, as though they had been photographed.
Text-Based PDFs
A text-based PDF will be composed of text. The user may highlight one word using the mouse or a finger, then copy the selected text into another document. Such documents are easier to work with because the text is already in digital form in the PDF.
Word reports, digital forms, and online documents are examples of such PDFs.If one can select separate words from the document, then one should start with text extraction software. The result will show whether the text is well arranged.
Scanned PDFs and OCR
A scanned document is likely to have page images instead of text that is selectable. This is what occurs in the case of scanning a paper letter, a page from a book, a receipt, or a printed report. This kind of document will need software to use OCR, which means Optical Character Recognition. OCR tries to detect letters and numerals on an image and convert them into text form.
The quality of the scan becomes important here. Poor image resolution, faint letters, skewed text, and handwritten text can cause mistakes. Also, the scan might have letters that do not belong to the text itself. There is an OCR PDF Tool at PdfEditly. You will find a specific OCR PDF Tool for your scanned PDFs. Not all text extraction methods can work with scanned pages.
How to Get Better Text From a PDF
For a good outcome, start with a good source document. There are some basic precautions that you can follow to prevent mistakes and get usable text.
- Start with a clear PDF. If you have written the document, always use the digital file for extraction. If the pages were scanned, make sure the text is clear and legible.
- Check the order of the text. Many PDF files have columns, sidebars, and other elements. It’s possible that the tool will extract the text from one location before another, resulting in confusion. Check the layout and the extracted text.
- Review names and numbers. Care must be taken when checking dates, telephone numbers, prices, account numbers, and names. Just one wrong character will alter the sentence or render the number wrong.
- Look at headings and lists. A title might be shown next to the first sentence rather than above it. Points in a list might have lost their numbering and spacing. These problems should be fixed before the text is used in a report.
- Check tables separately. Text extraction does not always maintain the table columns. In case there is a table in the PDF, all rows and figures should be verified.
- Keep a copy of the source file. You should not depend on the above text alone. The PDF version will assist you in verifying any text that looks inaccurate or missing.
Such verifications can be helpful if you require accurate information for work or academic purposes.
Common Problems When Extracting PDF Text
Text extraction can be a time saver; however, there might be certain issues that might occur while performing this task. Here are some issues that you may face and how to solve them.
The text cannot be selected. Your document could include images of the pages. In that case, you should use OCR software capable of reading images.
Words are missing. There may be low-quality images, unusual fonts, or unreadable content in the original source. Check the original page and use OCR when your PDF is a scan.
The words appear in the wrong order. This is usually the case when it comes to columns, sidebars, or complicated page formats. Compare the output with the PDF and arrange the text according to its proper placement.
Tables lose their layout. A text file might fail to preserve the rows and columns present in the PDF document. For working with tabular data, you can consider using a PDF-to-Excel converter.
Letters or symbols look wrong. The conversion process does not preserve special characters. Look for problematic words and correct any incorrect characters in the final output.
The formatting changes. Plain text fails to preserve all formatting elements in a PDF document. In such cases, you need to select the output format accordingly.
If there are still a lot of mistakes in the output, consider using a different source file and/or a different extraction method appropriate for the document.
Is It Safe to Convert a PDF Online?
Prior to using an online PDF editor, make sure whether the service processes your files in a particular way. Some services process files on remote servers, while others process them right in the user's browser. This may be important in case your file is confidential.
According to PdfEditly, its PDF tools process files in the user's browser, and files do not leave the user's device or get uploaded to its servers. The Privacy statement is shown on PdfEditly's PDF-to-Text page.
Nevertheless, still pay attention to the confidentiality of the document. Make sure you have chosen the right file, and try not to share the extracted text with those who should not know about this data.
In case you are dealing with contract files, personal files, or any other type of business files, you should first go through the privacy settings of the program before starting your work. You must also go through the final document before you send it to someone else.
Convert PDF Text With PdfEditly
The PdfEditly website contains a PDF-to-Text feature, which is useful for those who wish to get formatted text out of a PDF. According to the webpage, the feature allows users to keep some characteristics of the text, including headers, bold font, lists, spacing, and links.
The procedure is carried out via your browser. The user selects a file in PDF format, extracts text from it, checks the preview, and downloads the product as either HTML or Word. Such a procedure could be handy when one needs to use the text of a research paper, a report, or another kind of text-based PDF.
In case your document is a scan, then it's better to use the separate OCR PDF converter tool for that. Sometimes it is necessary to convert scanned pages into text first in order to reuse the text. It is also possible to select other PdfEditly converter tools in case you need other results from your task.
Conclusion
The right way to extract text from the PDF will help you save time when it comes to reusing the words from a PDF document. The optimal way depends on what kind of file you have. It is usually easier to work with text PDF files compared to scanned ones, which require the application of OCR technology.
Choose the right tool for you, make sure that the results are appropriate, and keep the original PDF file until you verify the results. When you want to convert a PDF to text online, you can use PdfEditly and download the HTML or Word file.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do I Convert a PDF to Text for Free?
Use the tool to convert a PDF to text and extract the content from your PDF file. Make sure that the content is correct before reusing it.
Can I Extract Text From a Scanned PDF?
Yes, but if you have a scanned PDF, then it would require OCR. OCR converts words present in the image on the page to digital text form. You must check the output because poor-quality scanning can cause some errors.
Does Converting a PDF Change Its Layout?
Yes, it can. The plain text does not retain all the page layout or any images or tables. Formats like Word or HTML may maintain some formatting, but you must check the output.
Why Is Some PDF Text Missing After Conversion?
The text could be missing because of the following reasons: the PDF might contain images or special fonts or an unusual layout of the page.