Why extract text from a PDF?
Sometimes you just need the words — to paste into a document, translate the content, run it through a grammar checker, feed it into a spreadsheet, or search and edit it in a text editor. PDFs lock up text inside their format. The extract tool pulls it all out in seconds, cleanly formatted and ready to use.
How to extract text from a PDF free
- Open ihatepdf.cv/extract-text
- Upload your PDF
- Click Extract Text
- Copy the extracted text or download it as a .txt file
What gets extracted
All text that exists as a text layer in the PDF — paragraphs, headings, bullet points, table cell contents, footnotes, headers, and footers. The extractor preserves paragraph breaks and basic structure so the output is readable, not a wall of text.
Does it work on password-protected PDFs?
If the PDF has an owner password that restricts copying, you'll need to remove the password first, then extract the text.
Does it work on scanned PDFs?
No — scanned PDFs are images of text, not actual text. The extractor only works on PDFs that have an embedded text layer (typically any PDF created digitally — from Word, Google Docs, InDesign, or a PDF printer). For scanned PDFs, an OCR tool is needed first to create the text layer.
Common uses for PDF text extraction
- Research — extract content from papers and reports to quote or cite
- Translation — paste extracted text into Google Translate or DeepL
- Data processing — pull table data from financial PDFs into spreadsheets
- Editing — extract text before rewriting and converting back to PDF
- Accessibility — convert PDF content to plain text for screen readers
Frequently asked questions
Is there a page limit for text extraction?
No. Extract text from PDFs of any length.
Does the extracted text file have a watermark?
No. ihatepdf never adds watermarks to any output.
Will images in the PDF be included in the extracted text?
No. Only text content is extracted — images, charts, and diagrams are not included.