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PDF Text Extractor

Pull selectable text out of a PDF.

100% FreeRuns instantlyNo watermark
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  1. 1Choose toolOpen the Vootkit workspace.
  2. 2Add inputProvide the content or settings.
  3. 3ProcessLet the browser do the work.
Private by designProcessed on your device where possible.
Works on any deviceDesktop, tablet and mobile browsers.
No installationOpen the page and start working.
Always free coreUse the free plan for everyday tasks.

How to use PDF Text Extractor

Choose tool

Open the Vootkit workspace.

01
Add input

Provide the content or settings.

02
Process

Let the browser do the work.

03
Finish

Copy, download or continue.

04

Your files stay private

Your work is processed locally in your browser where possible and is never added to a Vootkit upload library.

Learn more about privacy
View all PDF tools
PDF & Image OCRExtract text from scanned PDFs and images with OCR. Reads scans and photos and hands back selectable text. PDF PDF to JPGRender every page to a downloadable image. You get one JPG per page, ready to save. PDF PDF to PNGRender each PDF page to a downloadable PNG image. You get one lossless PNG per page. PDF Text to PDFTurn plain text into a clean, paginated PDF. Set the page size and margins before you save. PDF Merge PDFsCombine several PDFs into one, in the order you choose. Finish in your browser and download the updated PDF. PDF Compress PDFShrink a PDF below an upload or email limit. Finish in your browser and download the updated PDF. PDF

Copying text out of a PDF by hand is miserable, and copying it out of a scanned PDF is impossible — because there is no text in it, only a picture of text. Knowing which kind you have saves a lot of wasted effort.

What PDF Text Extractor does

Extracts the text layer from a PDF, giving you plain text you can paste anywhere.

It reads text that is genuinely stored in the file. A scan has none: it is images of pages, and no extractor can find words that were never encoded. If nothing comes out, that is what has happened — and the answer is OCR, not a different extractor.

What comes out, and what does not

Works onPDFs created from a document — exported, printed to PDF, generated
Returns nothing onScans and photographed pages, which contain images only
PreservedThe words, in reading order
Not preservedFonts, layout, columns, tables and images
Quick testTry selecting text in your PDF reader — if you cannot, there is none to extract
Scanned documentsNeed OCR — see the PDF OCR tool

Detailed steps

  1. Open the PDF in any reader and try to select a sentence. If the cursor selects text, this will work; if it draws a box, it will not.
  2. Drop the PDF in.
  3. Copy the extracted text, or download it.

Worth knowing

Multi-column layouts are where extraction gets untidy. The text is stored in the order it was drawn, which for two columns is often left-then-right per band rather than the full left column then the full right one. Expect to fix the flow on academic papers and newsletters.

Frequently Asked Questions

I got nothing back.

The PDF almost certainly contains images rather than text — a scan, or pages photographed on a phone. There is no text layer to extract. Run it through PDF OCR, which recognises the characters in the image and creates one.

The text came out jumbled.

Usually a multi-column layout. Extraction follows the order content was written into the file, which does not always match the order you read it. Reflowing by hand afterwards is normally quicker than fighting it.

Why are the line breaks in odd places?

A PDF stores where each line was placed, not where a paragraph ends — the concept barely exists in the format. Breaks land where lines wrapped visually, so joining paragraphs afterwards is expected.

Can I keep the formatting?

Not with this tool — it produces plain text deliberately. If layout matters more than the words, PDF to JPG or PDF to PNG keeps the pages looking exactly as they are.

Is PDF Text Extractor free?

Yes. The Vootkit free plan includes 5 tool runs a day. Upgrade to Vootkit Pro for unlimited daily use, an ad-free workspace and saved workflows.

Are my files uploaded?

No. PDF Text Extractor runs entirely in your browser — your file is processed on your own device and never sent to a server. There is nothing for us to store or delete.

Do I need to install anything?

No. PDF Text Extractor works in any modern browser on desktop, tablet or phone. Open the page and start.

How often can I use it? Is there a daily limit?

On the free plan you get 5 tool runs a day. When you reach the limit you'll see a prompt to upgrade, and it resets the next day. Vootkit Pro removes the cap entirely for unlimited daily use.

This tool processes everything locally in your browser. You can disconnect from the internet after the page loads and it will still work.