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1. Home
2. ›PDF to Word
3. ›How To Convert PDF To Word
4. ›PDF to Text: Convert PDF to Text Online for Free

How To Convert PDF To WordPDF to Text: Convert PDF to Text Online for Free

October 21, 2025 by Hung Nguyen

You can also read this article in German, Spanish, French, Indonesian, Italian and Portuguese.

Convert your PDF to text online for free in just a few clicks. Extract and edit content quickly with no sign-up or software download needed.

PDF to text conversion is a simple way to extract the written content from your PDF files so you can edit, copy, or repurpose it as needed.

Whether you're working with reports, forms, or documents saved in PDF format, converting them into text can make handling the content much easier. In just a few clicks, you can turn static files into editable ones by following the steps below.

How to Convert a PDF to Text with Smallpdf

1. Upload your PDF file by dragging and dropping it into the PDF to Word converter or clicking “Choose files”
2. Wait for automatic conversion - our OCR technology handles scanned documents too
3. Download your new .txt file instantly to your device

Tip: You can convert multiple PDFs at once with batch processing!

Convert a PDF to Word using Smallpdf

Convert PDF to Text

PDF to Text with Smallpdf: Features and Benefits

Security and Privacy

Your files are protected with TLS encryption during upload and processing. All files are automatically deleted from our servers after conversion, ensuring your documents stay private.

Works on Any Device (No Installation Required)

You can use Smallpdf to convert PDFs to text files regardless of your operating system, as our cloud platform works directly within your internet browser.

Fast Conversion and Batch Processing

Convert single files in seconds or process multiple PDFs simultaneously. Our platform handles large files efficiently without compromising quality.

Convert Scanned PDFs to Text with OCR

The software will extract text from your PDF file and convert it right on our platform. Your new file will be a fully editable text file, which works for scanned PDF files, too. OCR (Optical Character Recognition) technology automatically detects and converts image-based text into editable content.

Free Daily Limits and Pro Benefits

Using Smallpdf is entirely free for a limited number of times per day. If you need more, you can remove this daily limit with a Smallpdf Pro account.

If you're not ready to commit straight away, you can get a 7-day free trial to test out all the features.

More PDF Tools from Smallpdf

You can even convert PDF files into other editable formats, such as Excel and PPT.

Other than conversion capabilities, there are many other PDF tools in our collection, where you can:

• PDF to Word: Convert PDFs to fully editable Word documents
• PDF to Excel: Extract tables and data into spreadsheets
• Compress PDF: Reduce file size while maintaining quality
• OCR PDF: Make scanned documents searchable and editable
• Translate a PDF to English: Or a variety of other languages with our free PDF translator.
• Edit your PDF: Edit text and add text and shapes to your PDF.
• Split a PDF: Separate a PDF into individual pages or extract the ones you need.
• Merge PDFs: Combine multiple PDFs together.
• Convert images to PDF: Convert various image files into PDFs.

Start Converting PDFs to Text

Ready to extract text from your PDFs? Start your free trial to unlock unlimited conversions and advanced features.

Need more than just plain text? Use our PDF to Word converter to turn your PDF into a fully editable Word document in seconds. It's fast, free, and there's no sign-up required!

PDF to Text FAQs

Can I Convert a Scanned PDF to Text?

Yes! Our OCR technology automatically detects and converts text from scanned documents and images into editable text format.

Is PDF to Text Conversion Safe?

Absolutely. All files are encrypted during transfer and automatically deleted from our servers after processing to protect your privacy.

How Do I Convert PDF to Text on Mac or Windows?

Our browser-based tool works on any operating system - simply visit Smallpdf in your web browser on Mac, Windows, or any device.

Can I Extract Text from Part of a PDF?

Yes, once converted to text format, you can easily copy and use specific sections of the extracted content as needed.

Hung NguyenSenior Growth Marketing Manager @Smallpdf

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