Extract Text from PDF
Extract the selectable PDF text layer by page as TXT or JSON
About this tool
Extract Text from PDF reads the selectable text layer with PDF.js and returns page-delimited TXT or structured JSON. You can process every page or a range, inspect the text preview, copy it, and download a local file. It does not perform OCR: scanned pages without a text layer produce little or no output. Reading order is reconstructed from text item coordinates and may need manual review for multi-column layouts, rotated labels, tables, and complex scripts.
Scenario Recipes
Turn a text PDF into an indexing fixture
Goal: Create a page-aware text export without pretending it is OCR
- Open the PDF and select the relevant pages.
- Start with TXT to inspect reading order, then switch to JSON when page boundaries are needed.
- Review columns and tables manually before using the export in a search index.
Result: A local, page-aware text fixture with an explicit non-OCR limitation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this tool perform OCR?
No. It reads a PDF text layer; image-only scans require a separate OCR workflow.
Can I extract only some pages?
Yes. Enter a range such as 2-5 or a comma-separated selection.
What does JSON output contain?
It contains the source filename and records with page number, extracted text, and text-item count.
Why is reading order imperfect?
PDFs store positioned text rather than a guaranteed reading sequence, especially in columns and tables.
Are fonts or images extracted?
No. The output is text-layer content only and does not include embedded fonts or images.
Is the PDF uploaded?
No. PDF parsing and output generation run locally in the browser.
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