How to Convert PDF to Text
Step-by-step guide to convert PDF to text with RatPDF. Upload, extract, download .txt — works on desktop and mobile browsers. Free tier included.
Quick steps
- Open PDF to Text — Go to ratpdf.com/pdf/pdftotext in your browser.
- Upload your PDF — Drag-and-drop or choose a file from your device.
- Extract — Click extract and wait for processing to finish.
- Download — Save the .txt file or copy the text output.
Before you start
Check whether your PDF is digital (you can select words with the cursor) or scanned (pages behave like photos). Digital PDFs go straight to PDF to Text. Scans need OCR first.
Step-by-step (digital PDF)
- Open PDF to Text in Chrome, Safari, Edge, or Firefox.
- Upload the file — drag-and-drop or pick from Files / Drive / iCloud.
- Click extract. Processing typically finishes in seconds for files under 50 MB.
- Download the
.txtfile or copy the preview text.
Step-by-step (scanned PDF)
- Run OCR PDF to add a searchable text layer.
- Download the OCR'd PDF, then upload it to PDF to Text.
- Review output — OCR may misread low-contrast scans or handwriting.
When to choose Word instead
If you need headings, bold, and tables preserved, use PDF to Word. Plain text is best for search, scripting, and LLM prompts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Digital PDFs usually finish in seconds. Large OCR'd scans depend on page count.
Yes — the tool works in mobile browsers on iOS and Android.
Plain text drops bold, columns, and images. Use PDF to Word for layout.
Output is UTF-8 plain text.