PDF to Word converter (text only)
Choose a PDF and get its text as a Word (.docx) file you can edit. It keeps the text and paragraphs, not the layout. It runs in your browser and nothing is uploaded.
Free · no signup Runs in your browser
How do I convert a PDF to Word?
Choose the PDF and press Convert to Word. The tool reads the text of every page, groups it into paragraphs and saves a Word .docx file with a page break between pages. This is a text conversion: pictures, tables, columns, fonts and exact layout are not carried over. Your browser does the work, so the PDF is never uploaded.
An honest text-only converter
A PDF is a fixed drawing of a page, while a Word file is a flowing document, so converting one into the other perfectly is a hard problem that even the big online services solve only partly. A tool that runs entirely in your browser can do the dependable part: read the text and give it back as an editable document.
That is what this tool does. It extracts the text of each page, joins the lines of a paragraph, keeps the paragraph breaks and puts a page break between pages. The .docx file opens in Word, Google Docs and LibreOffice for editing. What you do not get is the look of the original: pictures, tables, columns, headers and footers, fonts and colours are not carried over, so a form or a designed brochure will not convert usefully. It is best for letters, reports, contracts and articles that you want to reuse. Scanned PDFs have no text, and the tool will tell you.
It runs in your browser. Your PDF is never uploaded, and there is no watermark or sign-up.
How it works in detail
Your browser opens the PDF with PDF.js, on your device, reads the text of each page and groups it into paragraphs (you can choose whether to join the lines of each paragraph). The tool then writes a .docx file, which is a ZIP of XML files in the Office Open XML format (ECMA-376): the document body has one Word paragraph for each paragraph of text and a page break between pages. It writes only what a word processor needs, so there are no styles, fonts, pictures or tables, and the document uses your word processor's default style. Columns and tables may be read in a different order from how they look. This is a text conversion for when you need the words in an editable file, not a copy of the layout.
How to use it
- Choose the PDF.
- Decide whether to join each paragraph's lines (usually yes for running text).
- Press Convert to Word.
- Download the .docx file and open it in Word, LibreOffice or Google Docs.
- Check the order of the text, then format it as you like. Add pictures and tables back by hand.
What changes and what stays the same
What the tool does to your file, and what it leaves alone.
| Aspect | What happens |
|---|---|
| Text | Kept, grouped into paragraphs |
| Page breaks | One between each page of the PDF |
| Fonts, colours, styles | Not kept: the default style is used |
| Pictures and tables | Not carried over |
| Columns | May be read in a different order |
| The original file | Never changed: the tool builds a new file and the original stays where it is |
| Privacy | The PDF is read on your device and is not uploaded; there is no account and no watermark |
When to use it
- Reusing the wording of a letter, contract or report
- Editing text from a PDF that you only have in PDF form
- Starting a new document from an old PDF's text
- Getting text into a form that translation or grammar tools accept
Problems you may run into
Most problems come from the file itself, not from the tool.
| What you see | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| 'This PDF is password-protected' | The file is encrypted, so the browser cannot read it | Remove the password in the program that made it (or open and print to a new PDF), then try again |
| 'This file could not be read as a PDF' | The file is damaged, or is not really a PDF (it was only renamed) | Open it in a PDF viewer to check; if it opens there, re-save it as a new PDF and try again |
| The Word file is empty | The PDF is a scan with no text layer | Use the image to text converter (OCR), then paste the text into Word |
| The layout is lost | This is a text-only conversion | Re-create the layout in Word, or ask for the source file of the document |
| Text from columns is mixed | Columns are read in drawing order | Cut and paste sections into the right order |
| Pictures are missing | Pictures are not extracted | Export pictures with the PDF to JPG converter and place them again |
Mistakes it helps you avoid
- Expecting the layout, tables and pictures to come across: they will not.
- Converting a scan and expecting text: scans need OCR.
- Editing a signed or legal document and treating the result as the original.
- Skipping a read-through: check paragraph breaks and the order of columns.
How it works
Your PDF is read inside your browser.
1. Your browser opens the PDF with PDF.js, on your device.2. The text of each page is read and grouped into paragraphs.3. A .docx file is written: a ZIP of XML files with one Word paragraph for each paragraph of text and a page break between pages.4. The file is saved to your downloads. Nothing is uploaded.
A .docx file is a ZIP of XML parts (the Office Open XML format, ECMA-376). This tool writes the minimum a word processor needs: the document body with plain paragraphs. No styles, fonts, pictures or tables are written, so the document uses your word processor's default style. Columns and tables may be read in a different order from how they look.
Example: a three-page report
You convert the text of a three-page report.
- Paragraphs foundfor example 24
- Resultreport.docx with 24 paragraphs and two page breaks
An editable Word file with the report's text
Pictures and tables in the report are not included.
Terms on this page
- DOCX
- The Word file format: a ZIP of XML files.
- OCR
- Turning a picture of text into real text.
Common questions
Does it keep the layout of my PDF?
No. It converts the text and paragraphs only. Pictures, tables, columns, fonts and exact layout are not kept.
Why does it find no text?
The PDF is probably a scan. A scan is a picture of a page, and turning it into text needs OCR, which this tool does not do.
What program opens the file?
Microsoft Word, Google Docs, LibreOffice and most word processors open .docx files.
Is my PDF uploaded?
No. Your browser reads the file on your own device. Nothing is sent over the network, so it is safe for private documents.
Can it open a password-protected PDF?
No. Remove the password first in the program that made it or in a PDF viewer, then try again.
What to work out next
Where these numbers come from
- PDF.js (Mozilla), Apache-2.0 licence The open-source PDF reader that draws pages and extracts text in your browser.
- Ecma International — ECMA-376, Office Open XML file formats The .docx format: a ZIP of XML files.
- Adobe — PDF 32000-1:2008 (ISO 32000-1), the PDF specification Pages are measured in points of 1/72 inch; how text and images are stored.
- MDN Web Docs — Using files from web applications How a page reads a file you choose without uploading it.
Last verified 2026-10-25 The method on this page is checked against the sources above at least once a year. Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.
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