How to copy text from a PDF
- Choose a text-based PDF of no more than 15 MB and 50 pages.
- Select “Extract text” and review the preview. Use “Copy text” or “Download .txt” if it contains what you need.
- Use “Clear preview” when finished, especially on a shared device.
Why a PDF may show no text
This tool reads text already embedded in the PDF. If a page is a photo or scan, its letters are pixels rather than selectable words; OCR is needed, and this page does not provide OCR. You can check by trying to select a word in your normal PDF viewer. Complex columns, tables, or unusual fonts may also appear out of reading order in a plain-text preview.
Limits and privacy
The preview stops at 50,000 characters or after 30 seconds; password-protected and damaged files may fail. The PDF and extracted text stay in your browser on this free page. Only anonymous step counts may be sent, subject to browser privacy signals. AI Pro is a separate paid task: you review the extracted text before explicitly submitting it for AI processing.
If you want to change the PDF rather than copy its text, use Extract PDF pages or Rotate PDF.