How to Copy Text From a PDF (Free, Even Scanned)
You want to quote, edit or reuse the words in a PDF — but selecting and copying doesn't always work, especially with scanned documents. This guide shows how to copy text from a PDF for free, both from normal text-based PDFs and from scans using OCR.
📋 Try the PDF to Text now — freeOpen →PDFs are made for viewing, not editing, so getting the text out lets you reuse it — for notes, quotes, translations, or moving content into a document. It saves you from retyping and makes the content searchable.
Two kinds of PDF
A text-based PDF (made from a document or web page) has real, selectable text. Our PDF to Text tool extracts it instantly and accurately — copy or download it as .txt.
A scanned PDF is really images of pages, so there's no text to select. If you can't highlight the text in your PDF viewer, it's a scan, and you'll need OCR (optical character recognition). Our Image to Text tool reads scanned pages and turns them into copyable text.
What you can do next
- Quote or cite passages without retyping.
- Translate the content into another language.
- Paste it into a document, email or notes app.
- Search and reorganize the content freely.
- Summarize a long report with the AI Writer.
Step-by-step
Common mistakes to avoid
Pro tips
Frequently asked questions
Why can't I copy text from my PDF?
It's probably a scan — images of pages with no real text. Use the Image to Text (OCR) tool to read it.
Is it free and private?
Yes — free with no sign-up, and extraction happens in your browser, so your PDF isn't uploaded.
Will it keep the formatting?
It gives you the words as editable text; layout and fonts aren't preserved.
Can I copy from a scanned document?
Yes — run it through OCR (Image to Text), which reads images of text into copyable text.
What can I do with the text?
Copy, edit, translate, or paste it anywhere — and summarize it with the AI Writer.
Copying text from a PDF is easy once you know which kind you have: extraction for text-based PDFs, OCR for scans. Either way it's free and private in your browser, turning locked-up words into text you can quote, edit and reuse.