What this tool does
Upload a PDF (up to 20 MB) and it creates a .docx file you can edit in Word, Google Docs or LibreOffice. The conversion is built into this site’s PHP code. It reads the text commands in the PDF, decodes the font encodings, and writes Word paragraphs. It also tries to recognise tables, headings, bold text and bullet lists, and to carry over embedded images.
How to use it
- Press Choose PDF File, or drop a PDF (up to 20 MB) on the page.
- Press Convert to Word.
- Press Download Word Document and read it against the original.
What works and what doesn’t
Think of this as getting the content out, not recreating the layout.
- Works well: PDFs made from a word processor with mostly plain text, headings and lists.
- Uneven: tables, multi-column layouts and pages with text in odd reading order. Expect to tidy the result by hand.
- Fonts and spacing won’t match the original. The document uses Word’s default styles, not the PDF’s fonts.
- Scanned PDFs don’t work. If the pages are just pictures of text there is no text to extract. The tool tells you the file seems to be scanned, and asks for OCR, which this tool does not do. Run the file through an OCR program first.
- Encrypted PDFs need unlocking first. Use Unlock PDF.
Check the result
Always read the converted file against the original, especially numbers and names. Text extraction from PDF can reorder, merge or drop pieces, and special characters depend on the font’s mapping data being present.
Privacy
The PDF is uploaded, processed in a temporary folder and not added to the media library. The download link expires after 15 minutes. Up to 10 requests a minute are allowed.
If you mainly want the tables, PDF to Excel is a better fit.
Can it convert scanned documents?
No. It needs a PDF with real text. Scanned pages must go through OCR software first.
Will the layout match the original?
Not exactly. Text, headings and some tables carry over, but fonts, columns and spacing generally don’t.
Why are some characters wrong?
PDFs map characters through font tables, and if a file lacks the data to decode them, the text can come out garbled.
Is there a size limit?
20 MB per file.
What do I get when it finishes?
A .docx file you can open in Word, Google Docs or LibreOffice. Download links expire after 15 minutes.