PDF to Word Converter

Converts PDF text into a real, openable .docx file. Note: text only, original layout and tables are not preserved.

When should you use this?

Use this when you need to edit a PDF's content in Word; it generally preserves paragraph structure well on PDFs with a real text layer.

When shouldn't you use this?

Complex tables or multi-column layouts can shift during conversion, always review the document afterward, especially if it's a formal one.

Step-by-step

Choose the document in the PDF file field. PDFs with selectable text give the best results.
Click Download as Word (.docx).
Open the .docx file in Word, LibreOffice or Google Docs.
Only the text comes across, so reapply headings, bold text and bullet points with your editor's styles, then save the file under a new name.

Example

The Word file for last year's proposal letter is gone, and all you have left is the PDF you sent the client. You need a similar proposal this year and don't want to retype it. Convert the PDF to Word: the paragraphs come through, while the logo, tables and page layout don't. Paste the text into your current template, update the date, amounts and client name, and you have a working draft without fighting the old formatting.

The limits of converting PDF to Word

A PDF is designed to fix the page's appearance; it is not an editable document format. So when converting to Word the text is extracted, but tables, columns and complex layouts may not be kept exactly. Best results come from simple, text-heavy documents; scanned documents need text recognition first.

After conversion

Review the output from start to finish and fix headings, tables and page breaks.
Scanned PDFs yield no text; apply OCR first.
If special fonts are missing on your computer, a different font may appear.
Do not use important documents such as contracts without comparing them with the original.

Things to keep in mind

Images, logos and tables are left out. Add them back yourself; for table data, the PDF to Excel tool may serve you better.
Each line break in the PDF can turn into a hard line break in Word. Find and Replace is the quickest way to strip the extra breaks and rebuild proper paragraphs.
Headers, footers and page numbers may end up mixed into the body text. Search for them and delete them throughout.
If you're reusing a formal document such as a contract or official letter, read it against the original to be sure no word or figure shifted during conversion.

Frequently asked questions

Are my files uploaded to a server?

No. This tool runs entirely in your browser; your PDF file is never sent to a server.

Is there a file size limit?

There's no fixed limit, but very large files may process more slowly depending on your browser's available memory.

Does this work on password-protected PDFs?

No — password-protected PDFs can't be opened, so you'll need to remove the password first.