If you don’t use any tools, extracting text from PDFs can take you forever. It’s one of the most time-consuming and frustrating activities. That’s why there are specialized solutions designed to simplify the process. With the right tools, you can automatically convert PDF content into clean, editable text within seconds.
But which tools are right for you? In this article, we’ll give you the list of the best PDF text extraction approaches, and show you, step by step, how to extract text from PDFs quickly and easily in six different ways. Let’s get straight into it.
1. OCR (Optical Character Recognition)
OCR is a technology that converts different types of documents, like scanned paper documents, PDFs, or images captured by a digital camera, into editable and searchable data. It works by analyzing characters in an image and transforming them into machine-readable text while preserving formatting.
Key features:
- Converts images of text into machine-readable text
- Supports various languages and fonts
- Often includes layout recognition and text formatting
Use cases:
- Digitizing historical documents
- Extracting text from images for data analysis
- Converting printed books into editable formats
Tip: Works with historical documents or archived papers.
2. Programming libraries
Programming libraries are collections of pre-written code that allow developers to integrate PDF text extraction directly into their applications or scripts. They offer powerful tools for parsing documents, handling layouts, and automating workflows.
Key features:
- Provides functions for parsing and extracting text from multiple document formats
- Handles complex layouts and formatting
- Supports automation of repetitive extraction tasks
Use cases:
- Automating data extraction for machine learning
- Preprocessing text for NLP tasks
Example: PyPDF2 (basic extraction), PDFMiner (advanced layout analysis).
Tip: Perfect for large-scale or automated data processing.
3. Web-based tools
Web-based tools are online platforms that help users convert PDFs and other document types into editable text or alternative formats directly through a browser. They are the perfect choice if you need quick access to document content without installing software.
Key features:
- Accessible from any device with an internet connection
- Often user-friendly interfaces for quick conversions
- Typically do not require installation or downloads
Use cases:
- Quick conversion of documents for one-time use
- Immediate access to text data for users needing fast solutions
Example: Activeloop, a web-based AI platform for advanced PDF text and data extraction and multimodal data processing. Free users get up to 3 queries per day.
Tip: Ideal for basic extraction or legal and business use. Activeloop also scales to research, contracts, and sales transcripts.
4. Commercial software
This one is a paid solution, so it might not be for everyone. However, if you need more efficient tools for editing, extracting, and even managing your information, the commercial software is worth considering. These platforms are designed for high-quality output, advanced functionalities, and reliable customer support.
Key features:
- Robust features for document editing, annotation, and extraction
- High-quality output and advanced functionalities (e.g., batch processing)
- Customer support and regular updates
Use cases:
- Businesses needing high-quality text extraction
- Document management solutions for large organizations
Examples:
Adobe Acrobat Pro: Comprehensive PDF editing and extraction tools.
Tip: Good for complex, high-volume files like contracts or records
5. Command-line tools
Command-line tools are simple platforms that run in a terminal or shell to extract words from PDFs more efficiently. They’re best for users who are comfortable with command-line interfaces or those managing large-scale document workflows.
Key features:
- Lightweight and efficient for batch processing
- Perfect for automation in server environments without a GUI
- Often open-source and freely available
Use cases:
- Automating text extraction in scripts or server applications
- Processing large volumes of documents quickly
Example: pdftotext (from the Poppler/Xpdf suite) is a widely used command-line utility that converts PDFs into plain text.
Tip: Best suited for tech-savvy users or server-based workflows
6. Manual methods
Finally, last but not least, you can always extract text from PDF files yourself. Manual methods are the traditional techniques for extracting text directly from documents, relying on human intervention rather than software automation. This method is best suited for those who prefer an old-school work style and don’t want to incorporate extra tools into their workflow. This is the method that is the most accessible for anyone needing quick access to text content.
Key features:
- Simple and straightforward; involves direct interaction with the document
- Does not require any specialized software or tools
Use cases:
- Copy pasting small amounts of text when automated methods are impractical
- Re-typing content when necessary, especially for short excerpts or corrections
Tip: Best for small, quick tasks without relying on automation.
How to extract text from PDF with Activeloop
Extracting text from PDFs can feel overwhelming, especially when you’re dealing with long documents or files that mix text, images, and tables. Activeloop can simplify the process, so you don’t have to struggle with manual copying or complicated setups. Here’s an outline of the steps:
Step 1: Upload your PDF
Start by uploading your PDF files to Activeloop. It works as an AI PDF reader, so you don’t need to worry about formatting issues, embedded images, or even scanned pages. Activeloop reads plain text, scanned files, or mixed text-and-visual PDFs without extra formatting steps.
- Drag and drop your PDFs or select files from your device
- No pre-processing required: it accepts all standard PDF formats
- Supports multi-page documents and batch uploads for efficiency
Once uploaded, your documents are ready for intelligent processing.
Step 2: Activeloop analyzes and indexes everything
After you upload your files, the tool automatically reads and indexes your PDFs. Using advanced AI models, it pulls text, headings, tables, and even content from images or scanned documents.
It also supports multiple languages and complex formatting, so nothing gets lost. This means when you’re figuring out how to pull text from a PDF, you can skip the endless scrolling and instantly search for the exact section you need.
By preparing your files this way, the AI turns static documents into dynamic, searchable resources that make important details easy to find.
Step 3: Get your text
Now that you know how to extract text from a PDF, it’s time to show you how to use that text to get the best out of it!
Once your PDFs are indexed, our PDF text extractor can search for specific terms or explore content with context-aware AI. Here are a couple of tips for using our smart AI to find exactly what you need from your PDF.
- Search any term or keyword and retrieve related passages
- Copy extracted text directly for documents, presentations, or data analysis
- Generate summaries of large PDFs with our AI PDF summarizer
- You can also chat with your PDFs—ask questions and get precise answers based on your document
By combining automated indexing with context-aware retrieval, Activeloop not only pulls text from PDFs but also organizes it for practical use. You can locate critical sections, compile research notes, or prepare data for further processing.
Extracting text from PDFs
Pulling words out of a PDF shouldn’t feel like wrestling with copy-paste. The real goal is keeping the meaning, structure, and context intact so the text is actually useful. Instead of wasting time fixing broken formatting or missing details, Activeloop makes your PDFs searchable and easy to work with. That way you spend less time fighting files and more time using the information.
FAQs
Is there a way to pull text from a PDF?
Yes. Activeloop allows you to upload PDFs and automatically extract text. You can retrieve full documents, selected passages, or generate summaries. Our AI indexes content for fast and accurate searches.
How can I copy text from a PDF that won’t let you?
Some PDFs are locked or scanned as images, making traditional copy-paste impossible. Activeloop uses AI to process these files, including scanned documents, and extracts the text while preserving context.
Can you convert PDF to plain text?
Yes. Activeloop processes PDFs of any type, including text-based or scanned, and converts them into plain text or structured data. This allows you to analyze, search, or repurpose the information as needed.
What if my PDF contains images with text?
Activeloop includes OCR (Optical Character Recognition) capabilities. The AI reads text embedded in images and extracts it for easy retrieval, ensuring nothing important is missed.
Can I search inside my PDFs after extraction?
Absolutely. Once processed, your PDFs are indexed for fast, context-aware search. You can find specific words, phrases, or sections quickly, making PDF text extraction not just a pull of words, but also for efficient document analysis.
Is this suitable for large PDF collections?
Yes. Activeloop supports batch uploads and large document libraries. Its AI processing and indexing make it scalable, so you can handle hundreds of PDFs without manual intervention.