Convert
PDF to Word
Turn a PDF into a Word document you can edit. Choose Preserve layout to keep tables and page structure, or Extract text only to get clean text out of a scan.
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PDFUp to 10 PDFs, 30 MB and 100 pages each
What PDF to Word does
PDF to Word rebuilds a DOCX from the pages you select. A PDF stores characters at fixed positions on a page, with no record of paragraphs, columns or tables, so a converter has to work that structure out again. That is why a converted file can look right and still need a few fixes once you start typing.
You decide how the rebuild happens. Preserve layout works on PDFs with real, selectable text and keeps headings, tables, images and page breaks where they were. Extract text only ignores the layout and gives you a plain document of the words, which is the mode for scanned pages after text recognition.
Your PDF is checked in your browser first, and text recognition for scanned pages also runs there. The file is uploaded when you convert, and we delete the temporary copy when the job finishes. You get one DOCX per PDF, or a ZIP for a batch of up to 10.
Is this the right tool?
Good for
- Updating a contract, policy or report when the original Word file is lost
- Pulling the text out of a scanned letter so you can quote or rewrite it
- Converting only the pages you need, such as 3-5 of a long manual
- Turning a batch of PDF handouts into editable drafts in one session
Not the right tool for
- Fixing a typo or changing a date. Editing the PDF directly is quicker and leaves the layout alone.Edit PDF
- Getting figures out of tables to calculate with. Word tables are awkward to sort and total.PDF to Excel
- Making a scan searchable while keeping it a PDF.OCR PDF
How to convert a PDF to Word
Add your PDFs
Select Choose PDF files or drop up to 10 PDFs. Each can be 30 MB and 100 pages, and a batch can total 100 MB.
Pick the Word output
Choose Preserve layout for PDFs with selectable text, or Extract text only for scans and for documents where you only want the words.
Narrow the pages
Type a range such as 1, 3-5 in Pages to convert, or leave the field empty for the whole document.
Recognize scanned pages
If the panel says pages need text recognition, keep Recognize scanned text ticked and set Document language to the language printed on the page.
Convert and download
Select Convert to Word. Rename the result under Output filename, then choose Download DOCX, or Download ZIP when several files are done.
Worked example
A 12-page supplier agreement with one scanned page
Say you receive a 12-page supplier agreement. Eleven pages were exported from Word, and page 9 is a scanned, signed schedule. When you add the file, the settings panel reports that 1 page needs text recognition and switches to Extract text only.
To keep the formatting of the other eleven pages, enter 1-8, 10-12 in Pages to convert and choose Preserve layout. The clauses, numbered headings and pricing table arrive as editable text and a real Word table. Download that DOCX.
Then select Adjust and reconvert, enter 9, and go back to Extract text only with Recognize scanned text ticked. The second DOCX holds the words from the schedule without the signature image. Paste them into the first file and the whole agreement is in Word.
Tips for a better result
- Turn on paragraph marks in Word (the ¶ button) after you open the file. You will see at once where lines were broken by hand.
- Extract text only puts each line of the PDF in its own paragraph. Rejoin lines with Find and Replace before you restyle the text.
- Read numbers, names and dates on recognized pages against the scan. Those are the characters OCR confuses most often.
- For a PDF longer than 100 pages, split it first and convert the parts as one batch.
PDF to Word: questions and answers
Why is some text held in borderless tables after conversion?
Side-by-side content, such as two columns or a label next to a value, has no direct equivalent in a PDF, so Preserve layout often keeps it aligned with tables that have no visible borders. Turn on View Gridlines in Word's Table Layout tab to see them.
Will the fonts in the Word file match the PDF?
The DOCX names the font families the PDF used, and Word shows them if they are installed on your computer. When one is missing, Word substitutes a similar font, which can shift line breaks. Unembedded Helvetica, Times and Courier are mapped to Arial, Times New Roman and Courier New so Word has a close match.
My scanned PDF already has searchable text. Which mode should I use?
Use Extract text only. A searchable scan is a page image with invisible text behind it, and Preserve layout would give you the picture plus a duplicate layer of words, so the tool asks you to switch. Text only exports the recognized words without the image.
Can I convert a password-protected PDF to Word?
Not directly. Remove the password first with Unlock PDF, using the password you were given, then convert the unlocked copy. When the tool detects a locked file, it shows a link that carries the document over to Unlock PDF for you.