Convert PDF to Word

The goal is a document you can actually edit, not a picture of the PDF. The converter analyzes the structure of each page and rebuilds it in Word:

• Paragraphs are joined back together, so lines that wrapped in the PDF become flowing text, and words hyphenated at line ends are rejoined.
• Multi-column pages (articles, papers, newsletters) are read in the right order: down the left column, then the right, instead of mixing lines across columns.
• Tables, ruled or just aligned, become real Word tables with merged cells, header rows and cell shading.
• Headings are detected from larger font sizes and become Word heading styles, so the navigation pane and a table of contents work.
• Formatting: font sizes, bold, italic, text color and alignment are kept. Embedded fonts are swapped for the closest standard font (serif, sans-serif or monospace).
• Images stay in place in the text, at their original size.
• Page size and margins follow the PDF, and page numbers printed on the pages are left out.

You can choose between two kinds of Word file:

Flowing text is the right pick when you plan to rewrite: paragraphs, headings and tables behave as if they had been typed in Word.

Exact layout puts each text block in a positioned frame on a page the same size as the PDF page. The page's graphics (lines, colored bars, drawings) are drawn without the text and placed behind it, so the Word page looks almost like the PDF while the text stays editable. It's ideal for small fixes; if a passage gets much longer, the frame won't reflow like normal text.

A scanned PDF has no text inside, only photos of pages. The tool checks the first pages when you open the file and tells you if they are scanned. Turn on Text recognition (OCR) and choose the language (English, Spanish, French, German, or English and Spanish together).

Pages that already contain text are converted as they are; only image-only pages go through OCR, at a few seconds per page. The first time, the recognition engine downloads its language data (a few MB). Proofread the result, especially numbers, names and accented letters. If you want a searchable PDF instead of a Word file, use OCR PDF.

The conversion runs entirely in your browser. The PDF is not uploaded to a server and no copy is kept anywhere, so you can convert pay stubs, leases or medical paperwork without sending them to a third party. On a large document the speed depends on your device; a phone is slower than a laptop, but it works.

• Start from the original PDF whenever you can. A PDF exported from Word or Google Docs converts much better than a scan of a printout.
• Turn off images if you only need the text; the file will be smaller and easier to edit.
• Turn off page breaks in flowing mode for text you plan to reflow into a new layout.
• In exact layout, move frames from Word's Layout options, and widen a frame if a line spills over.
• Password-protected PDF? Remove the password first with Remove PDF password.
• Need the numbers in a spreadsheet? PDF to Excel turns tables into real number cells. For plain text, use PDF to text.