Quick answer: Choose a PDF with selectable text in PDF to Markdown, optionally enter a page range, select Export Markdown and then Download Markdown. Each exported page gets its own heading.
Check whether the PDF has a text layer
Open the PDF in a reader and try selecting a sentence. If you can only select the entire page as an image, it may be a scan without a text layer. This tool extracts existing text and does not perform OCR.
A searchable scan may already include recognized text. That text can be exported, but any mistakes from the earlier OCR process will remain. Review names, figures and punctuation against the source.
Export the pages you need
Choose one PDF. Leave Pages blank for the whole file, or enter a selection such as 2-5 to skip the cover and appendices. Positions start at 1 and refer to the file order rather than printed page labels.
Select Export Markdown and wait for processing. Use Download Markdown to save the .md file, then open it in a text editor or a Markdown application. The output contains page headings and text, not a reproduction of the PDF layout.
Clean up the text before publishing or reusing it
Review multi-column pages carefully. PDF text storage order can differ from the visible reading order, so lines may need to be moved or joined. Running headers, footers and page numbers may also be included in the exported text.
Tables are not reconstructed as Markdown tables, and images are not extracted. Add meaningful section headings yourself, check links and compare important passages with the original. Markdown punctuation from the source is escaped to prevent it from unexpectedly turning into formatting or HTML.
Troubleshooting
The output says there is no selectable text
The selected page contains no extractable text layer. Use OCR separately before retrying, or export a JPG if you only need a visual copy of the page.
Tools used in this guide
- PDF to Markdown — Extract selectable PDF text into a Markdown file, with sections for each page. Runs locally in your browser without an upload or AI service.
- Extract PDF Pages — Extract selected PDF pages into a new document. Choose individual pages or ranges and download a PDF without sending files to a server.
- PDF to JPG — Convert PDF pages to JPG images in your browser. Choose pages and resolution, then download a ZIP archive. Free and no document uploads.
Ready to try it? Start with PDF to Markdown.
Open PDF to MarkdownFrequently asked questions
Does this use AI to summarize or rewrite the document?
No. It exports text locally without an AI service, translation or summarization. The source text still needs a human review for order and accuracy.