How to convert PDF to Word and keep it tidy

A PDF is great for sharing because it looks the same everywhere — but that also makes it hard to edit. Converting it to a Word document (.docx) lets you change the text in Microsoft Word, Google Docs, WPS or LibreOffice.

Convert PDF to Word in 3 steps

1. Open our PDF to Word tool and choose your PDF.
2. Press “Convert to Word”. You’ll see the first few lines of your document as a check.
3. Download the .docx file and open it in your word processor.

Why does the layout sometimes change?

A PDF does not store “paragraphs” the way Word does. It stores every line — sometimes every word — at an exact spot on the page. A converter has to work out which lines belong together. Our tool rebuilds your paragraphs, headings and bullet points, joins lines that were split, and reads two-column pages in the right order. But some things are simplified:

• Tables become plain lines of text.
• Pictures and logos are not included.
• Fonts and exact spacing use Word’s defaults.

Tip: if you only need to change a few words, it’s often easier to keep the PDF and use Edit a PDF: cover the old text with white-out and type the new text on top.

What if my PDF is a scan?

A scanned PDF is made of pictures of pages, so there is no text inside it to copy. The tool will tell you this, and can instead put each page into Word as a picture so you can type notes around it. To get editable text from a scan you need OCR (text recognition) software.

Which is right for you?

Is my document safe?

Yes. The conversion runs entirely in your browser. Your PDF and the Word file are never uploaded anywhere.