FilePDQHow to convert a PDF to Word for free
Quick answer
Drop the PDF into PDF to Word and select Convert to Word. FilePDQ rebuilds the text as an editable .docx on your own device, ready for Word, Google Docs or Pages.
PDF to WordFree, no sign-up, and your files never leave your device.
Open the toolStep by step
- Open PDF to Word and drop in your PDF.
- Leave “Start each PDF page on a new Word page” on to keep pages apart, or turn it off for one flowing document.
- Leave “Read scanned pages” on if the PDF came from a scanner or phone camera.
- Select Convert to Word, then download the .docx and open it.
Why the layout can change
A PDF records where each word is drawn, not which words make a paragraph or a table. A converter has to work that out again from positions and sizes.
Ordinary documents such as letters, reports and CVs come out well. Complicated layouts, such as magazines, forms and tables with merged cells, may need tidying in Word.
Tips
- A PDF exported from Word or another program converts best, because its text is stored as text.
- Headings come across as Word headings, so the navigation pane lists them and you can make a table of contents.
- Pictures aren’t copied yet. If you need them, save the pages as images with PDF to JPG.
- Only need to copy some text? Extract text gives you a plain .txt file instead.
If something goes wrong
It asks for a password.
The PDF is locked. If you know the password, remove it first with Unlock PDF.
Some words are wrong.
Those pages were probably scans read by text recognition. Check names and numbers against the original.
A table came out as text with gaps.
Tables become columns separated by tabs. In Word, select the lines and choose Insert, Table, Convert Text to Table.