PDFPortable Document Format
A document format created by Adobe in 1993 and now an ISO standard. The layout looks the same on every device, which makes it the reference format for sharing, signing and printing.
Convert PDF to Word
Turn your PDF documents into Word documents in seconds. Conversion happens in your browser, so your files are never uploaded to a server.
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PDF255044462D312E37
DOCX504B030414000600
The first bytes of a file often reveal its real format.
or drop them here. You can also paste an image (Ctrl+V).
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Files
These sample files are generated on the page. Convert them to try it out, or add your own.
How to convert PDF to Word
- 01
Add your PDF files
Click “Choose PDF files” or drop them on the page. You can add several at once.
- 02
Check the Word format
Word is already selected. Text, headings, lists, simple tables and images will be carried over, but not the exact layout.
- 03
Convert and download
Click “Convert”, then download your Word file. With several files, grab everything at once as a ZIP.
PDF to Word: what to know
Converting a PDF to Word is mostly about editing a document that arrived locked: a contract to amend, a CV to update, a report you want to reuse passages from. Formatomat reads the text line by line, then rebuilds the paragraphs: words hyphenated at the end of a line are joined back together, headers and footers that are identical on every page are kept only once, and page numbers that run in sequence from page to page are removed. Line numbers printed in the margin of a manuscript are removed too, and a message says so; the large symbols of a TeX formula (brackets, sums, integrals) stay on their formula’s line, with their limits written as subscripts and superscripts. Each page of the PDF starts a new page in the Word document, so a paragraph that runs over two pages is split in two there.
The resulting file uses Calibri 11 with 2 cm margins, and takes the PDF’s title when the PDF states one. Lines that start with a bullet, typed or drawn, or with “1.” become real Word lists, “a)” or “i.” sub-lists included, and tables become real tables, merged cells included when the table is drawn with its rules. The dialogue dashes of a novel stay in the text, and a code block keeps its lines and indentation. Bold, italics, superscripts, links (those of a clickable table of contents lead to their heading) and images are carried over, footnotes usually become real Word footnotes, and a comment added to the PDF is placed under the line it annotates. Text set in two or more columns is read one column at a time, and text that is turned or mirrored (a stamp set at an angle, a vertical note in the margin) is kept upright, after the lines it crosses or, on a page with columns, in the order of the columns, and a message says so. A scanned page is inserted as a picture, without editable text, and a message says so. Drawn charts and diagrams are inserted as pictures, as are stamps and signatures added to the PDF, and form values as text, as the PDF shows them (a password stays masked); highlights and underlines added to the PDF are not carried over, and a message quotes the passage. Text hidden under an opaque box or picture is not carried over, and a message warns that it is still in the original PDF. A table without rules that has merged cells may not be rebuilt: if the layout matters, insert the page as a picture instead, using the PDF to PNG conversion.
PDF vs Word: what’s the difference?
DOCXMicrosoft Word (Office Open XML)
The Microsoft Word document format since 2007. Text stays editable, with its headings, lists, tables and images.
PDF to Word: frequently asked questions
Why aren’t my headings recognised after converting to Word?
Headings are detected by size: a line at least 20% larger than the body text becomes Heading 1, 2 or 3, so it shows up in the Navigation pane and in an automatic table of contents. A subheading at body size becomes Heading 3 when it is bold, short and on a line of its own. Otherwise it stays as normal text, so apply a heading style to it in Word.
Can I convert a password-protected PDF to Word?
Not as it is. If the PDF asks for a password when it opens, the conversion stops with a message. Open it with the password in your PDF reader, save an unprotected copy if you are entitled to, then convert that copy. A PDF encrypted with digital certificates (Adobe.PubSec) or protected by a digital rights management system (DRM) is refused, with a message naming that protection: only the intended software can open it.
Are my PDF files uploaded to the internet?
No. The file is read and converted by your browser, on your device. Nothing is sent to a server, and nothing is kept after you close the page.
Does converting PDF to Word reduce quality?
The text is carried over, but not the exact layout: headings, paragraphs, lists, tables, bold, italics, images and form values are rebuilt, and text in columns is read one column at a time. Drawn charts and diagrams become pictures. The original fonts are not reproduced, a table without rules that has merged cells may not be rebuilt, and a scanned page is inserted as a picture, without text recognition (OCR). A check then compares the words carried over with those of the PDF (not the pictures nor the layout): if it finds a passage missing, a message quotes it.
How many PDF files can I convert?
As many as you like, for free and without signing up. Add them all, then download the results one by one or in a single ZIP. The maximum size depends on your device and browser, with a few caps that protect its memory (for example 20,000 files per archive or 5 million filled cells per workbook: see the home page FAQ); a file over one of them is not converted, and a message says so.
Does it work on iPhone and Android?
Formatomat is designed for recent browsers on computers, iPhone and Android, with no app to install. A conversion the browser cannot do (a format it cannot read or write) is refused with a message that says so.