How to convert a PDF to Word
Written and checked by the Tutorio Lab editors · Reviewed on · Who we are and how we are funded
Someone sends you a PDF and you need to change something: a date, a name, a whole paragraph. But a PDF does not let you edit it, and retyping it by hand is losing an afternoon. Converting it to Word takes under a minute, it is free and there is nothing to install. I will walk you through it, and tell you two things almost no tutorial mentions: why the text sometimes comes out uneditable, and what happens to the layout.
Go to iLovePDF
Open your browser and go to i love p d f.com. If it comes up in another language, you can change it from the top right corner. This is the home page with all the tools. The one we want now is PDF to Word. And there we are.
Select your PDF file
Click the red button that says "Select PDF file". Notice it is singular here: this tool converts one document at a time, unlike the merge one. Your computer's file window opens, you pick your PDF and that is it. You can also drag it straight onto the red box, which is quicker.
Pick the mode: OCR or no OCR
And now the important part, which is where nearly everyone gets stuck. Look at the panel on the right: there are two modes. The first, no OCR, is the free one, and it works when the PDF has real text, the kind you can select with your mouse. The second, OCR, is labelled Premium, meaning paid, and that is the one you need when the PDF is a scan or a photo of a sheet of paper. If yours is scanned and you use the free mode, the Word file you download will have the pages in it as images and you will not be able to edit a single word. To find out which case you are in, open your PDF and try to select the text with your mouse: if it selects, the free mode is all you need.
Click "Convert to WORD"
With the mode picked, click the red button on the right that says "Convert to WORD". It takes a few seconds, depending on how many pages the document has.
Download the Word file
And that is it. This screen appears with the download button, and the Word file is saved to your downloads folder. Just like in the other tools, next to it you have the icons to save it to Google Drive or Dropbox, to create a link to share it, or to delete it from the server right away.
What happens to the formatting
Now, an honest warning about the result. The conversion is not magic: the text comes across in full and you can edit it without any trouble, but the layout does not always survive the same way. Tables usually hold up well; documents with lots of columns, text boxes or oddly placed images can come out shifted around. If your PDF is plain text, it will look practically identical. If it is a brochure full of design, expect to fix something. Always open it in Word and check it before you call it done.
What happens to your files
And the last thing, which applies to all these tools. Your file is uploaded to a server so it can be converted, and it is deleted there automatically after a few hours. For an ordinary document that is fine. But if it is a contract with bank details or something with medical information, think twice: for that you are better off with a program that works on your own computer, uploading nothing. And if you upload it anyway, click the bin when you are done to wipe it there and then.
And that is all: a PDF turned into an editable Word file, free and in under a minute. Remember what matters: check whether your PDF has selectable text before converting, and check the layout once you open it.
Common questions
I converted my PDF but I cannot edit the text in Word. Why?
Because your PDF is a scan or a photo, not a document with real text. Converted with the free mode, the pages go into the Word file as images, so you can see them but not touch them. What you need for that is OCR mode, which recognises the letters inside the image, and on iLovePDF that is paid. To check which case you are in: open the PDF and try to select the text with your mouse. If it will not select, it is a scan.
Does it keep the original formatting?
The text always, yes. The layout depends. A plain text document comes out practically the same, and tables usually hold up well. What gets shifted around are documents with lots of columns, overlapping text boxes or unusually placed images. Fonts also get swapped for whichever ones you have installed. It is worth opening it and giving it a once-over before sending it to anyone.
Can I convert several PDFs at once?
Not on the free version: this tool works with one file at a time, and the button says so in the singular. If you have several, repeat the process for each. The paid version does let you process several in a row.
Is there a size or page limit?
Yes, the free version caps the size per file. If your PDF is over it, the site tells you before converting. A way round it without paying: run it through the compress PDF tool first to bring the weight down, then convert it.
Can I do this on my phone?
Yes. The site works the same in a phone browser. The awkward part comes afterwards: to edit the Word file you will need the Word app or Google Docs on the phone, and checking the layout on a small screen is tiring. Do it on a computer if you can.
Is it safe to upload a contract or a document with personal data?
It depends how sensitive it is. The file travels encrypted, is processed on the iLovePDF server and is deleted automatically after a few hours. For an everyday document there is no problem. For contracts with bank details or medical information, you are better off with a program that runs on your own computer and uploads nothing. If you upload it anyway, click the bin icon when you are done.
