PDF to ODT

Convert a PDF into an editable OpenDocument Text file for LibreOffice, OpenOffice or Word. Processed in your browser.

Reviewed by Dany, RightSums team · Updated

Runs in your browser. Your files are not uploaded.

pdf-convert-from · PDF tool · UK & US

ODT is the open document format used by LibreOffice Writer and OpenOffice, and Word and Google Docs can open it too. This tool reads the selectable text in your PDF and rebuilds it as an .odt file with real headings, paragraphs and bulleted or numbered lists. Headings are detected from text that is larger than the body size, and words split across lines by hyphens are rejoined. Tick Start each PDF page on a new page to keep the original page breaks. Tables, pictures and bold or italic text are carried over and two-column pages are put into reading order, but expect a clean document rather than a replica of the design. Convert all pages or a range. Scanned PDFs need the PDF OCR tool first. Nothing is uploaded.

Accepted inputs

  • PDF

Outputs

  • ODT

How to use the PDF to ODT

  1. Open the PDF and enter its password if it has one.
  2. Choose a page range, or leave it empty to convert the whole document.
  3. Tick Start each PDF page on a new page if you want to keep page breaks.
  4. Click Convert and open the .odt file in LibreOffice Writer or another editor.

Frequently asked questions

What is an ODT file?

ODT stands for OpenDocument Text, an open standard for word processing files. It is the native format of LibreOffice Writer and Apache OpenOffice, and Microsoft Word and Google Docs can open and save it too.

Will my ODT look like the original PDF?

No. The words, headings, paragraphs, lists, tables and pictures are kept so you can edit them, but fonts, colours and exact positions are simplified. It is best for text-heavy documents such as reports and letters.

Can I open the ODT file in Microsoft Word?

Yes. Word 2010 and later open ODT files directly. If you mainly use Word, the PDF to Word tool produces a .docx, which avoids any compatibility prompts.

Can I convert a scanned PDF?

Not directly, because a scan has no text to extract and the tool will stop with a message. Run the file through PDF OCR to add a text layer first, then convert that PDF to ODT.

Is converting PDF to ODT private?

Yes. Text is extracted with pdf.js and the file is written in your browser, so the PDF is never uploaded. Password-protected PDFs ask for the password, which is only used on your device.

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