How to Convert a PDF to Word (Editable DOCX)

PDFs are great for sharing, but terrible for editing. When you need to change the wording in a contract, update a resume, or reuse content from a report, you want it back in Word. Here's how to convert a PDF into an editable .docx that keeps the layout.

Convert a PDF to Word

Use the PDF to Word tool:

1. Open PDF to Word and upload your PDF.
2. Convert — the layout, text, and images are preserved.
3. Download the editable Word document and open it in Word, Google Docs, or Pages.

Tips for the best result

• Text-based PDFs convert best. A PDF that was exported from Word or a similar app converts almost perfectly.
• Scanned PDFs are different. A scan is really an image, so it has no text to move into Word — you'd first need OCR (see below).
• Expect minor cleanup on very complex layouts (multi-column, heavy tables). It's a starting point, not always pixel-perfect.

What about scanned PDFs?

If your PDF is a scan or a photo, the text isn't selectable. Run it through OCR first with our Image to Text tool to pull the words out, or extract any existing text with PDF to Text.

Going the other way

Need to turn a Word doc into a PDF instead? Use Word to PDF (or Office to PDF for PowerPoint and Excel too).

FAQ

Will the formatting stay the same?

For standard documents, yes — fonts, images, and layout are preserved. Very complex layouts may need small tweaks.

Can I edit the result?

Yes — you get a real .docx you can edit in any word processor.