How to Convert a PDF to Word (4 Methods)

A PDF stores fixed positions on a page, not paragraphs. Every converter has to guess the structure, so the right tool depends on whether your PDF is real text, a scan, or a designed layout.

• Convert with Word on Windows (fastest for text PDFs)
• Convert with Word for the web (Mac, Chromebook, no desktop Word)
• Convert with Google Docs OCR (scans and garbled text)
• Convert with Adobe Acrobat or an online tool (complex layouts)

Converting a PDF to Word in Word for Windows

Use this when the PDF was created from a text document and you have desktop Word.

1. Open Word and click File > Open (or press Ctrl + O), then click Browse and select the PDF.
2. Alternatively, drag the PDF file from File Explorer onto an open Word window.
3. Word says it will convert your PDF to an editable Word document. Click OK.
4. If a yellow Protected View bar appears, click Enable Editing.
5. Click File > Save As (or press F12), set Save as type to Word Document (*.docx) and click Save.

Result: A new .docx file next to the original PDF, which stays unchanged.

Microsoft explains that Word makes a copy and tries to match the original layout in Opening PDFs in Word. It works best for mostly text documents such as business, legal or scientific files.

Note: If you only need to fix a few words and send a PDF back, see our guide to editing a PDF’s text directly in Word. This page is about ending up with a .docx you keep.

Converting a PDF to Word in Word for the web

Use this when you’re on a Mac or Chromebook, or don’t have the Word desktop app.

1. Upload the PDF to OneDrive.
2. Open the PDF in Word for the web. Word converts it to a Word document.
3. Check the layout, then download the converted document from OneDrive, or click Open in Word if you have the desktop app.

Result: An editable Word document saved in OneDrive.

Microsoft notes that line and page breaks may land in different places, and that conversion works best with PDFs that are mostly text (Add a PDF to your Office file).

Converting a scanned PDF to Word with Google Docs

Use this when Word shows the page as one picture, or the converted text is garbled or unreadable. Google Drive runs optical character recognition (OCR) on the page.

1. Upload the PDF to Google Drive on a computer.
2. Right-click the file and choose Open with > Google Docs.
3. Proofread the recognised text against the original.
4. Click File > Download > Microsoft Word (.docx).

Result: A .docx built from the recognised text. Drive keeps the original PDF.

Google’s PDF and photo conversion guide says the file should be 2 MB or smaller and text at least 10 pixels high. Bold, italics, font size and line breaks usually survive; lists, tables, columns and footnotes usually don’t.

Tip: If you’d rather keep working in Google Docs, stop after step 3. Our walkthrough to convert a PDF to Google Docs also covers converting many PDFs at once.

The same OCR route works for photos of pages. See how to turn an image into an editable Word document.

Converting a PDF to Word with Adobe Acrobat or online tools

Use this when the PDF has a complex layout, such as columns, forms or many tables, and Word’s result needs too much cleanup.

1. Open the PDF in Adobe Acrobat, or upload it to a converter you trust.
2. Choose the export or convert option and pick Microsoft Word as the format.
3. Save the .docx and compare it with the original.

Result: A .docx that often keeps the layout better. Check the tool’s pricing first, and remember online tools mean uploading the file to a third party.

Warning: Don’t upload contracts, IDs or other confidential PDFs to free online converters. Use Word or your own Google account instead.

Comparing the methods

Platform differences

• Windows: Word converts PDFs from File > Open or drag and drop.
• Mac: Microsoft’s conversion guidance covers Word for Windows and the web, so use Word for the web or Google Docs.
• Google Docs: Open with > Google Docs is a Drive feature on a computer. Do the conversion in a browser, then download the .docx.

Troubleshooting PDF to Word conversion

• The page is one image you can’t edit. The PDF is scanned or graphics-heavy. Use the Google Docs OCR method.
• Text is garbled or shows strange symbols. The PDF’s fonts didn’t map to real characters. OCR in Google Docs reads the visible text instead.
• Word won’t open the PDF. It may be password-protected or restricted. Remove the protection in the app that made it, if you’re allowed to.
• The layout shifted. Tables with cell spacing, page borders, footnotes over several pages and endnotes convert poorly. Fix them by hand or try Acrobat.
• An extra empty page appeared. Follow our steps to delete a blank page in Word.

When you’re done editing, you can save the Word file back as a PDF with its links intact. More conversion guides are in the convert and export hub.