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How to convert a PDF to an editable Word document

Sometimes the only copy of a document is a PDF and you need to change more than a word or two: update a CV, rework a report, reuse a contract template. Converting to Word gives you a document you can edit freely. How well it goes depends on what kind of PDF you start with, so it is worth knowing that before you begin.

Updated September 15, 20266 min read

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On this page
  1. 01How to convert a PDF to Word, step by step
  2. 02Which PDFs convert best
  3. 03Converting a scanned PDF
  4. 04When not to convert at all
  5. 05Converting confidential documents

How to convert a PDF to Word, step by step

There is nothing to configure: headings, paragraphs and lists are read from the PDF and rebuilt as a Word document.

  1. Open PDF to Word and add the PDF.
  2. Run the conversion. The text, headings and lists are rebuilt as a .docx file.
  3. Download the document and open it in Word, Pages, LibreOffice or Google Docs.
  4. Check the layout of tables and columns, which are reconstructed rather than copied, and adjust spacing where needed.

Which PDFs convert best

A PDF exported from a word processor converts cleanly, because the text inside it is real text in a sensible order. A PDF stores where each piece of text is printed rather than that a paragraph is a paragraph, so the converter infers structure from positions. Simple layouts come through almost untouched; tightly packed tables, multiple columns and unusual spacing are rebuilt approximately.

Expect the words to be right and the layout to be close. For a document where exact appearance matters more than editability, keep the PDF and edit it directly instead.

Converting a scanned PDF

A scan has no text in it, only a picture of text, so converting it straight to Word produces an empty or image-only document. Run OCR PDF first: it recognises the words and places a text layer behind the page image. Pick the document’s language in OCR, because recognition uses a language model and the wrong one turns accented characters into noise. Then convert the OCR result to Word.

When not to convert at all

If you only need to fix a date, a name or a typo, converting the whole document is the long way round. Edit PDF text replaces existing text in place, keeping everything else exactly as it was. Keep replacements a similar length, because PDF text does not reflow.

When you are done editing in Word, turn the document back into a PDF with Word to PDF so it looks the same for everyone who opens it.

Converting confidential documents

CVs, contracts and financial reports are among the most common files people convert, and among the worst to hand to an unknown server. DocuGrip reads the PDF and builds the Word file without transmitting the document, so nothing is stored anywhere.

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Frequently asked questions

Close, but not identical. The text comes across accurately; columns, tables and spacing are reconstructed from where things sit on the page.

The PDF is almost certainly a scan with no text layer. Run OCR PDF first, then convert the result.

Yes. Word to PDF turns a .docx into a PDF whose text stays selectable and searchable.

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