How to Convert a PDF to a Word Document
You can convert a PDF to a Word document with Adobe Acrobat (Export a PDF > Microsoft Word, paid, about $15 per month) or by opening the PDF directly in Microsoft Word, which may alter the formatting.
4 min read
In brief
AI summaryAdobe Acrobat is the best way to keep formatting accurate when converting a PDF to Word: open the PDF, choose Export a PDF, select Microsoft Word (.docx by default) and click Export.
Adobe Acrobat conversion needs the paid version, about $15 USD per month with an annual commitment, after a one-time seven-day Acrobat DC free trial; Acrobat Reader DC can't convert PDFs.
Microsoft Word can also convert a PDF: click Open, pick the PDF from OneDrive, This PC or Browse and select OK, though formatting may not line up and text may be incomplete.
Contents4 sections
PDFs are a great way to share documents because the format is readable by nearly everyone. They are usually used with documents that aren't meant for editing, such as digital manuals, sales receipts, manuscripts and the like. Think of PDFs as digital printouts with nice designs. However, there may be times when you need that document in a format other than PDF. For example, a potential employer may want to read your resume. If it was originally saved as a PDF, they may prefer to view it in Word rather than in Adobe software. In this article, we will guide you through several ways to convert PDFs into Word documents that you can edit later.
How Do You Convert a PDF File to a Word Document?
Convert PDF to Word With Adobe Acrobat
Using Acrobat is the best way to keep the document format as accurate as possible. However, you will need the paid version of Acrobat to use this method. Adobe currently offers a seven-day free Adobe Acrobat Document Cloud (DC) trial that you can use for one-off conversions.
Note: This trial is designed to prevent you from signing up repeatedly, so think of it only as a one-time option.
If you need to convert regularly, you'll want to pay for the full version, which runs about $15 USD per month with an annual commitment or as part of an Adobe Creative Cloud bundle. You can't use Acrobat Reader DC to convert PDFs.
- Open the PDF you want to convert in Acrobat. Depending on your preferences, PDF files may open in Acrobat automatically. Alternatively, if your Acrobat is already open, click the Tools tab at the top.
- Select Export a PDF, listed on the right. It is also a shortcut found under Create & Edit in the Tools panel.
- On the next screen, select Microsoft Word. By default, it converts to the newer .docx format. If you need the older .doc format, click the Circle next to Word 97-2003 Document instead.
- Either way, you can click the Gear icon and change four custom settings: Layout settings, Comment settings, Image settings and Text recognition settings. When you're done, click the OK button.
- Click the Export button to finish.
- Adobe automatically runs text recognition on any scanned text during this step. It doesn't always work, but it's an ideal solution for most legible text. Keep in mind that you may need to do some quick reformatting in your new Word document afterward.
Give your new Word file a name and save it wherever you like.
Convert PDF to Word With Microsoft Word
If you have a subscription, Microsoft Word is a good alternative for converting PDFs to Word documents. The formatting may not always line up, and the text may not be complete. If you have Acrobat or don't mind trying a web-based converter, we recommend trying another option if the formatting is unusable. After all, the other solutions may be more accurate.
- Launch Word and click Open, listed on the left.
- Find the PDF you want to convert using one of the three locations listed under the Personal and Other locations headings: OneDrive, This PC or Browse.
- Select the PDF you want to convert, just as you would open a Word file. Word will then bring up a notification letting you know it will convert the PDF into an editable Word document. It may take some time, and because of formatting differences it may not look exactly like the PDF. Select OK to continue.
- Word will then convert the document to a Word file and open it. Take a look at the formatting and make sure you can edit the document the way you want without graphics or text behaving strangely. If everything works, you're good to go!
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Frequently asked questions
Questions answered in this article
How Do You Convert a PDF File to a Word Document?
Using Acrobat is the best way to keep the document format as accurate as possible. However, you will need the paid version of Acrobat to use this method. Adobe currently offers a seven-day free Adobe Acrobat Document Cloud (DC) trial that you can use for one-off conversions. Note: This trial is designed to prevent you from signing up repeatedly, so think of it only as a one-time option. If you need to convert regularly, you'll want to pay for the full version, which runs about $15 USD per month with an annual commitment or as part of an Adobe Creative Cloud bundle. You can't use Acrobat Reader DC to convert PDFs. Give your new Word file a name and save it wherever you like.
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