3 ways to convert a PDF to a Word document

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I cannot tell you how many times I've received a PDF document with the expectation that I'm going to either use the text to create something new or to edit the copy. That's all fine and good when I'm sent an editable PDF -- but when that file doesn't contain editable elements, it could be a challenge.

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Could be, but doesn't have to be. In fact, there are several routes to success with this process. One disclaimer: The methods below work best with PDFs that are mostly text. 

Let's make some PDF magic.

How to convert a PDF to a Word document

1. Use a web-based tool

The first option is to use one of the many web-based converter tools. I do want to offer this warning: if you opt for a web-based tool, make sure you choose one offered by a company you fully trust. Those listed below are reputable, so you should be able to use them without concern.

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However, those who are serious about their security and privacy might want to think twice about this method. Why? If the uploaded PDF document is saved on a remote server, there's no guarantee that server is secure -- or that the company won't use the document to train AI. If you have any of those concerns, I would skip to the next option.

For those who do trust web-based tools for such a task, here are some options for converting PDFs to Word Documents. Each of these services is as simple as clicking Upload, waiting for the conversion process to complete, and downloading your new .docx file.

These are the web-based conversion tools I recommend: 

Adobe Convert PDF to Word: This option is as easy as it gets, and Adobe states, "files will be securely handled by Adobe servers and deleted unless you sign in to save them."PDFSimpli: Another service that makes the conversion very simple. With PDFSimpli, you can convert PDFs to Word, JPG, split/edit/rotate/sign PDFs, and more. As for security, PDFSimple states, "We don't store your information or keep your data on file. You can rest easy knowing that your personal documents and privacy are protected."FreeConvert: Another safe option that makes converting PDFs to Word documents easy. As far as security is concerned, the company says, "We guarantee file security and privacy. Files are protected with 256-bit SSL encryption and automatically delete after a few hours."

2. Use a desktop tool

If you'd rather keep things local (and not risk a third party using your information or documents), there are always desktop applications you can use for the conversion. Here's my shortlist of options:

PDFCandy: This application can convert PDF documents to editable Word documents with ease. It can also handle batch processing, OCR and even serve as a PDF editor. The only caveat to PDFCandy is that it only offers a Windows version as a desktop tool.WPS Office: This full-blown office suite also includes the ability to convert PDF documents to Word. WPS Office is available to install (for free) for Linux, MacOS, Windows, Android, iOS, and IPadOS.Nitro PDF Pro - This tool is a converter, editor, and much more. In fact, Nitro PDF Pro is an all-in-one PDF tool that makes it easy to edit and convert. The only downfall of Nitro PDF Pro is the cost, which is $250 per license. But if you need one of the best PDF tools on the market, this is it.

3. Convert from the command line

You knew this was coming, right? If you use LibreOffice, it has a built-in command line tool that can be used to convert PDFs to Word documents. Given I'm 100% comfortable using the command line, this is my chosen method for conversion.

Also: 6 ways LibreOffice is better than Google Docs for serious writing work

To do this, you'll need LibreOffice installed, as well as a couple of Java tools. I'll demonstrate it on Pop!_OS (which is Ubuntu-based), but the process should be the same (so long as you can run the libreoffice command).

First, you must install the necessary additions for this to work, which can be done with the command:

Once you've taken care of that, it's time to convert your PDF into a Word document. The command for the conversion looks like this:

Where NAME is the name of the PDF document you want to convert.

Also: How to edit a PDF file: 3 ways

Here's how that command breaks down:

--infilter=="writer_pdf_import" tells LibreOffice to use the PDF import filter.--headless - this runs LibreOffice in headless mode (without a GUI).--convert-to doc:"writer_pdf_Export" - this tells LibreOffice what conversion format to use and that we'll be converting the file to a doc format.NAME.pdf - this is the name of the file to be converted.

When you run the above command, LibreOffice will create a .doc file with the same name as the PDF file (only with the correct file extension).

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That's how easy it is to convert a PDF document to a Word document. I've had to do this countless times, and the results are (usually) good.