How to Convert PDFs to Word & Excel — Methods and Tips
"I need to edit the content of this PDF" or "I want to import this table data into Excel" — PDFs are great for viewing, but there are plenty of situations where you need to edit them.
In this article, we'll cover how to convert PDFs to Word (.docx) and Excel (.xlsx), along with tips for handling common conversion issues.
Converting PDF to Word
With PDFrog's PDF to Word Converter, you can convert PDF content into Word format. For text-heavy documents, the formatting is preserved almost perfectly.
The conversion process is simple.
- Upload your PDF file
- The conversion runs in your browser
- Download the .docx file
Converting PDF to Excel
For PDFs containing tabular data, the PDF to Excel Converter is the way to go. It recognizes the table cell structure and outputs it as an Excel spreadsheet.
Things to Watch Out For
Layouts May Shift
Since PDFs prioritize visual fidelity, complex layouts (multi-column, text boxes, decorative designs) may not convert perfectly to Word. The simpler and more text-focused the document, the cleaner the conversion.
Scanned PDFs May Not Convert Properly
PDFs created by scanning paper documents store content as images, not text. In this case, you'll need to run OCR (Optical Character Recognition) first. Use PDFrog's OCR Tool to extract text before converting.
Fonts May Change
If the fonts embedded in the PDF aren't available in Word, they'll be substituted with similar alternatives. We recommend doing a final check and making adjustments in Word after conversion.
Reverse Conversion: Word to PDF, Excel to PDF
Need to convert back to PDF after editing? Use the Word to PDF or Excel to PDF converter.
Summary
Converting PDFs to Word or Excel works best with simple, text-focused documents. PDFrog's free tools let you convert securely in your browser without uploading files. For complex layouts, some post-conversion adjustments may be needed — but it's far more efficient than retyping everything from scratch.