How To Convert a PDF Into a Word Document

More often than not, if you want to convert a PDF into a word document, it involves saving a Word document or webpage as a PDF. However, every so often, you might need to access or edit information in a PDF by converting it to a Word document. This might seem impossible at first, but your devices and the internet provide several tools for you to use. The solution you chose all comes down to your device and your preferences.

When To Convert A PDF Into a Word Document

There are a wealth of reasons you might need to convert your PDF file. Here are some common ones:

You need to make a last-minute correction to your resume.
You want to make suggestions or changes to a proposed contract.
You need to address an error on an invoice.
You want to remove personal information from a PDF file.

Why the Device You Own Matters

Available on Laptop, mobile, and tablet

When you purchase your device, depending on the product offerings or promotions available at the time, it could have built-in software extras. The operating system of the device also creates restrictions on what software you have access to and how they function on your device. However, all three major operating systems provide easy solutions for converting PDF to word.

How To Convert Your PDF into a Word Document

There are hundreds of ways and thousands of tools available for you to complete a successful PDF conversion. However, these are the most common and easy-to-use solutions on the market.

PDFSimpli

To easily convert PDF files to word documents, select and upload the file you would like to be converted either from an email, from the cloud or creating a new document from our extensive library of templates. Then, make your edits with the PDF editor (hyperlink to PDFSimpli’s editor). Once you have finished editing, click on convert and select .doc or .docx to convert to a Microsoft document. Your converted document will be ready to download, save and/or share your new document!

With PDFSimpli you don’t need to download or install anything, you can upload any document received by email or stored in your devices or you can browse and choose from our library of legal templates to create your own. You can also add legally binding signatures.

Watch this 60-second video tutorial and start converting your documents in no time!

Upload PDF to Convert

Microsoft Office

Microsoft Office comes installed on all Windows devices, but it is rarely free. If you have paid subscription or a serial number, then Microsoft Office often works:

Open Microsoft Word and locate the PDF file.
Depending on the size of the document, Microsoft will take some time to convert it to Word.
You can then edit or save the converted document.

Adobe Acrobat DC

Adobe Acrobat is a paid service, but some laptops already have it installed or you might have installed it for work. If this is not the case, you can sometimes access a free trial. Here’s how it works:

Open your PDF document using the Acrobat DC app.
Select the Export PDF tool from the right pane.
Choose Microsoft Word and then Word Document as your export document.
Export the file and then save it once completed.

The Main Challenges To Consider

Unfortunately, when you convert PDF to Word, how the Word processor interprets the PDF files will differ across software and even devices. This is due to differences in available fonts, screen size adjustments, and formatting differences between Word and PDF files. Consequently, you might lose some photos and lose built-in forms or selection tools. These may not return when you re-convert the document to PDF, so keep this in mind.

The good news is that a PDF conversion rarely affects the original PDF file. Consequently, you can find alternative methods to edit the document and preserve formatting if a Word conversion does not work for you.