// PDF → XML
Use this PDF to XML converter to turn a document's text layer into readable structure or recover XML already embedded in it. Reading happens in the browser, without AI, OCR, or a document upload to a conversion server.
PDFs up to 20 MB and 60 pages. The file stays in your browser.
Layout XML example · Pages, lines, coordinates, and text remain explicit.
// Understand the output
PDF and XML solve different problems. A PDF fixes presentation, while XML organizes information for systems, scripts, and technical readers. Conversion does not guess the original database or recreate the source document. This tool clearly distinguishes an extracted layout XML from an XML attachment already present in the PDF.
Layout XML records the text layer exposed by the PDF. Pages keep their dimensions, and each text span keeps position, size, and font information. Use it for search, visual checking, later extraction rules, or integrations that need content associated with page location.
Some PDFs contain XML as an internal attachment. Downloading that attachment is more reliable than inferring business fields from the page. The tool previews it using its declared encoding and downloads the original bytes without UTF-8 re-encoding.
// Practical uses
Use this route when the next step needs text, position, or an attached data file. It is a verifiable base for further processing, not a replacement for a business schema.
Integration teams can use the output as an intermediate step, then apply their own rules or XSLT to map relevant spans to a destination system. This keeps visible text separate from fields that have actually been validated.
For reports, receipts, contracts, and statements, layout XML helps locate headings, totals, dates, and references before automation. Compare every span with the source preview in the same workflow.
Keep layout XML beside the PDF for indexation and audit. Page number and coordinates make it possible to find a phrase and point back to where it appeared. This does not turn the PDF into a ready database.
When a PDF includes XML, the goal changes from layout extraction to recovering the document that already accompanies it. The converter detects XML attachments, lets you choose one, and keeps its original download bytes.
// Guided use
The workflow makes one decision explicit: use embedded XML when it exists, otherwise work from the layout XML. The interface always identifies which output you are about to download.
Select or drop a PDF. The tool checks extension, file signature, size, and page count before reading it. Password-protected PDFs are not opened in this version because no password entry screen is provided.
Compare XML with the PDF preview. The summary shows pages, text spans, and attachments. An embedded XML file appears as its own option; without one, the interface identifies the download as extracted layout.
Choose embedded XML for the file contained in the PDF. Choose layout XML for text and page geometry. Keep a source-aware filename and validate the result in your editor, XML validator, or integration process.
// Technical reading
The root element identifies the schema and coordinate origin. Each page carries width and height. A line groups nearby text spans, and a span stores text with x, y, width, height, and font. This preserves spatial context, but it does not prove a visual line belongs to a table or business field. Define document-specific rules and validate real samples before automating decisions.
// Clear limits
This version reads a PDF's existing text layer. A scanned document made only of images may contain no text spans. OCR and AI classification are not part of the flow, so the converter does not invent missing characters. Free-form layouts can also have a reading order that differs from their visual appearance. Use the preview and validate important documents.
// Verifiable privacy
Extraction runs in this browser. The PDF is not sent to a conversion route, stored in history, or given a public download link. The preview uses a temporary browser URL that is discarded when you replace the file or leave the page. The extraction flow does not invoke PDF links, scripts, actions, or annotations.
0 bytes sent to the server
Direct answers for choosing the right output and understanding its limits.
Open the local tool, select a PDF, and choose embedded XML or layout XML. Review the output before downloading it.