# How to convert a PDF to Word for free

> Convert a PDF to an editable Word document for free, plus tips to keep formatting, what to do with scanned PDFs, and how to open it in Google Docs.


Converting a PDF to Word gives you a document you can edit freely. Here are three free ways and how to get the cleanest result.



## Method 1: In your browser


- Open PDF to Word and select your PDF.

- Choose whether to keep each PDF page as a separate Word page.

- Click Convert to Word and download the .docx.

Paragraphs, headings, bold text and bullet points are rebuilt as real Word formatting, and the file never leaves your device.



## Method 2: In Microsoft Word
Word 2013 and later can open PDFs directly: in Word choose File → Open, pick the PDF, and confirm when Word says it will convert it to an editable document. Results vary with complex layouts.



## Method 3: In Google Docs
Upload the PDF to Google Drive, right-click it and choose Open with → Google Docs. Google converts the text; images and layout are often simplified. See how to open a PDF in Google Docs.



## How to keep formatting


- Start from a "real" PDF. PDFs exported from Word or Google Docs convert far better than scans.

- Simple layouts convert best. Single-column text with headings comes out almost perfect; multi-column magazines, forms and tables need more tidying.

- Fonts. If the PDF uses a font you don't have, Word substitutes a similar one, which can change line breaks.



## What about scanned PDFs?
A scan is a picture of paper, so there's no text inside to convert. You need OCR (optical character recognition). Google Docs runs OCR when it opens a PDF, which is a free option for short scans.



## Only need small changes?
If you only need to fix a word, a date or a name, you don't need to convert at all — use Edit PDF to white out and retype.