Convert PDF to Text in Python - Complete Guide

Extract text from PDFs using the WhatsMate PDF-to-Text REST API

Posted on January 2, 2026   Share on Facebook Share on LinkedIn Share on Twitter Share on Google+

Last reviewed: March 16, 2026  

Extract Text from PDFs with Python

Need to extract text from PDF documents programmatically in your Python applications or scripts? This guide walks you through converting PDF files to text using Python and the WhatsMate PDF-to-Text REST API. Perfect for developers, data analysts, and anyone who wants to automate PDF text extraction in their Python workflows.

đź“‹ Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have:

  1. Basic Python knowledge - Familiarity with Python scripts and pip
  2. PDF URL - A publicly accessible URL to your PDF document
  3. Requests library - Python HTTP library for making API calls

ℹ️ Note: The trial account allows up to 20 PDF-to-Text API calls for learning purposes. Files up to 1 MB can use the synchronous API shown here. Subscribe to a Premium plan for production use and larger files.

đź“ť Step-by-Step Implementation

Follow these steps to extract text from a PDF using Python:

1. Copy the Script Template

Start by copying the following source code into your Python script file:

2. Configure the Parameters

Customize this key parameter in the script:

  • Line 10: Replace with the URL of your PDF document

3. Install Dependencies

Install the Requests library if you haven’t already:

pip install requests

4. Make the Script Executable

Set execute permissions on your script:

chmod 755 extract-pdf-text-sync.py

5. Run the Extraction

Execute the script to see the extracted text:

./extract-pdf-text-sync.py

⚠️ Large PDF files? If your PDF is larger than 1 MB, you’ll need to use the asynchronous API instead. See an example in Python for handling larger files.

🔧 Common Use Cases

This automation approach is ideal for:

  • Data extraction pipelines - Pull text from reports, invoices, or forms
  • Content indexing - Make PDF content searchable in your systems
  • Batch processing - Extract text from multiple PDFs automatically
  • Integration with workflows - Add PDF text extraction to scheduled Python tasks

🚀 Get Started Today

Ready to automate your PDF text extraction? You’ll need an account to access the API. Sign up for a Premium plan and start extracting text within minutes!

Next Steps: Once you’ve mastered PDF-to-Text conversion in Python, explore extracting text in other programming languages through the PDF-to-Text API Getting Started Guide.