HTML to plain text
Extract readable text from supplied HTML.
HTML to plain text
How to use HTML to plain text
HTML to Plain Text extracts the readable text from HTML markup and drops the tags. Script, style and noscript content is removed, br tags become line breaks, and paragraphs, divs, list items, table rows and h1 to h3 headings end with a new line. HTML entities are decoded into their characters, and long runs of blank lines are reduced.
- Paste the source into the input editor, or load the built-in example.
- Check the source format before running the operation.
- Run html to plain text, review the output, then use the available copy or download controls.
What this tool supports
Extract readable text from supplied HTML.
Limits and processing
Text operations generally accept up to 2,000,000 characters. Individual parsers, generators and formulas apply additional limits shown by their controls.
Example source
<h1>Hello world</h1><p>A helpful example.</p>
Frequently asked questions
Are link URLs kept when converting HTML to text?
No. Only the visible link text is kept; href values and other attributes are dropped with the tags. Run Extract URLs from Text on the HTML source if you also need the addresses.
Does HTML to Plain Text keep line breaks and paragraphs?
Yes. br tags become line breaks, and p, div, li, tr and h1 to h3 elements end with a new line. More than two consecutive line breaks are collapsed into a single blank line, and the result is trimmed.
Will JavaScript or CSS code appear in the plain text output?
No. Script, style and noscript elements are removed before the text is extracted, so code and CSS rules do not end up in the result. The HTML is parsed as a document and nothing in it is executed.
Where is my input processed?
This operation processes its source in your browser. Copy and download are explicit actions; source input is not saved in an account or history.
What are the input limits?
Text operations generally accept up to 2,000,000 characters. Individual parsers, generators and formulas apply additional limits shown by their controls.