---
name: "pdf123-convert-to-word"
description: "Convert a PDF into an editable Word document. Runs the PDF123 \"PDF to Word\" tool (pdf123.xyz) over its REST API with curl, no account needed. Use when the user wants this done to their file. Also known as: PDF 转 Word, PDF a Word, PDF से Word, PDF إلى Word, PDF para Word, PDF ke Word, PDF vers Word, PDF в Word, PDFからWord, PDF in Word, PDF를 Word로, PDF sang Word, PDF'den Word'e, PDF 轉 Word, PDF เป็น Word, PDF na Word, PDF у Word, PDF naar Word, PDF till Word, PDF σε Word, PDF към Word, PDF kuwa Word."
compatibility: "Needs curl 7.76+ and outbound HTTPS to pdf123.xyz, or PDFX_API_BASE pointing at a self-hosted pdfx-server."
---

# PDF to Word (PDF123)

Convert a PDF into an editable Word document.

Web version: https://pdf123.xyz/convert-to-word · All tools: https://pdf123.xyz/skills/pdf123.md

## When to use

- Edit a PDF policy draft in Word
- Reuse report prose without retyping
- Prepare redlines when only a PDF source exists

## Run it

Replace the sample file names and values with the user's, then run:

```bash
API="${PDFX_API_BASE:-https://pdf123.xyz}"
curl -sS --fail-with-body -X POST "$API/api/v1/convert/pdf/word" \
  -F "fileInput=@input.pdf" \
  -F "outputFormat=docx" \
  --output-dir "pdf123-output/$(date +%Y%m%d-%H%M%S)" --create-dirs -OJ -w '%{filename_effective} %{content_type}\n'
```

## Inputs

Everything is `multipart/form-data`. The command above already sends each field with its default; keep them all and change only the values the user asked for, since some endpoints reject a missing optional field.

| Field | Type | Required | Default | Notes |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `fileInput` | file | yes | | .pdf (one file) |
| `outputFormat` | choice | no | `docx` | Output format. One of: `docx` (DOCX), `doc` (DOC), `odt` (ODT) |

## Result

curl saves the result in a new `pdf123-output/<timestamp>/` directory under the server's file name and prints its path and content type. Several output files come back as one ZIP. Tell the user where the file is.

## Limits

- Image-only scans have no text to convert
- Complex layouts reflow; pagination will not match the PDF
- Password-protected files need the password; API callers run Unlock first
- Upload limit on this website: 500 MB per file, sent in chunks above about 95 MB. A single direct API request body is capped at 100 MB.

## Errors

- A non-zero curl exit means the request failed. The saved file then holds `application/problem+json`; read it and report its `detail` to the user instead of retrying blindly.
- `413`: the upload exceeds 100 MiB. `429`: wait for `Retry-After` seconds, then retry once.
- Send `X-API-KEY: $PDFX_API_KEY` only if the user has a PDF123 API key; anonymous calls work without it.

## Privacy

Files are uploaded to the API host, processed, and deleted once the response is sent. For confidential files, ask before uploading, or use a self-hosted server via `PDFX_API_BASE`.