Extract Attachments from PDF
Find the files embedded in a PDF and save them as the originals, one at a time or all together in a ZIP.
Select a PDF fileor drop it anywhere on this page, or paste
Opens in your browser. Nothing is uploaded.
Extract Attachments from PDF, free and private
Extract attachments from a PDF and get back the original files embedded in it. That can be a spreadsheet, a Word file, an image, XML invoice data or another PDF. The tool lists every attached file with its name, type and size, and you save one file or all of them in a ZIP.
It finds files in the PDF's attachments panel and files pinned to a page with a paper clip icon. The PDF is opened in your browser on a computer or phone, so it is never uploaded, and you don't need Adobe Acrobat to get the files out.
How to extract attachments from a PDF
- 1
Add your PDF
Press Select a PDF file or drop the PDF on the page. The list of attached files appears as soon as the file opens.
- 2
Check the embedded files
Each file shows its name, type, size, the date it was last changed and where it sits, in the attachments panel or on a page. A description saved with a file appears under its name.
- 3
Extract the attachments
Press Save next to a file to download only that one. Press Extract attachments to get every file. One file downloads as itself, and two or more come in a ZIP named after your PDF.
Why use PDFToolz for this
Original files, unchanged
Attachments are unpacked to the exact bytes that were embedded. A spreadsheet comes out as the same spreadsheet, with no conversion.
Panel files and paper clip files
Files in the attachments panel and files attached to a spot on a page are both found. A file listed in both places is saved once.
Safe file names
Folder paths stored in a name are removed, so a ZIP can't write files outside the folder you extract it to. Two files with the same name become name.pdf and name (2).pdf.
Free and private
The PDF is opened and the files are unpacked on your device. Nothing goes to a server, and there is no account to create.
What are embedded files in a PDF?
A PDF can carry other files inside it, much like an email carries attachments. Reports often hold the spreadsheet behind their charts. Electronic invoices in the ZUGFeRD and Factur-X formats hold an XML file with the invoice data. Drawings and portfolios can hold their source files.
Many PDF viewers on phones and in browsers don't show these files, which is why they are easy to miss. PDF Portfolios made in Acrobat store their files the same way, so their files are listed too. Portfolio folders are not recreated, and every file goes into one folder of the ZIP.
How to download files from a PDF on iPhone, Android or Mac
Open this page in Safari, Chrome or another browser, add the PDF and press Save next to a file. On iPhone and iPad the file goes to the Downloads folder in the Files app. On Android it lands in Downloads. On a Mac or a Windows PC it goes to your Downloads folder.
Before you open an extracted file
An attachment can be any kind of file, programs and scripts included. Open files only from a PDF you trust, and scan unknown files with your antivirus first. The tool saves files without opening or running them.
To strip every attachment from a PDF instead, use Sanitize PDF.
When files are missing
If the tool says there are no attached files, the PDF has none in its attachments panel or on its pages. Pictures and text on the pages are page content, not attachments. Extract Images saves the pictures, and Extract PDF Pages saves pages as a new PDF.
Some PDFs point to a file on another computer instead of embedding it. Those references hold no data inside the PDF, so they are skipped. A file stored with a compression method the tool can't unpack is reported by name, and the other files are still saved.
Files that open without a password but block copying work as normal. If the PDF asks for a password to open, remove it with Unlock PDF first.
Frequently asked questions
Add the PDF and press Extract attachments. One attached file downloads as itself, and several come in a ZIP. You can also save a single file from the list. It is free and nothing is uploaded.
Add the PDF here. Before you download anything, the list shows every embedded file with its name, type, size and date.
Yes. The tool runs in a browser on Windows, Mac, iPhone, iPad and Android, with nothing to install and no account.
Yes. The invoice data is an embedded XML file, often named factur-x.xml or zugferd-invoice.xml. Add the PDF and press Save next to it.
Only if you trust the PDF. An attachment can be a program or a document with macros. The tool saves files without opening or running them.
The PDF has no embedded files. Text and images on the pages are page content, not attachments. Use Extract Images to save the pictures or Extract PDF Pages to save pages as a new PDF.
No. The PDF is opened and the files are unpacked in your browser. Nothing is sent to a server.
