Extract Attached Files from a PDF
How do I save the files attached inside a PDF?
Download files embedded as attachments inside a PDF, with an option to select attachment names. The result is packaged as a ZIP for inspection or reuse. Attachments are separate from pictures or text displayed on a page, so a PDF can look rich in content and still have none. Use the other extraction tools for pages, images or text.
Cost: Free to use. File size and usage limits apply.
How to extract attachments from a PDF
Add one PDF
Click Choose PDF or drop a PDF of up to 200 MB on the preview. You can also pick a file from Uploads, where PDFs from the other tools are listed. The preview shows the pages only; attached files are not listed there.
Choose all files or only some
Leave Attachment names (optional) empty to get every attachment. To get only some, type their exact names, for example
contract.docx.Extract
Click Extract attachments. The server reads the PDF's list of attached files and packs them into one ZIP.
Download the ZIP
When Your ZIP is ready. appears, click Download attachments ZIP. The ZIP is also saved in the shared file manager. Use Share Files to create a download link for someone else. Your PDF is not changed.
Selecting specific attachments
Attachment names (optional) is the only setting.
- Attachment names (optional)
- Empty means all attachments. Otherwise enter one or more names and separate them with commas or line breaks, for example
contract.docx, data.csv. Each name must match exactly, including the extension and upper and lower case:Invoice.pdfdoes not matchinvoice.pdf. A name that matches nothing is skipped. If none of the names match, the job stops with "No attachments were extracted." - Finding the exact names
- Run the PDF through PDF Info first. Its report lists every attached file under
Attachments:. The attachments panel of a desktop PDF reader, usually behind a paperclip icon, shows the same names.
Attached files versus page content
A PDF can carry complete files such as spreadsheets, Word documents, XML data or other PDFs. They sit in a document-level list of embedded files, separate from the pages, so a PDF that looks like a plain letter can still contain attachments. The tool writes each file out as it is stored, with the name it has in the PDF. Nothing is converted or recompressed.
A file can also be pinned to a spot on a page as a comment, shown as a paperclip or push-pin icon. These comment attachments belong to the page, not to the document list, and are not extracted. To get one, open the PDF in a desktop reader and save the file from the comment.
Pictures you see on a page are separate from attached files. If you want those pictures, use Extract Images from PDF. Attachment extraction saves complete embedded files; it does not turn the visible pages into images or separate PDF documents.
Formats and limits
- Input
- One PDF per job
- Output
- One ZIP containing extracted files in their original formats, even when there is only one attachment
- Maximum file size
- 200 MB per PDF
- Attachments per job
- All matching document-level attachments, within the PDF size and processing limits
- Password-protected PDFs
- PDFs that need a password to open must be unlocked first. PDFs that only restrict editing or copying work normally.
- Processing
- On our server; a job can run for up to 15 minutes. No external or AI service is involved.
- Malware scanning
- None. Files are passed through unchanged.
- Watermark
- None
- Storage
- Uploads and results are deleted automatically after 48 hours for guests and after 30 days for free accounts; paid plans can keep files longer.
Frequently asked questions
Why does it say the PDF has no attachments?
The PDF has no files in its document-level attachment list. Typical reasons: the file is attached as a comment on a page, you are looking for a picture rather than a file, or the PDF was re-created with a print-to-PDF function, which keeps the pages and drops attached files. In that case, ask the sender for the original PDF.
Why is a file missing from the ZIP?
If you typed names, each one has to match exactly; Report.XLSX and report.xlsx are different names, and unmatched names are skipped. Clear Attachment names (optional) to extract everything. Files attached as comments on a page are not included.
Is it safe to open attached files?
Treat them like email attachments. A PDF can carry any file type, including programs and Office documents with macros, and the tool does not scan or change them. Open files only when you trust the sender of the PDF.
Can I extract attachments from a password-protected PDF?
Only if it opens without a password. Remove the open password with Unlock PDF, then run the unlocked copy through this tool. PDFs that only restrict printing or editing work directly.