Convert RTF to plain text

Extract readable paragraphs and tabs from a Rich Text Format file. The output is a TXT file, not a visually identical document.

What this tool actually does

RTF → text creates a new file in the target format; it does not merely rename the extension. MakeFileWork processes the source in the browser where this conversion supports local execution and keeps the job bounded so a single file cannot consume unlimited memory or CPU.

How the result is verified

Before download, the engine re-serializes, reopens, parses or otherwise checks the output according to the format. The result shows concrete evidence such as pages, structure, extracted text or generated format instead of treating any downloadable blob as a successful conversion.

Limits and fidelity

Formats do not represent every feature in the same way. Layout, fonts, animation, formulas, metadata, transparency or interactive elements can change when the destination cannot preserve them. The tool does not promise fidelity that the target format cannot support and calls out known trade-offs.

When to use this workflow

Use this workflow when another application, device or upload portal requires the target format and you need a newly generated, verifiable file. If the rejection also specifies KB/MB, pixel dimensions or other measurable limits, use the upload-requirement workflow to validate those constraints together.

Privacy and final verification

Keep the original file until the output has been reviewed in the destination application or portal. Supported workflows process locally in the browser and enforce bounded size and complexity limits. For RTF → text, verify that the generated format preserves the properties that matter for your use case. For important data, compare a representative sample and confirm that format, content and quality meet the actual requirement before replacing the source file. Also open the generated file in the destination application when compatibility, colour, transparency, layout or compression matters.

What the parser reads

RTF groups and Unicode control words are interpreted locally. Paragraph and tab separators are retained; font tables, embedded pictures and object destinations are skipped. Formatting, page layout, tables as visual objects and embedded files are not preserved.

Limits and validation

RTF files up to 10 MB are accepted. Group nesting is limited to 256 levels and recovered text to 5 million characters. A valid RTF header and balanced groups do not prove that every application-specific RTF feature was recovered; compare important content with the original.

Related text tasks

If the extracted TXT has incorrect accents, try fix text encoding. For a scanned PDF instead of RTF, use extract text from PDF.