Extract phone numbers from a PDF, in your browser
In short: Drop a PDF to pull every phone number from every page, matched against each country's numbering plan, deduplicated in E.164 with the page it was found on. Limit: It finds numbers that fit their country's numbering plan; it can't tell you whether any of them is in service, who uses it now, or whether it's a mobile.
To extract phone numbers from a PDF, drop the file into the box and pick the country for numbers written without a + code. Every page's text is read in your browser, numbers are matched against each country's numbering plan so dates and prices are skipped, and each one is listed once in E.164 with its page.
Numbers written without a + code are read as numbers in this country. Change it and run again for another country.
By SimpleVerifier Team · Last updated · Runs in your browser; nothing you paste is sent to us
How do I pull all the phone numbers out of a PDF?
- Choose the PDF, up to 25 MB: a directory, a brochure, an exported report or a contact sheet. The text has to be selectable in a PDF viewer.
- Pick the default country. Numbers written with a + and a country code are read as written; the rest are read as numbers in this country.
- Press Extract phone numbers. Each page is read in turn and a large file shows its progress.
- Check the First found column for the page, then download the CSV or copy the E.164 list.
Example
- You enter
- A 3-page PDF directory with
(415) 555-2671on page 1 and again on page 3,+44 20 7946 0958on page 2, and an order number20241015, default country United States. - You get
- 2 unique numbers:
+14155552671(United States, first found Page 1, 2 times) and+442079460958(United Kingdom, Page 2). The order number is skipped because it isn't a valid number. - Limits
- Up to 25 MB, read in your browser; scanned pages without a text layer can't be read.
How does it find phone numbers in a PDF?
It reads the PDF's text layer in your browser and matches numbers with Google's open-source libphonenumber data, the numbering plans for about 245 countries and territories. The page loads Mozilla's pdf.js only when you choose a file, rebuilds each page's lines from where each piece of text sits, and then looks for digit runs that form a valid number for their country. That is why an order number, a date like 2024-10-15 or a price is left alone while (415) 555-2671 and +44 20 7946 0958 are found.
Every number is converted to E.164, the + and digits form that phone systems, CRMs and SMS platforms import, and duplicates are merged. A number printed in the footer of every page of a directory is listed once, with the page it first appeared on and how many times it was seen.
Why are some phone numbers in my PDF missing?
Usually because the page is a scanned image or the number is written for a different country. A scanned PDF has no text layer, so there are no digits to read; the tool says how many pages had none. Run it through OCR first (Adobe Acrobat's Recognize Text, or Live Text in macOS Preview) and paste the recognised text in. A local number written without a country code, such as 020 7946 0958, is only valid when the default country matches: set it to United Kingdom and run again.
Numbers that don't fit any allocated range are skipped on purpose, such as a number with a digit missing or an unallocated prefix. If you need to see every digit run, including invalid ones, the phone number formatter reports each line with the reason it fails.
Does a number found in the PDF still work?
The PDF can't tell you. A valid result means the digits fit a range allocated in that country's numbering plan, nothing more: not that the line is connected, who has it now, or whether it's a mobile. In the US and Canada, mobile and landline numbers share area codes, so even the line type needs a carrier lookup.
That matters if you plan to text the list. Most landlines can't receive SMS, and the US rules for calling and texting mobiles are stricter, as covered in TCPA rules for mobile vs landline.
Is this better than copying numbers out of the PDF by hand?
| This tool | Copy and paste | |
|---|---|---|
| Numbers per run | Every page at once | One at a time |
| Dates, prices, order numbers | Skipped (not valid numbers) | You pick them out |
| Output format | E.164 plus as written | Whatever the PDF shows |
| Duplicates | Merged, with a count and first page | Kept |
Who uses this tool, and for what?
- Sales teams
- Turn an exhibitor list, a member directory or a supplier catalogue published as a PDF into a phone list in E.164, ready for the dialler or CRM.
- SMS teams
- Pull the numbers from a PDF sign-up sheet, then split mobiles from landlines with the landline or mobile checker before anything is texted.
- Recruiters
- Collect the contact numbers from CVs and reference documents saved as PDF without retyping them.
- Office managers
- Rebuild a phone list from an old printed directory that only survives as a PDF, with duplicates merged.
What can’t this tool tell you?
- It finds numbers that fit their country's numbering plan; it can't tell you whether any of them is in service, who uses it now, or whether it's a mobile.
- Scanned pages have no text layer and need OCR first; the tool says how many pages it couldn't read.
- Local numbers without a country code are only found when the default country matches. A PDF mixing several countries' local numbers needs one run per country.
- A long ID or reference number that happens to fit a valid number range can be picked up; the As written column shows what was matched.
- Password-protected PDFs need the password removed first.
Common questions
- How do I extract phone numbers from a PDF?
- Choose the PDF above, pick the country for numbers without a + code, and press Extract phone numbers. Each number is listed once in E.164 with the page it's on, ready to download as CSV.
- Can I extract phone numbers from a PDF for free?
- Yes. It's a free tool that runs in your browser, so the PDF is read on your device and not uploaded. There's no sign-up.
- Will it pick up dates, prices or order numbers by mistake?
- Rarely. A digit run is only kept when it is a valid number for its country's numbering plan, so dates, prices and most IDs are skipped. A long ID that happens to match a real number range can still slip through, so glance at the As written column.
- Does it work on scanned PDFs?
- Not directly. Scanned pages are pictures with no text layer, so there are no digits to read. Run OCR first, then paste the recognised text into the box.
- Can it tell me which numbers are mobiles?
- Not from a PDF in the US and Canada, where mobiles and landlines share area codes. Elsewhere the numbering plan often gives the line type range; the landline or mobile checker shows it for the list you download here.
- What format are the numbers in?
- E.164, such as +14155552671, plus the international format and the country. The CSV also keeps each number as it was written in the PDF.
Sources
Well formatted is not the same as reachable.
This tool fixes how numbers are written. It cannot tell you whether a line is mobile, landline or VoIP, or which carrier holds it. That takes a live carrier lookup, which is what the $20/mo phone add-on on Growth or Pro adds.
- Upload a CSV up to 100,000 rows with an email or phone column
- 5,000 live carrier lookups a month: carrier name and real line type
- Emails in the same file get a real SMTP mailbox check
One plan, cancel anytime, no contract. Sign in with Google and your first 100 email checks are free, no card. The free tools stay free either way.