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Convert RTF to Plain Text Online


CONVERT RTF to TXT ONLINE

1) Upload RTF file to convert

 

Drop files here, or Click to select
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Allowed file types: one, docx, doc, wbk, rtf, rvf, odt, abw, txt, dotx, docm, hwp, wpd, wps, tmd, inp, py

2) Set converting RTF to TXT options

Convert to

 

Options

Header:
Footer:

3) Get converted file

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Get Total Doc Converter to convert DOC, DOCX, TXT, RTF in batch.

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  • Convert DOC Files in Batch!;
  • Convert RTF to TXT and in many other formats
  • Convert hundreds of files in 3 clicks;
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  • Get a more poweful engine to process large files.
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okTotal Doc Converter supports DocX (the format of Word 2007 documents). Installed this free Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack to convert DocX files to HTML, PDF, XLS, JPG, TIFF, TXT with Total Doc Converter.
okTotal Doc Converter converts Doc to PDF and allows you to add a digital signature to the final document.
okConvert and combine several documents into one multi-page file (PDF, DOC, TIFF or a very long TXT file). All done in one go!
okTotal Doc Converter can convert Word 2010 to Word 2003 if you need a file compatible with older Microsoft Word.
okHave an outdated Microsoft Office 2003? Update all your old files to the new format in one go. Convert Doc files to DocX with our Total Doc Converter.
okTotal Doc Converter allows setting your default font for text files.
okTotal Doc Converter can print out, fax to send to OneNote any file you select. It will also create detailed reports on your Doc files in PDF, XLS, CSV, TXT formats. It's the esiest way to learn how many files you have and their parameters.
okTotal Doc Converter has a clear, easy-to-follow interface. You won't get lost in settings!
okThe widest list of supported file types: convert Word, Doc, DocX, DocM, RTF, RVF, or TXT files to RTF, DOCX, XLS, JPEG, PNG, TIFF, HTML, XHTML, PDF, TXT in a batch mode. It's a powerful all-in-one doc converter!
okTotal Doc Converter supports several types of compression for TIFF. If you are at a loss the program will automatically choose the best value.
ok Every document is displayed in Preview panel. You can zoom it or view the document full-sized. Use preview option to quickly find a file.
okAdd your logo or any other image to the header or the footer of the output file.
okDo you want more order? Total Doc Converter will add page counters or a date to every page of the output files. The app is great for stamping legal bates too!
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okTotal Doc Converter offers a lot of additional settings for Doc to PDF conversions. Set user permissions, password-protect your files or sign with a digital signature. Get PDF, PDF/A and non-searchable PDFs.
okTotal Doc Converter can be run via command line (get the ready-to-use command line from GUI).

How to convert RTF to TXT?

1

💾 Upload Your File: Go to the site, click on «Upload File,» and select your RTF file.

2

✍️ Set Conversion Options: Choose TXT as the output format and adjust any additional options if needed.

3

Convert and Download: Click 👉«Download Converted File»👈 to get your TXT file.

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There is no need to install any software to convert RTF to TXT with CoolUtils. Simply access the internet, and you can easily convert your file online with our service.
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Ease of Use
Converting RTF documents to plain text online has never been so simple. Drop your .rtf file and the converter strips all Rich Text formatting — fonts, colors, tables, embedded images — and outputs clean, searchable plain text. Perfect for eDiscovery pipelines, data extraction scripts, and full-text indexing.
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RTF File

File extension .RTF
CategoryDocument File
DescriptionRTF is a text file type for exchanging data between various platforms and text editors. This format is friendlier to word processors than HTML. Originally it was a meta-tag format for MS Word, and now it is widely used by numerous third-party office packages. The supported character packs include ANSI, Macintosh, IPM PC, PC-8. RTF is a unite format for all operating systems, the same file is compatible with all apps that support RTF. Besides texts, RTF file contains control commands.
Associated programsAbiWord
Kword
Microsoft Word
TextEdit
WordPad
Developed byMicrosoft
MIME typetext/rtf
application/rtf
Useful linksMore detailed information on RTF files
Conversion typeRTF to TXT

TXT File

File extension .TXT, .TEXT
CategoryDocument File
DescriptionTXT format is the simplest text file standard that doesn’t support formatting. Such file contains text characters, tab and line feed characters. Being outdated in functionality it has one major advantage - compact file size, comfortable for sharing, data export/import. It supports various charsets (DOS, WIN, ISO, KOI-8). The charset can be changed to make TXT file compatible with any text reader. The lack of formatting is solved by setting up format params in the reader program.
Associated programsNotepad
TextEdit
WordPad
Developed byVarious
MIME type
Useful links
Rating RTF to TXT   5 star RTF to TXT   4.9 (2183 votes)
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RTF to TXT Conversion — Frequently Asked Questions ▼

What is an RTF file?

RTF (Rich Text Format) is a document format developed by Microsoft in 1987. It stores text with formatting instructions — fonts, colors, bold/italic, tables, embedded images, and paragraph styles — using plain ASCII characters with backslash escape codes. RTF opens in Microsoft Word, LibreOffice, WordPad, TextEdit (macOS), and almost any text editor.

What formatting is lost when converting RTF to TXT?

Plain text (TXT) has no formatting layer, so everything except the characters themselves is discarded: fonts, colors, bold/italic, tables (content extracted row by row), images (removed entirely), hyperlinks (URL text may be preserved), headers/footers, and page numbers. What you get is the textual content of the document — ideal for search indexing, NLP, or data pipelines.

Does RTF to TXT conversion preserve line breaks and paragraphs?

Yes — paragraph breaks in the RTF become blank lines in the TXT output. Single line returns within a paragraph are preserved as newlines. Table rows are output as consecutive lines with text from each cell. The reading order generally follows the document flow from top to bottom.

What encoding does the TXT output use?

The output is UTF-8, which handles all Unicode characters — Cyrillic, Arabic, Chinese, and special symbols that were encoded in the RTF's charset declarations. RTF stores non-ASCII characters as hexadecimal escape sequences; the converter decodes these to their Unicode equivalents in the output text.

Why would I want to convert RTF to TXT?

Common use cases: extracting document text for full-text search indexing; feeding documents into NLP or AI pipelines (LLMs work with plain text); eDiscovery and legal review (bulk text extraction from thousands of files); migrating content to a CMS; and removing formatting metadata before sharing.

Can I batch convert multiple RTF files to plain text?

Yes. The desktop Total Doc Converter processes entire folders of RTF files in one pass, outputting one TXT file per RTF. Command-line support is available for integration into automated workflows, build scripts, and server-side document processing pipelines.

Is there a size limit for RTF to TXT conversion online?

The online converter handles files up to 50 MB. For very large RTF files or batch conversion of thousands of files, the desktop version is the right tool — it has no file size or count limits and supports multi-threading.
 

 

Convert RTF to TXT Online — Rich Text to Plain Text

RTF documents carry a lot of formatting baggage — font declarations, color tables, style sheets, embedded images — that you don't need when you just want the text. Converting RTF to plain text strips all of that away and gives you clean, UTF-8 output ready for search indexing, NLP pipelines, legal review, or simple reading.

What RTF to TXT Conversion Does

Content typePreserved in TXT output?
All text content (paragraphs, headings, lists)Yes
Paragraph breaksYes — blank lines
Table content (cell text)Yes — extracted row by row
Footnotes and endnotesYes — included in output
Character encoding (Cyrillic, Arabic, CJK)Yes — decoded to UTF-8
Font, color, bold/italic formattingNo — discarded
Embedded imagesNo — removed
Headers and footersTypically included
Hyperlinks (URL text)Text portion preserved

How to Convert RTF to TXT Online

  1. Click Choose File or drag your .rtf file into the upload area above.
  2. The converter parses the RTF markup — decoding hexadecimal escape sequences, extracting text from all content groups — and outputs clean UTF-8 plain text.
  3. Click Download to save the .txt file.

Use Cases for RTF to TXT Conversion

Online Converter vs Desktop Batch Tool

FeatureOnline ConverterTotal Doc Converter (Desktop)
Batch conversionOne at a timeYes — whole folders
File size limit50 MBNo limit
UTF-8 outputYesYes
Command-line automationNoYes
Works offlineNoYes
PriceFreeFrom $49.90 one-time
Feature Online Converters CoolUtils Desktop WinWord Built-in Other Software
Batch Conversion Limited ✅ Unlimited Manual only Limited
File Size Limit 1-5MB ✅ No limits System dependent Varies
Privacy & Security Upload required ✅ 100% offline ✅ Local only Varies
Conversion Speed Internet dependent ✅ Fast local processing Slow Medium
Advanced Options Basic ✅ Full customization Limited Basic
Cost Free/Premium One-time purchase Requires Office Subscription
Formatting Preservation Good ✅ Excellent Good Varies
Multiple Formats Support Limited ✅ 40+ formats Few formats Limited

Convert from RTF

Using CoolUtils, it is possible to convert RTF files to a variety of other formats:

Convert to TXT

Using CoolUtils, it is possible to convert a variety of other formats to TXT files:

                                                                                                 

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