Vector in, vector out
The SVG we got back held path and text elements and no embedded picture, so it scales without blurring.
AI to SVG Converter
Add a PDF-compatible .ai file and get an SVG back. Paths stay vector and text stays text. A multi-artboard file gives the first artboard only.
To convert ai to svg, add the .ai file, keep SVG as the output format and download the result. In our test, a 1,382 byte .ai with two artboards became one 2,224 byte svg of the first artboard, with 5 vector paths and one live text element.
Transfers use HTTPS, and files converted on the free tier are deleted after 24 hours, so the result is not a long-term archive. Quality depends on the source file, so open the SVG file once before you share it.
FromAILosslessTransparency
AI (Adobe Illustrator Artwork)
The native vector format of Adobe Illustrator. Shapes, paths and text are stored as drawing instructions, and a file can hold several artboards. Since Illustrator 9 a file can also carry an embedded PDF copy of the artwork when it is saved with the PDF-compatible option, and that copy is what other programs read. Adobe controls the format and does not publish a full specification.
ToSVGLosslessTransparency
SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics)
An XML-based vector format from the W3C. Shapes, paths and text are stored as drawing instructions, not pixels, so an SVG stays sharp at any size and can be styled with CSS, animated or scripted inside a browser.
A two-artboard logo saved as .ai, 1,382 bytes, converted on indox.org
- AIthe original, 2 artboards, PDF-compatible
- 1,382 bytes
- SVGfrom indox, first artboard only, 5 paths and 1 text
- 2,224 bytes
Why use indox to convert AI to SVG?
Nothing to install, no Illustrator needed
The conversion runs on indox servers, so any browser on Windows, Mac, Linux or a phone can do it. You can open the SVG in a browser, Inkscape or a code editor.
Artboard and failure limits stated up front
A file with several artboards gives one SVG. A .ai file saved without a PDF copy failed in our test, and the limits below explain the fix.
What happens to your AI file
Stays
- Your original .ai file, which is not touched
- Shapes as vector paths, 5 of them in our test
- Exact fill colours, such as #ff0000 and #00a64f
- A 50% transparent shape, as a fill-opacity value
- Text as text, with the font name Helvetica
Changes
- Artboards: only the first artboard is converted
- Fonts: not embedded and not outlined, so a viewer may substitute
- Layers: one flat group instead of your layer structure
- Size: written in pixels, 400 by 200 for a 300 by 150 point artboard
- Format: Inkscape SVG with extra Inkscape tags
How do I convert AI to SVG online?
- 1
Add your .ai file
Drop the file on the box or choose it from your device. It needs to be a PDF-compatible .ai file, which is what Illustrator saves when Create PDF Compatible File is on. Keep the original: it is your editable master.
- 2
Confirm SVG, then start the conversion
Check that SVG is the output format and start the conversion. In our test it took 3.8 seconds from the click to Completed.
- 3
Download the SVG and check it
Save the file and open it in a browser. Look at the text, because a font missing on your computer is replaced. If the file had several artboards, this SVG shows the first one.
What do I get from indox's AI to SVG converter?
You hand over an Illustrator .ai file and take away an SVG of its first artboard that opens on the web, in Inkscape and in code. The page lists what the conversion keeps and drops before you start.
- One SVG for the .ai file you add, in a few clicks
- Paths, colours and opacity kept as vector in our test
- Live text kept as text, with the font name written in the file
- Artboards, fonts and PostScript-only files explained before you convert
What are the limits for AI to SVG?
Size
The upload box shows the live size limit before you add a file. Signing in raises it; a paid plan does not change it.
Formats
AI in, SVG out. Pick another output on the converter if you need a different format.
Privacy
Files are encrypted in transit over HTTPS and processed on indox infrastructure.
Deletion
Free-tier files are kept for 24 hours after the job finishes, then deleted automatically.
Limits worth knowing
- Only the first artboard is exported. Split the other artboards into separate files in Illustrator, or export them from there, if you need each as an SVG.
- The .ai file must contain a PDF copy. A small file with only PostScript data, like Illustrator 8 and older save, failed in our test with a backend error and no output. Re-save it in Illustrator with Create PDF Compatible File turned on.
- Fonts are not embedded. The SVG names Helvetica, and a viewer without it picks another font, so line breaks and widths can shift. Convert text to outlines in Illustrator first if the exact letter shapes matter.
- There are no conversion options on this page. We saw only width and height listed for the tool, so you cannot choose a single artboard, outline the text or set a plain SVG.
- We did not test gradients, masks or effects. Our sample had none. A mesh gradient has no SVG equivalent and may not survive as vector, so check complex artwork by eye.
- Our sample was a synthetic PDF-based file named .ai, not a file saved by Illustrator. Real files can contain more, so treat our numbers as one measured case.
When the result is not what you expected
| What you see | Why | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| The conversion fails with an error | The .ai file holds PostScript only and has no PDF copy | Re-save it in Illustrator with Create PDF Compatible File turned on, then retry |
| Only one artboard comes back | The converter takes the first artboard | Save each artboard as its own file in Illustrator and convert them one by one |
| The text looks different | The SVG names Helvetica and does not embed it | Outline the text in Illustrator first, or install the font on the viewing computer |
| You want a picture, not an editable vector | SVG keeps shapes, which suits scaling | Use AI to PNG for a fixed picture |
| You need to print or send the whole design | SVG covers one artboard of drawing data | Use AI to PDF |
What do the free and paid plans add?
Free
- All converters
- Daily credit refresh
- Email support
Basic
- Access to all features
- AI Extract
- Priority conversions
- Email support
Highest priority
Premium
- Everything in Basic
- Highest priority queue
- Priority support
Pay-As-You-Go
- No subscription
- Credits never expire
- Opt-in auto-refill
- Access to all features
Which conversions are close to AI to SVG?
AI vs SVG: what is the difference?
| Compared on | AI | SVG |
|---|---|---|
| Made for | Editing artwork in Adobe Illustrator | Showing and editing vector graphics on the web and in many tools |
| Pages | One file can hold several artboards | One drawing per file |
| Text | Live text with fonts from your machine or Adobe | Live text that names a font, or outlined shapes |
| Where it opens | Illustrator and some design tools, from a PDF copy inside | Every browser, Inkscape and code editors |
| Typical use | Master files for designers | Logos, icons and web graphics |
Who can use a AI to SVG converter?
When to use it
- Putting a logo saved as .ai onto a website as a sharp, scalable image.
- Opening a vendor's Illustrator artwork in Inkscape to edit it.
- Sending a simple vector to someone who cannot open .ai files.
- Checking what is inside an .ai file by reading its SVG paths and text in a code editor.
Where can I read more about converting files?
Sources
- Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) 1.1, Second Edition: IntroductionW3C
- Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) 1.1: TextW3C
Facts checked on November 4, 2026
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AI to SVG FAQs
How do I convert AI to SVG for free?
Open the converter, add your .ai file, keep SVG as the output and download the result. You do not need Illustrator or any software on your computer. The page showed a cost of 7 credits per conversion when we ran it, and no limit or sign-up wall appeared for an anonymous visitor.
Is the SVG a real vector or a traced image?
In our test it was real vector. The output held 5 path elements, one text element and no image element. Nothing was traced, and the shapes keep their exact colours.
What happens to text in the AI file?
In our test the text stayed live text with font-family Helvetica in bold. It was not outlined and the font was not embedded. A computer without the font shows a substitute, so outline the text in Illustrator when the exact shapes matter.
Are all artboards exported?
No. Our file had two artboards and we got one SVG, with only the first artboard. To get the others, save each artboard as its own file in Illustrator and convert them one by one.
Why does my .ai file fail to convert?
The file is probably PostScript-only. A tiny Illustrator 8 style file failed in our test with a backend error. Open it in Illustrator, save it again with Create PDF Compatible File on, then retry.
Are layers and gradients kept?
Layers are not kept as layers: we got one flat group marked as a layer. Opacity was kept as vector. Our sample had no gradient, so we cannot say how gradients and masks behave. Check them in the SVG.
Why does the SVG contain Inkscape tags?
The conversion uses Inkscape, so the file carries sodipodi and inkscape namespaces and a named view. Browsers ignore them. You can remove them in a text editor or save a plain SVG from Inkscape if you want a cleaner file.
Should I convert to SVG, PNG or PDF?
Use SVG when you need to scale or edit shapes. Use [AI to PNG](/convert/ai-to-png) for a fixed picture, such as a social post or a document, and [AI to PDF](/convert/ai-to-pdf) for sharing or printing the whole file.