Tags, scripts and styles are left out
In our test, marker words placed inside a script block and a style block did not appear in the TXT. The page title tag was not written as a separate line, so the heading text showed up once.
HTML to TXT Converter
You get a plain TXT file with the words of your HTML page: no tags, no styling, nothing a text editor cannot show.
To convert html to txt, add the HTML file, keep TXT as the output format and download the result. People often call this html to text. The tags are removed, the readable words stay, and text inside script and style blocks is left out. Link addresses are not kept. In our test a 993-byte HTML file became a 517-byte TXT file, though your file will differ, and a page that builds its content with JavaScript can give an almost empty result.
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 TXT file once before you share it.
FromHTMLLossless
HTML (HyperText Markup Language)
The markup language of web pages. An HTML file is plain text describing structure, and it usually points to separate stylesheets, images, fonts and scripts. It has no page size, so a browser lays the content out to fit whatever window displays it.
ToTXTLossless
TXT (Plain Text)
A file that holds only characters. It has no fonts, bold or italic, images, tables or page layout, so every program shows the same words in its own default style. The characters can be stored in different encodings, which is why accented or non-Latin text sometimes appears garbled when a file is opened with the wrong one.
A 993-byte HTML page with a table, a link, an image and script and style blocks, made by us
- HTMLthe original, with a table, a link, an image, a pre block, and script and style blocks
- 993 bytes
- TXTfrom indox, 27 lines, about 52% of the size, UTF-8 with LF line endings
- 517 bytes
Why use indox to convert HTML to TXT?
Readable structure survives
List items stay on their own lines, a table becomes a grid of aligned columns with a dashed rule under the header row, and a preformatted block is indented by four spaces.
Entities and other scripts are decoded
In our test & came out as &, é as é, and the Persian, Japanese and accented text we included arrived unchanged.
Long lines are wrapped for you
A paragraph that sat on one 190-character line in the HTML came out as three lines, and no line in our TXT was longer than 69 characters.
The file is plain UTF-8
The TXT we downloaded had no byte order mark, used LF line endings and ended with a newline, so it opens cleanly in any editor.
What happens to your page
Stays
- The words and the order of paragraphs, headings and list items
- Accented, Persian and Japanese characters
- The alt text of images
- Your original HTML file, which is not touched
Changes
- Tags and attributes are removed
- Link addresses are dropped and only the link text stays
- Tables become a grid of spaces and dashes
- Long lines are wrapped at about 72 columns
- Script and style text is left out
How do I convert HTML to TXT online?
- 1
Add your HTML file
Drop the .html file on the box or choose it from your device. Keep the original, because a TXT cannot be turned back into a styled page.
- 2
Confirm TXT, then start the conversion
Check that TXT is the output format, then start the conversion. In our test a 993-byte file took 3.2 seconds from the click to Completed, and we did not have to sign in.
- 3
Download the TXT and read it through
Open the file and check that the headings, lists and any table are where you expect them. If characters look wrong, see the encoding row under troubleshooting.
What do I get from indox's HTML to TXT converter?
You hand over an HTML file and take away a plain TXT of its readable words. Nothing is installed on your computer, and the page says up front what is dropped, including link addresses and anything a script would add later.
- A TXT with the words of the page and no markup
- Nothing to install on Windows, Mac or a phone
- Results measured on a test file we made
- A plain statement of what is kept and what is lost
What are the limits for HTML to TXT?
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
HTML in, TXT 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
- Link addresses are lost. Only the words you click on remain, so if you need the URLs, copy them from the HTML before you convert.
- The converter reads the file, not the rendered page. A page whose text is added by JavaScript after it loads has little text in its HTML, so the TXT can be nearly empty.
- The 72-column wrapping is fixed. You cannot pick a different width, and a table wider than that can wrap in an awkward place.
- You upload a file. A web address cannot be converted here, so save the page as an HTML file first.
- There is no encoding setting. A file that declares UTF-8 is the safe case. In our test a Latin-1 file with no charset declaration was still read correctly, but that was one small file and not a guarantee.
- The TXT holds the words of the page. Layout, colours and fonts are gone by design.
When the result is not what you expected
| What you see | Why | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| The TXT is empty or very short | The page builds its text with JavaScript, which the converter does not run | Save the page after it has fully loaded, or copy the text from the browser |
| Quotes and accents look like ’ or é | The HTML was saved in one encoding and read as another | Save the file as UTF-8 and add a meta charset tag near the top |
| Link addresses are missing | Only the visible link text is written to a TXT | Copy the addresses from the HTML before converting |
| Lines break in odd places | Lines are wrapped at about 72 columns | Join the lines in a text editor that can reflow paragraphs |
| A table looks misaligned | A wide table does not fit the 72-column wrap | Read the TXT in a monospace font, or shorten the cell text in the HTML |
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 HTML to TXT?
HTML vs TXT: what is the difference?
| Compared on | HTML | TXT |
|---|---|---|
| Content | Markup that describes structure, with references to images, styles and scripts | Plain characters only |
| Styling | Set by CSS and applied by the browser | None |
| Images and media | Referenced by address, not stored in the file | Not included |
| Encoding | UTF-8 is recommended and is the HTML5 default | Plain characters; our downloaded file was UTF-8 |
| Opens in | A browser lays it out for the window | Any text editor, with no layout |
| Converting between them | Markup is removed and links lose their addresses | Cannot be turned back into the original page |
Who can use a HTML to TXT converter?
When to use it
- Pulling the readable copy out of a page you saved from a browser.
- Turning an HTML newsletter or email export into text you can search or archive.
- Preparing plain input for a word counter, a spelling check or a text analysis script.
- Reading a long page in a simple editor without ads, menus or styling.
Where can I read more about converting files?
Sources
- HTML (HyperText Markup Language) format descriptionLibrary of Congress
- Encoding sniffing algorithmWHATWG HTML Standard
- Pandoc User's GuidePandoc
Facts checked on November 5, 2026
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HTML to TXT FAQs
How do I convert an HTML file to plain text?
Add the HTML file to the converter in your browser, keep TXT as the output and download the result. Nothing is installed. Many people search for this as html to text, and it is the same conversion.
Does it keep line breaks and paragraphs?
Paragraphs and list items stay on their own lines. Long lines are wrapped at about 72 columns, so a paragraph that was a single line in the HTML can become several in the TXT. In our test a 190-character paragraph became three lines.
What happens to links, images and tables?
Links keep their text and lose their address. An image is replaced by its alt text, if it has any. A table is redrawn as a grid of spaces and dashes. All three held in our test file.
Are scripts and styles removed?
Yes. In our test, marker text placed inside a script block and a style block was not in the TXT. The converter does not run scripts or apply CSS, so it also cannot see text that JavaScript would add later.
Why do my quotes and accents come out as ’?
That pattern appears when UTF-8 bytes are read as Windows-1252 or Latin-1. Browsers pick an encoding from a byte order mark first, then from a meta charset in the first 1024 bytes, then a default. Save your HTML as UTF-8 and put a meta charset tag near the top of the file.
Can I convert a web address instead of a file?
No. The converter takes an uploaded file. Save the page from your browser as an HTML file, then upload that.
Is there a size limit, and is it free?
In our test we converted four files without signing in and saw no limit or payment message. Limits can change, so check the page when you upload. A very large file may be refused.
Should I use this or a command-line tool?
Tools such as lynx, w3m and pandoc do the same job on your own machine and let you set options like wrap width. This page is the shorter route for a file or two when you do not want to install anything.
Is html to txt the same as copying the text from a browser?
The words are similar, but copying from a browser takes what is rendered and follows the page's layout. Converting the file reads the HTML itself, so hidden menus and script-built text behave differently.