--- title: "PDF Link Extractor - Find URLs Privately | CanDoYa" description: "Extract links from a PDF privately in your browser. Find clickable URLs, email addresses, internal destinations, and printed links with page numbers." url: https://candoya.com/tools/pdf-link-extractor/ locale: en type: browser-tool --- # PDF Link Extractor Category: PDF ## How do I extract links from a PDF? Use this PDF link extractor to scan clickable annotations and selectable page text for web addresses, email links, and internal destinations. Results include each target's page and source, with copy and CSV export. The PDF is processed locally in your browser and is never uploaded. The extractor uses **PDF.js to inspect both the annotation layer and selectable text**. This matters because a document may contain a clickable link whose visible label is not a URL, or it may print a web address without making it clickable. Every result stays inert. The tool lists targets for review but does not visit websites, send email, run PDF actions, or change the source file. Export the audit as CSV when you need to check a report, hand links to an editor, or compare destinations in a spreadsheet. ## How to use it 1. **Choose a PDF** - Drop one PDF onto the extractor or select it from your device. Files may be up to 100 MB and 2,000 pages. 2. **Scan every page** - Click Extract links. PDF.js inspects link annotations and selectable text locally while the progress display advances page by page. 3. **Filter the audit** - Review web, email, and internal targets together or narrow the list by type and search text. Each result shows its page and how it was found. 4. **Copy or export** - Copy one target, copy the filtered list, or download a CSV for an editorial, accessibility, or security review. ## Who it's for - **Editors and publishers** auditing every destination before a report or ebook is released. - **Researchers** collecting cited websites and email contacts from papers without opening each link. - **Accessibility teams** locating clickable annotations that need clearer visible labels or link purpose. - **Security reviewers** inventorying where a document points before deciding which destinations are safe to visit. ## Expert note A PDF's visible text and its clickable annotation are separate objects. A phrase such as 'view the report' can point to a URL that never appears on the page, while a printed URL may have no clickable annotation. Scanning both layers gives a more complete audit, but image-only text still requires OCR. ## Frequently asked questions ### Is my PDF uploaded to extract its links? No. PDF.js reads the selected file inside your browser, and CanDoYa does not receive the document or extracted targets. The PDF engine code may load when you first run the tool, but your file is not sent with that request. ### Is the PDF link extractor free? Yes. You can inspect PDFs without an account, payment, watermark, or daily quota. Copy individual targets, copy the filtered audit, and download the results as CSV at no charge. ### What are the file size and page limits? The extractor accepts one PDF up to 100 MB and 2,000 pages. Available memory and browser performance may set a lower practical limit on phones or older computers. Split a very large document if the browser cannot finish it. ### Does it find both clickable hyperlinks and printed URLs? Yes. It reads PDF link annotations and also searches selectable page text for HTTP, HTTPS, www, and email patterns. A scanned image has no text layer, so printed links in an image need OCR before they can be detected. ### Does the extractor open or check the links? No. Targets are displayed as inert text and are never opened automatically. The tool does not test whether a website is live, inspect its content, send email, or execute PDF actions. This separation makes the result suitable for a cautious first-pass audit. ### Why do I see the same URL more than once? A repeated URL can be meaningful when it appears on different pages. Within one page, matching annotation and text targets are combined where possible. The page number remains part of each result so you can find every occurrence in the source document. ### Can it extract links from a password-protected PDF? No. Remove the password in a trusted PDF application first, if you have permission, then inspect the unlocked copy. The extractor does not ask for or store PDF passwords. ### Can it find links in scanned PDFs? Clickable annotations can still be found on a scanned page, but URLs visible only inside the page image cannot. Run OCR first to create selectable text, then use the extractor again to include printed web and email addresses. ## Related tools - [PDF to Text](https://candoya.com/tools/pdf-to-text/) - [Extract Text by Page](https://candoya.com/tools/extract-text-by-page/) - [PDF Word Counter](https://candoya.com/tools/pdf-word-counter/) - [PDF Page Counter](https://candoya.com/tools/pdf-page-counter/) - [PDF Page Size Checker](https://candoya.com/tools/pdf-page-size-detector/) --- *Markdown edition of , published for AI agents and other automated readers. Index of key pages: .*