Back to feed
Dev.to
Dev.to
6/24/2026
How I built a PDF Word converter that runs 100% in the browser (no server)"

How I built a PDF Word converter that runs 100% in the browser (no server)"

Short summary

A developer built a privacy-first PDF-to-Word converter entirely in the browser using pdf.js and docx libraries, with no server upload. Key challenges solved: reconstructing layout and paragraphs from flat glyph positions, handling Arabic right-to-left text bidirectionality, and detecting tables from geometric alignment. The approach preserves fonts, formatting, and document structure while keeping user files completely local.

  • 100% client-side PDF → Word conversion; no file upload or server required
  • Solved layout reconstruction from flat glyph data: paragraphs, headings, lists, and tables via geometric analysis
  • Handled bidirectional Arabic text and edge cases (bold signals, symbol fonts, column layouts)

Generated with AI, which can make mistakes.

Is this a good recommendation for you?

Explore more