Often, you may find useful quotes or information inside Amazon’s “Read sample” preview feature, but cannot copy the text directly.
It is used to be known as "Look Inside", and I have published how to get these preview pages since 2013.
Because of the constsnt updating by Amazon, I kept undating it, as you can read from this how to get Amazon Read sample pages text tutorial.
The Amazon preview allows you to read several pages of a book before buying it.
However, copying text directly from these preview pages is often restricted.
In many cases the text is displayed as an image or protected by Digital Rights Management (DRM), which prevents standard copy-and-paste actions.
Fortunately, there are still several practical ways to copy the text from Amazon book sample pages.
In this guide, you’ll learn multiple methods you can use, including screenshot tools, Kindle Cloud Reader highlights, mobile app techniques, and OCR tools such as Google Lens.
Why copying text from Amazon book preview pages can be difficult
Before learning how to copy Amazon book Read sample pages, it helps to understand why copying its text is not always straightforward.
Amazon protects book content using DRM technology.
This prevents people from easily copying large portions of a book without purchasing it.
The preview pages you see through the “Read sample” feature are sometimes rendered as images rather than selectable text.
This means when you try to highlight the text with your mouse, nothing happens.
In other cases, you may be able to highlight small sections, but not copy them.
Despite these limitations, several workarounds can help you extract small sections of text for notes, research, or quoting purposes.
Let's go through each of the methods in more details.
Method 1: Use Kindle Cloud Reader to highlight text
One of the easiest ways to copy content is by using the Kindle Cloud Reader.
This method works best when you have access to the book through Amazon’s reader interface.
Steps to copy text using Kindle Cloud Reader
- Open the book in the Kindle Cloud Reader.
- Navigate to the page containing the text you want.
- Click and drag your mouse to highlight the desired section.
- The highlight will automatically be saved to your notes.
- Open your highlights and notes page.
- Copy the text from there.
If the book is purchased or available through Kindle, your highlights will usually sync to your Amazon notebook page.
From this page, it becomes easy to copy the highlighted text for your notes or references.
Method 2: Using the Kindle mobile app
Another useful approach for how to copy text from Amazon book preview page is by using the Kindle mobile app on your smartphone or tablet.
The mobile interface sometimes allows highlighting, even when the desktop version does not.
Steps using the Kindle app
- Open the Kindle app on your phone.
- Load the book preview or purchased book.
- Press and hold on a word to start highlighting.
- Drag the selection handles to include more text.
- Tap the share icon.
- Select the option to copy the text.
Many users find this method convenient.
It is because the mobile interface is optimized for highlighting and sharing quotes.
Method 3: Take a screenshot and use OCR tools
If the text in the preview is displayed as an image and cannot be highlighted, you can still copy it using Optical Character Recognition (OCR).
OCR tools analyze images and convert the text inside them into editable text.
This technique works especially well for Amazon preview pages where the text is locked or displayed as scanned images.
How the OCR method works
- Take a screenshot of the preview page.
- Open the screenshot in an OCR tool.
- The tool detects text in the image.
- Select and copy the extracted text.
This method is widely used by students and researchers because it works even when copy-and-paste is disabled.
Method 4: Use the Windows Snipping Tool to extract text
If you are using Windows, the built-in Snipping Tool can help extract text directly from screenshots.
Steps Using the Windows Snipping Tool
- Press Windows key + Shift + S.
- Select the portion of the screen containing the text.
- Open the captured screenshot.
- Use the text extraction feature.
- Click Copy all text.
The copied text can then be pasted into your notes, document, or research file.
This method is quick and does not require installing additional software.
Method 5: Browser extensions that capture text
Some browser extensions can also help capture text from protected pages.
These tools work by detecting text elements or capturing the page as an image and running OCR in the background.
One good example is by using the Copyfish OCR browser extension.
This tool allows you to extract text directly from images displayed on a webpage.
Since many Amazon preview pages show book content as images instead of selectable text, Copyfish can scan the screen and convert the visible text into editable text.
Steps to copy text using Copyfish
- Install the Copyfish OCR extension from the Chrome Web Store or Firefox Add-ons page.
- Open the Amazon book preview page with the text you want to copy.
- Click the Copyfish icon in your browser toolbar.
- Drag your mouse to select the portion of the page containing the text.
- The extension will scan the selected area using OCR.
- Copy the extracted text and paste it into your document or notes.
Copyfish uses Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology to recognize characters inside images and convert them into selectable text.
This makes it a convenient solution when the Amazon preview prevents normal copy-and-paste.
Tip: For better accuracy, zoom in slightly before selecting the text area so the OCR engine can detect the characters more clearly.
Method 6: Use Google Lens (Most Reliable Method)
The final and often most reliable method is using Google Lens.
Google Lens uses powerful OCR technology to detect text in images with high accuracy.
Steps to copy Amazon book preview pages with Google Lens
1. Open the Amazon Kindle Store to get the book that you want to copy its preview pages.
2. Click "Read sample" and the preview pages appear.
3. Right click on the page, and a menu pops up
4. Click "Search this tab with Google Lens".
5. Drag its framing box over the text that you wanted and click "Copy text".
6. Open your Notepad or any other text editor and paste it there.
7. You have successfully copy the text from Amazon book preview pages.
Now you can even edit the copied text.
This method works on both Android and iPhone devices and is especially useful when dealing with image-based book previews.
Tips for getting the best Amazon Read sample text
If you frequently need to copy text from book previews, these tips can help improve the process.
- Capture high-resolution screenshots.
- Zoom in before taking the screenshot.
- Use reliable OCR tools like Google Lens.
- Avoid capturing unnecessary page elements.
- Double-check extracted text for accuracy.
Following these steps ensures you get the most accurate results when converting images into text.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Can you copy text from Amazon book preview pages?
Yes, but it depends on how the preview is displayed. Some Amazon “Read sample” pages allow highlighting in Kindle readers, while others display the text as images. In those cases, screenshot tools and OCR software can help extract the text.
Why can’t I copy text from Amazon “Read sample” pages?
Amazon protects preview content using Digital Rights Management (DRM). This protection sometimes renders book pages as images or disables the normal copy-and-paste function.
What is the easiest way to copy text from Amazon book previews?
The easiest method is highlighting text using Kindle Cloud Reader or the Kindle mobile app. If highlighting is disabled, you can use screenshot tools together with OCR software to extract the text.
Can Google Lens copy text from Amazon book previews?
Yes. Google Lens can detect text from screenshots or visible page content and convert it into editable text. It is one of the most reliable ways to copy text from image-based preview pages.
Is it legal to copy text from Amazon preview pages?
Copying small excerpts for personal notes, research, or quoting may fall under fair use in many countries. However, copying large sections or redistributing copyrighted material without permission may violate copyright laws.
What OCR tools can extract text from Amazon preview pages?
OCR tools such as Google Lens, Copyfish OCR, Windows Snipping Tool text extraction, and online OCR services can convert screenshots of preview pages into editable text.
Can I copy text from Amazon preview pages on my phone?
Yes. Using the Kindle mobile app or tools like Google Lens allows you to highlight or extract text from preview pages on Android and iPhone devices.
Why does Amazon display preview text as images?
Amazon sometimes displays preview text as images as part of its DRM protection system. This prevents automated copying and helps protect copyrighted book content.
More tips how to download preview pages in Google Books:
- How to download free preview pages of books from Google books site
- How to download preview pages with FSS Google Books Downloader
- Install Google Books Preview Pages Downloader with Chrome JavaScript Console
- How to download Google Books preview pages with GooReader guide
- How to copy Google Books preview pages with Google Lens