OCR PDF (Searchable PDF)
Make scanned PDFs searchable with in-browser optical character recognition (OCR). Adds an invisible text layer to scanned pages with zero server uploads.
Your file stays in your browser.
Shortcuts: Ctrl+Enter run · Ctrl+Shift+C copy result · / search (use ⌘ on Mac)
Next steps
Done here? Use the Send to… menu on the result to carry it on to PDF to Text or Compress PDF.
Free Online OCR PDF: Make a Scanned PDF Searchable
Make a scanned PDF searchable. Each page is read on your device and the words are hidden behind the picture, so you can search and copy them. The page looks the same as before. Make a scanned PDF searchable. Each page is read on your device and the words are hidden behind the picture, so you can search and copy them. The page looks the same as before.
How to make a scanned PDF searchable
Drop your PDF in the box, choose the language of the text and press Make searchable. Wait while each page is read, then download the new PDF. The text is also given as a separate .txt file.
The first time, the reading engine and the language are downloaded (a few megabytes). This is the one thing this tool downloads; your PDF never leaves your device.
Common mistakes
- Choosing English for a Hindi or Marathi scan: the result is nonsense. Choose the language of the text.
- Reading pages that already have real text: they get a second, hidden text layer. Choose only the scanned pages.
- Very blurry, tilted or handwritten pages are read badly. A sharper scan gives better results.
- A PDF with a password: remove the password first, the tool cannot open it.