Runs entirely in your browser
Make scanned PDFs searchable
Run OCR on your PDF and add an invisible, selectable text layer on your device — nothing is uploaded to a server. Drop one or more PDF files to begin.
Drag & drop PDF files here
or use the button below · multiple files supported · .pdf only
MAX 50MB PER FILE · PASSWORD-PROTECTED PDFs ARE NOT SUPPORTED, REMOVE THE PASSWORD FIRST
What Is PDF OCR?
OCR — optical character recognition — reads the text visible in a scanned page or image and turns it into real, computer-readable text. A scanned PDF is really just a series of pictures of pages; without OCR, you can't search it, select text from it, or copy a sentence out of it.
This tool reads each page of your PDF directly in your browser, recognizes the text on it, and adds that text back into the file as an invisible layer positioned exactly over the original page image — so the PDF looks identical, but you can now search, select, and copy from it.
Why Use Our PDF OCR Tool?
Most online OCR tools ask you to upload your scanned document to a remote server, wait in a queue, and trust that it's deleted afterward — often for material you scanned specifically because it wasn't meant to circulate. This tool takes a different approach: recognition and rebuilding both happen inside your own browser tab using JavaScript libraries. Your document never leaves your device.
- No account or sign-up: open the page and start running OCR immediately.
- No file uploads: nothing is transmitted to a server for processing.
- No paid API: recognition runs on a free, open-source OCR engine, not a hosted service.
- No hidden limits: process as many PDFs as you like.
Key Features of Our PDF OCR Tool
Invisible, selectable text layer
Recognized text sits precisely over the original page image, so the visual appearance never changes.
Multiple languages
Recognize English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, or Portuguese text.
Adjustable recognition quality
Trade speed for accuracy with three quality presets, from a quick pass to maximum precision.
Page selection
Run OCR on every page, just the first page, or a custom range like "1-3,5".
Optional plain text export
Save the recognized text as a standalone .txt file alongside the searchable PDF.
Batch processing
Queue up several scanned PDFs and run OCR on all of them in one pass.
Benefits of Using PDF OCR
- Search your scans: find a word or phrase across pages of scanned documents.
- Stay private: in-browser processing means scanned originals never touch a third-party server.
- Copy text out: select and paste text from a scan instead of retyping it by hand.
- Keep the original look: the page images are untouched — only an invisible text layer is added.
- No software to install: everything runs in the browser you already have open.
How to Use PDF OCR?
- Add your PDF. Drag and drop one or more scanned PDF files onto the drop area, or click "Browse files" to select them.
- Choose the document's language. Pick whichever language matches the text in your scan.
- Set the recognition quality and pages. Balance speed against accuracy, and choose which pages to process.
- Click "Run OCR." Each page is recognized and a searchable text layer is added entirely on your device.
- Download your results. Use the download button in the summary window that appears — a single PDF, or a .zip if you processed more than one.
Supported File Formats
| Format | Direction | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| PDF (.pdf) | Input | Scanned or image-based PDFs work best; PDFs that already have text still process fine. |
| PDF (.pdf) | Output | Your original PDF with an added invisible, searchable text layer. |
| TXT (.txt) | Output | Optional plain-text export of the recognized content. |
| ZIP (.zip) | Output | Automatically offered whenever more than one file is processed at once. |
Why Choose Our Online PDF Tool?
There's no shortage of PDF OCR tools online, but many route your scans through a server, require a paid plan, or limit how many pages you can process per day. This tool is built around a simpler premise: recognize entirely on your device using a free, open-source OCR engine — no paid conversion API involved — and stay free to use without a login.
Privacy and Security
Because recognition happens client-side, your PDF is read directly into your browser's memory, processed there, and written back out as a searchable file — at no point is the file content sent to a server operated by this site or anyone else.
Common Use Cases
- Making old scanned archives searchable so you can finally find a specific document by its contents.
- Turning a photographed receipt or form into something you can copy data out of.
- Preparing scanned contracts for full-text search across a document library.
- Digitizing printed notes or handouts for reuse in other documents.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this PDF OCR tool really free?
Yes. There's no sign-up, no per-file fee, and no watermark added to the processed document.
Are my files uploaded to a server?
No. Recognition and rebuilding the PDF both run inside your browser using JavaScript and an open-source OCR engine. Your document is never transmitted anywhere for processing.
Will OCR change how my PDF looks?
No. The original page images are left untouched — recognized text is added as an invisible layer positioned over them, so the file looks exactly the same but becomes searchable and selectable.
How accurate is the recognition?
Accuracy depends heavily on scan quality, resolution, and how clean the original text is. Clear, high-resolution scans in a supported language typically recognize well; skewed, blurry, or handwritten pages are much less reliable — treat results as best effort and spot-check anything important.
Can it OCR password-protected PDFs?
No. Files that require a password to open are not supported — remove the password with a PDF unlock tool first, then run OCR on the result.
Why is processing slow on some files?
OCR is computationally heavy, especially at higher quality settings or on documents with many pages. Larger files and the "Maximum" quality setting will take noticeably longer than a quick, low-page-count document at "Standard" quality.
Is there a limit to how many files I can process?
No hard limit is enforced by this tool. The practical limits are your device's memory and processing power and the 50MB-per-file size cap.
Conclusion
Turning a stack of scans into something you can actually search shouldn't require uploading them to an unknown server. This tool aims to make PDF OCR fast, private, and free — recognizing and re-tagging your document entirely on your own device, from a single scanned page to a full batch of archives.