Make scanned PDFs searchable
Recognize printed text locally in nine languages.
Drop your PDF here
or choose a file from your device
How do I make scanned PDF text searchable?
Choose a PDF, select the printed languages, recognize text locally, and review uncertain words. Download a searchable PDF that retains the original page appearance, or a UTF-8 text file containing processed pages.
- Input
- One PDF document
- Output
- Searchable PDF or UTF-8 text
- Languages
- English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, German, Italian, Indonesian, Hindi and Marathi
- Processing
- Local browser OCR; starts only when requested
- Capacity
- Up to 200 MB on supported desktops; 50 MB on constrained devices
Before you begin. Proofread names, numbers and reading order. OCR does not reconstruct handwriting, semantic tables or PDF accessibility tags reliably.
How to recognize scanned text
Three simple steps. Your document stays on your device throughout.
- STEP 01
Choose your PDF
Choose a PDF on your device.
Keep your original on this device - STEP 02
Select printed languages
Select the printed languages and recognize text.
Nine languages with mixed-language support - STEP 03
Review and download
Review uncertain words, prepare the result, and download searchable PDF or UTF-8 text from the result page.
Searchable PDF or UTF-8 text
Check important details. Review names, amounts and accents. Low confidence flags are review suggestions, not measured accuracy percentages.
Before you begin
A few useful answers before you start.
What does OCR do?
Optical character recognition reads printed words in scanned page images and adds a searchable text layer or exports recognized text. It does not translate the document or guarantee correct handwriting recognition.
How large can an OCR PDF be?
OCR PDF accepts one PDF up to 200 MB on supported desktops, or 50 MB on phones, tablets and constrained devices. The upload page shows the device limit. Page complexity and available memory affect completion.
Do I have to use OCR?
Recognition starts only after you choose languages and click Start text recognition. PDF to Word has a separate OCR checkbox that is off by default. Existing selectable text does not need OCR.
What happens to my download if I refresh?
The result remains in memory in this browser tab. Download it before refreshing or closing the tool. Back to review retains the current recognition and corrections while this tool remains open.
Can I recognize a password-protected PDF?
Use Unlock PDF with the correct password first. Text extraction also requires permission to copy the PDF content.
Is OCR free and local?
Yes. No account or paid recognition quota. Only software and language assets download; your PDF is processed on this device. Device resource limits apply.
Which languages are supported?
English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, German, Italian, Indonesian, Hindi and Marathi, with combinations of up to three languages.
Which files and scans work best?
This release accepts PDF files. Clear printed scans work best. Handwriting, equations, blurred photos and unusual fonts can produce errors. Convert images to PDF first. Orientation controls help with sideways scans; automatic language detection and automatic deskew are not included.
Will the PDF look different?
Searchable PDF output retains original page content and adds an invisible recognition layer. Recognition may contain errors. Existing PDF accessibility tags are not automatically repaired.
Processed in your browser. Read our privacy policy or contact support if you need help.
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