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OCR PDF

Extract text from scanned PDFs and make them searchable.

How it works

Step 1

Upload your file

Drag & drop or click to select your PDF from your device, Google Drive, or Dropbox.

Step 2

Process

Our servers instantly run OCR PDF on your file — no plugins or software required.

Step 3

Download

Your result is ready in seconds. Click download and you're done.

Frequently asked questions

What is OCR and what does it do to a PDF?
OCR (Optical Character Recognition) analyses scanned images of text and converts them into actual machine-readable text. After OCR, you can search, copy, highlight, and select text in the PDF.
How do I make a scanned PDF searchable?
Upload your scanned PDF — the OCR tool processes each page, extracts the text, and embeds it into the PDF. Download the result and the text is fully searchable in any PDF viewer.
How accurate is the OCR?
For clear, well-lit scans of printed text, OCR accuracy is typically 95–99%. Accuracy drops for handwriting, low-resolution scans, unusual fonts, or text photographed at an angle.
Can I extract all text from a PDF into a document?
Yes — after running OCR, you can copy all text from the PDF in any viewer. Alternatively, use the PDF to Word tool to export the full text as an editable .docx file.
Does OCR work on PDFs in languages other than English?
Yes. The OCR engine supports 40+ languages including Spanish, French, German, Chinese, Arabic, Russian, Japanese, and more.
Why is my scanned PDF not searchable?
Scanned PDFs contain images of pages rather than actual text. They look like a PDF but have no machine-readable text layer. Running OCR adds that text layer to make content searchable.