OCR PDF — Make Scans Searchable
Read the text on scanned pages so the PDF becomes searchable and copyable. The pages look exactly the same — the text is added invisibly behind them.
More PDF tools
- Compare — See what changed between two revisions of a drawing.
- Merge — Combine several PDFs into one, in the order you choose.
- Split — Turn every page, or the pages you pick, into separate PDFs.
- PDF → Word — Get the text, tables and pictures of a PDF into an editable Word document.
- PDF → Excel — Turn tables and BoQs in a PDF into an Excel spreadsheet.
Questions
What does OCR do to my PDF?
It reads the words on scanned pages and adds them invisibly behind each page. The pages look the same, but you can now search them with Ctrl+F and copy the text. You can also download the text on its own.
How long does it take?
Usually 10 to 40 seconds a page, depending on your device. The first run also downloads the reading engine (about 18 MB) once; after that it is remembered.
Which languages does it read?
English, including numbers and the usual symbols. Handwriting is not read reliably.
Is it 100% accurate?
No OCR is. Clean, straight, printed scans read very well; faint, tilted or low-resolution scans less so. Check important figures against the original.
Are my files uploaded to a server?
No. Everything happens inside your browser on your own device. Your files are never uploaded, stored or seen by anyone.