OCR PDF — Scan to Searchable Text
Extract text from scanned pages. Loads OCR engine on first use (~10MB).
Drop your PDF here
or click to browse · Files stay private
OCR (Optical Character Recognition) turns a scanned PDF — which is really just a picture of text — into a searchable, selectable document by adding an invisible text layer behind the image. Once processed, you can search, copy and index a document that was previously inert.
This tool uses a built-in open-source OCR engine that runs locally, so your scans, often of sensitive paperwork, are never uploaded. Selecting the correct language improves accuracy. Read more in our OCR guide.
How to Use
Upload your scanned PDF
Drop the scanned PDF onto the upload zone or click to browse.
Wait for the OCR engine to load
On first use the OCR engine (~10 MB) downloads once and is cached locally.
Run OCR
Click Run OCR — each page is processed locally and text is layered over the original.
Download the searchable PDF
Your document now has a text layer for search and copy-paste.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which languages does OCR support?
By default English is loaded. The built-in OCR engine supports 100+ languages — contact us if you need multi-language builds.
Does OCR work on colour scans?
Yes — the OCR engine handles colour, greyscale, and black-and-white scans.
What accuracy can I expect?
Accuracy depends heavily on scan quality. Clean, high-resolution scans (300 DPI+) typically achieve 95–99% accuracy.
Does this require internet?
Only for the initial OCR engine download. After that, OCR works fully offline.