What is Scanned PDF?
A scanned PDF is a stack of photographs — one image per page. It looks like a document, but to a computer there are no letters in it: search finds nothing and selecting text is impossible.
OCR — Scanned PDF to Searchable PDF
Make scanned PDF text selectable and searchable
Preparing the tool…
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OCR
Drop your PDF here
or click to browse — one PDF at a time
Choose a file to get started.
How to OCR a PDF
Choose a file
Drag your file into the box or click to browse.
Process your file
Check the options, then click the main button to start.
Download the result
When processing finishes, save the result using the download button.
Frequently asked questions
What does OCR do to my PDF?
It reads the text in your scanned pages and adds an invisible text layer on top of the original images. The pages look the same; the text inside becomes selectable, searchable and copyable.
Is this OCR tool free?
Yes — free, no signup, no watermark. Free use is limited to 5 conversions per day, shared across our upload-based tools.
Do I have to upload my file?
Yes — and the page tells you so before you start. OCR runs on our server, so your file is uploaded over an encrypted connection, processed, and its temporary copy is deleted when the conversion request finishes — we do not keep uploads. Our other tools run entirely in your browser and upload nothing; the How It Works page lists, tool by tool, which is which.
How accurate is the recognition?
For clear printed text it is good — good enough that search and copy work the way you expect. We don’t quote an accuracy number, because the honest answer depends on the scan: quality, skew and contrast all matter. Judge it on your own document — the first pages tell you quickly.
Does it work on handwriting?
Don’t count on it. This tool is built for printed text; on handwriting or degraded scans the results are unreliable, and we won’t pretend otherwise.
Will my pages look different?
No. The tool keeps your original page images and only adds an invisible text layer — the visual appearance is untouched.
What happens to my file after processing?
It is deleted when the conversion request finishes — we do not keep uploads. If your download is interrupted, the file is already gone: just upload it again and convert it fresh. The attempt counts against the daily limit either way.
Is there a page limit?
Up to 20 pages per file and 25 MB. For longer documents, split the PDF and process the parts.
Scanned PDF vs searchable PDF
Here is what each format is for, and when converting scanned pages into searchable text is the right move.
What is Searchable PDF?
A searchable PDF keeps the original page images and adds an invisible text layer recognized on top of them. Search, selection and copy now work, while the pages still look exactly like your scan.
When you need it
OCR a scanned PDF whenever you need to find a word in it, copy a passage out of it, or index it in a document system. Works best on clear printed text. Handwriting and poor-quality scans are not its territory: results there are unreliable, and we don’t claim otherwise.