OCR PDF
Extract text from scanned or image-based PDFs
Make scanned PDFs searchable with OCR
A scanned document is really just a picture of text — you cannot search it, select it or copy from it. OCR (optical character recognition) reads the characters in the image and turns them into real, selectable text, so a scanned contract, receipt or book page becomes searchable and ready to reuse.
This unlocks old paper archives, lets you find a clause in a scanned agreement instantly, and is the essential first step before converting a scan to Word or Excel.
How to OCR a PDF
Upload your scanned PDF and the tool analyses each page, recognising the text it contains so you can search and extract it. Clearer scans produce more accurate results, so a sharp, straight scan will always read better than a faint or skewed one.
Runs entirely in your browser
The text recognition is performed on your own device. Your scanned documents are never uploaded to a server, so even sensitive paperwork stays private.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the OCR PDF tool free?▾
Yes. Running text recognition on your scanned PDF is completely free with no signup.
What does OCR do to my PDF?▾
OCR (Optical Character Recognition) reads the text in scanned images and embeds it into the PDF so you can search, copy, and select it.
What text can the OCR read?▾
The tool recognizes English-language text in scanned PDFs and embeds it so you can search, select, and copy it.
Is my scanned document kept private?▾
Yes. OCR processing happens in your browser — your document is never uploaded to or stored on our servers.