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Make a scanned PDF searchable (OCR) free

Make a scanned PDF searchable

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About this tool

Add a text layer to a scanned PDF, or to photos of pages, so you can search it, select text and copy it. Each page keeps its original image and the recognised text is placed invisibly behind it. The recognition runs in your browser, so nothing is uploaded.

How to make a scanned PDF searchable (OCR) free

  1. Choose a scanned PDF, or several photos of pages.
  2. Pick the language or languages in the document and, for a PDF, the pages.
  3. Press Make searchable PDF, wait while each page is read, then download the file.

Frequently asked questions

Which languages are supported?

English, Arabic, Persian, Urdu and Hindi. The language data is bundled with the page, so nothing is downloaded.

Does it change how the pages look?

No. Each page keeps its original scanned image, and the recognised text is hidden behind it. Pages that already have text are kept as they were. The file can be larger than the original.

Is my scan uploaded?

No. The recognition runs in your browser and the scan never leaves your device. OCR can make mistakes, so proofread anything important.

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