Run optical character recognition on a scanned PDF to add a selectable, searchable text layer.
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Tell us what you think about Make a scanned PDF searchable for free.
- Adds an invisible, searchable text layer to scanned pages
- Original page images stay exactly as they look
- File is discarded immediately after your download starts
How it works
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1
Upload the file you want to convert.
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2
Conversion starts automatically and usually finishes in seconds.
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3
Preview the result and rename the output if you like.
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4
Download the converted file.
Why use this tool
Every PDF task, one place
Merge, split, compress, convert, sign, and more — no need to juggle separate apps for each job.
Private by default
Most tools process your file entirely in the browser — it's never uploaded. When a conversion needs the server, the file is deleted within the hour.
Works on any device
Runs in the browser on Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, and Android — nothing to install, nothing to trust but the tab.
Fast by design
No queues and no desktop app to wait on — most jobs finish in a few seconds, right where you are.
Convert to and from any format
Move between PDF, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, images, and HTML — output stays true to your original formatting.
Free, always
Every tool here is free to use, with no watermarks, page limits, or forced trial period.
Frequently asked questions
It scans the flat images of text in your document and adds an invisible, selectable, and searchable text layer on top.
No, the original visual appearance is entirely untouched. The recognized text is simply overlaid invisibly.
Accuracy depends heavily on the scan quality; high-contrast, high-resolution scans yield near-perfect results, while blurry scans may contain typos.
Standard OCR engines struggle heavily with handwriting and are primarily designed for typed or printed fonts.
Currently, the engine is optimized for English characters and standard Latin alphabets.
From the blog
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