OCR PDF — Make Scanned PDFs Searchable
Free & private · no signup · no watermarks · files deleted in 1 hour
Have a scanned PDF where you cannot select or search the text? Our OCR PDF tool uses Optical Character Recognition to analyse each page image and embed a searchable text layer into your document. After processing, you can select, copy, search, and index the text in your PDF just as you would in any natively created document — without altering the visual appearance of the page.
This is essential for digitising paper archives, making scanned contracts searchable, indexing historical records, or extracting data from image-only PDFs generated by older scanners. The OCR engine handles printed text across multiple languages and produces a standard PDF/A-compatible output suitable for long-term storage and compliance workflows.
Key features: Adds searchable text layer to scanned PDFs • Text selection and copying enabled • Multi-language support • Visual appearance unchanged • Supports PDFs up to 100MB • 256-bit SSL encryption • No watermarks
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Step 1: Upload Your Files
Supports: PDF • Max file size: 100MB • Unlimited files
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How to OCR PDF Online — Step by Step
Complete in under 2 minutes. No software, no registration, 100% free.
Upload your scanned PDF
Drag or click to upload the image-based or scanned PDF you want to make searchable.
Run OCR processing
Click Run OCR. The engine analyses every page image and generates an accurate text layer automatically.
Text layer added
A searchable, selectable text layer is embedded into your PDF without changing its visual appearance.
Download your searchable PDF
Save the OCR-processed PDF. You can now search, select, and copy text from any page.
Frequently Asked Questions About OCR PDF
Everything you need to know about our OCR PDF tool
Yes, completely free. Our OCR PDF tool has no hidden costs, no watermarks, and no registration requirement. You can process as many files as you need, each up to 100MB, at no charge. We believe professional PDF tools should be accessible to everyone — students, freelancers, and businesses alike.
Your files are fully protected. All uploads and downloads use 256-bit SSL/TLS encryption during transfer. Processing happens on our isolated Hetzner server infrastructure in Germany — your file is never shared, analysed for commercial purposes, or stored longer than necessary. Every uploaded and processed file is automatically and permanently deleted within one hour of processing.
Supported file types: This tool accepts PDF files up to 100MB each. For files larger than 100MB, use our Compress PDF tool first.
Portable Document Format
Yes — works on any device. The interface is fully responsive and tested on desktop, tablet, and mobile. Touch-friendly upload areas, drag-and-drop support on desktop, and mobile-optimised buttons mean you get the same experience whether you are on a MacBook, an iPad, or an Android phone. No app download is ever required — open your browser and go.
Yes — the OCR engine supports over 100 languages. It handles Latin-script languages (English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese), Cyrillic (Russian, Ukrainian), Arabic, Hebrew, Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), Japanese, Korean, and many others. The language is detected automatically. For best accuracy, ensure the scanned image is reasonably clear and at a minimum resolution of 150 DPI.
Complete Your PDF Workflow
Discover tools that work perfectly with OCR PDF
Before OCR PDF
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After OCR PDF
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Every upload and download uses HTTPS/TLS.
Files are wiped from our servers automatically.
Your file comes back exactly as expected.
No account and no email required, ever.
Ready to OCR PDF?
Free, private, and done in seconds — no account, no watermark, no catch.
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