turnformatFree online OCR: scanned PDF to searchable PDF
Recognise the text in your scans so you can search, copy and select it.
Drop your files here
or
Choose filesAccepts PDF, JPG, PNG · Up to 50 MB per file and 20 files at once
OCR PDF: step by step
Upload your files or drag them onto the upload area. You can process several at once.
Choose the document's language and press “Recognise text”.
Download the result. Your files are deleted automatically after 60 minutes.
OCR PDF: what it's for
A scanned PDF is just a picture of each page: you can't search it or copy its text. OCR (optical character recognition) reads those images and adds an invisible text layer on top, so the PDF looks the same but can now be searched, selected and copied. You can then turn it into Word with our PDF to Word converter.
Frequently asked questions
Which files can I use?
Scanned PDFs of up to 50 pages and photos of documents in JPG or PNG. Pages that already have text are left as they are.
Why do I have to choose the language?
Recognition is much more accurate when it knows which letters and words to expect, especially with accents or scripts like Japanese. If the document mixes languages, choose the main one: English is always recognised too.
Is it safe to upload my files?
Your files are only used for the conversion and are deleted automatically after 60 minutes. They're never shared with anyone.
Does it work on mobile, Mac and Windows?
Yes. It works in any modern browser, on desktop and mobile, with nothing to install.