How to Make a Scanned PDF Searchable (Free OCR)
To make a scanned PDF searchable, open OCR PDF, choose the scan, pick the document's language, and download the result. The tool reads the words on each page and adds an invisible text layer, so you can search, select and copy the text while the pages look exactly the same.
The text recognition (OCR) runs on your own device. Your scanned contracts, receipts and letters are never uploaded.
Steps
- Open OCR PDF and choose your scanned PDF. You can select several files to process them all at once.
- Pick the Document language. If the text mixes two languages, choose a Second language too.
- Tap the blue OCR PDF button. The first time you use a language, it downloads once (2 to 5 MB) and is then kept for offline use.
- Wait while each page is read. The status line shows which page it is on.
- Download the searchable PDF. The result line tells you how many words were recognised.
Why can't I search my scanned PDF?
A scanner or phone camera saves each page as a picture. The words look like text to you, but to your computer they're just pixels, so search, copy and screen readers find nothing.
OCR (optical character recognition) looks at those pictures, works out the letters, and stores them as real text. This tool places each recognised word invisibly over the spot where it appears in the image. That's why selecting text lands on the right words.
Which languages work?
OCR PDF reads 10 languages: English, Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, Italian, Dutch, Indonesian and Malay, Turkish and Polish. You can combine any two, which helps with documents such as a Spanish contract that has English clauses.
Your choice is remembered, so the next scan uses the same language without you picking it again.
Getting the best results
- Scan at a good resolution. Each page is read at close to 300 dpi, so a blurry or very small scan gives worse results than a sharp one.
- Keep pages straight. If pages are sideways or upside down, fix them with Rotate PDF first.
- Use the right language. Accented letters are recognised much better when the matching language is chosen.
- Expect a few misses. Words the OCR is very unsure about are left out rather than added as nonsense, so handwriting and faint stamps may not become searchable.
Making the searchable file smaller
Scans are often large because every page is a photo. After OCR, you can run the file through Compress PDF to shrink those page images. Compression only touches the images, so the invisible text layer stays in place and the file is still searchable. Our guide on compressing a PDF for email explains the levels.
Once your PDF has text, the other tools can use it too. You can chat with the PDF, summarize it or redact personal details.
Questions
Will OCR change how my PDF looks?
No. The original page images stay untouched. The text layer is invisible and only shows up when you search, select or copy.
How long does OCR take?
A few seconds per page on a typical laptop, a little longer on a phone. The language download happens only the first time.
Can I OCR a PDF on my phone?
Yes. It works in modern mobile browsers such as Safari and Chrome. Long scans are quicker on a computer.
Is it free?
It's free to start. Sign in with Google and you get 1,000 free credits; each use costs 5. There is no watermark, and your file is still processed on your own device.