How to make a scanned PDF searchable
- Add your file. Select the scanned PDF you want to make searchable.
- Choose the language. Pick the language of the text so it is recognised accurately.
- Run OCR and download. Select Make searchable. It may take a little while, then download a PDF whose text you can select and search.
Frequently asked questions
What does OCR do?
It reads the text in a scanned image and adds an invisible, selectable text layer over the page - the document looks the same but becomes searchable.
Why is it slower than other tools?
Recognising text is heavier work than editing pages, and it all runs on your device. Clean, printed scans give the best and fastest results.
Is this tool free?
Yes - it is completely free, with no account, no limits, and no watermarks added to your files. Every PDF tool on File-Extension works the same way.
All PDF tools
A complete, free PDF toolkit - pick another tool to keep working.
Merge PDFCombine several PDFs into one - drag to set the order.
Split PDFSplit by ranges, every N pages, or one file per page.
Compress PDFShrink file size with a quality you choose.
Rotate PDFTurn pages 90°, 180° or 270° - all or selected.
Organize PDFReorder, delete and rotate pages on one screen.
Extract PDF pagesPull selected pages into a new PDF.
Remove PDF pagesDelete unwanted pages from a PDF.
Watermark PDFStamp text or an image over every page.
PDF page numbersAdd page numbers, your format and position.
Sign PDFType, draw or upload a signature - place it anywhere.
Fill PDF formsFill in interactive form fields, then flatten.
Protect PDFSet a password and permissions (AES-256).
Unlock PDFRemove a password you already know.
Repair PDFRebuild a damaged PDF structure.
OCR PDFMake a scanned PDF searchable.