OCR PDF
Turn a scanned PDF into a searchable one: OCR reads the text and adds an invisible, selectable layer — all in your browser. Your file never leaves your device.
How to make a scanned PDF searchable
- Choose a scanned PDF.
- Pick the document's language.
- Press "Make searchable" — you'll get a PDF that looks the same but whose text you can select and search.
What is searchable OCR?
A scanned PDF is really just images — you can't select or search the text. OCR (optical character recognition) reads those images and adds an invisible text layer on top, aligned with what you see. The page looks identical, but now Ctrl+F finds words and you can copy text. Everything happens in your browser, so your document is never uploaded.
Is it private?
Yes. Everything runs inside your web browser, using your own device. Nothing is uploaded to any server, so your documents stay completely private.
Frequently asked questions
Is it free and private?
Yes. The OCR runs entirely in your browser — your PDF is never uploaded. Only the OCR engine and language data are downloaded (once), not your file.
Why is it slow the first time?
The OCR engine and language model are downloaded on first use (a few MB), and recognising each page takes a few seconds — especially on phones. Later runs are faster.