OCR PDF
Make scanned PDF searchable by adding a text layer you can search and copy.
Deleted from our servers as soon as processing endsHow to OCR a PDF
- 1 Add your PDFs Choose one or more scanned PDFs, or drag them into the box.
- 2 Set the language French, English, or both if the document mixes them.
- 3 Download Get your PDF with searchable text. Multiple files come in a ZIP.
Why OCR a PDF
A scanned document is just a series of images: you can't search it for a word, copy a sentence or have a screen reader read it. OCR PDF uses optical character recognition to add an invisible text layer under the image and make scanned PDF searchable: the page looks exactly the same, but its content becomes selectable.
Choosing the right language clearly improves the result, especially for accents. Recognition still depends on scan quality: a blurry, tilted or handwritten page will produce errors. Pages that already contain text are left as they are. To edit the text afterward, run the resulting file through PDF to Word.
Frequently asked questions
Are my files safe?
They are processed on our servers and deleted as soon as the recognized PDF is sent back to you. Nothing is kept, viewed or shared.
Will my document look different?
No. The image of each page stays the same, the recognized text is added underneath, invisible.
Is PDF text recognition accurate?
Not always. It works well on sharp printed text. Handwriting and blurry or very small scans produce errors.
Which languages are recognized?
French and English, separately or together for a document that mixes both.
What if my PDF already contains text?
Pages that already have text are not processed again. Only pages made of images go through recognition.
Can I process several PDFs at once?
Yes, up to 20 files, 100 MB max each. A long document may take a little patience.
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