🔍 Make PDF Searchable

Convert your PDF to a searchable document using OCR.

What You Can Do

OCR Text Recognition

Convert scanned PDFs to searchable text documents

Selectable Text

Copy, paste, and search text from previously scanned documents

Secure Processing

Your files are handled safely and deleted after processing

Getting Started with PDF OCR

Step 1: Upload Your PDF

Start by uploading the PDF file you want to make searchable. You can drag and drop your file directly onto the upload area or click to browse your computer. The tool works with both scanned documents and regular PDFs.

Once uploaded, you'll see the file name and size displayed. The tool will automatically detect if your PDF needs OCR processing.

Step 2: Select Language (Optional)

Choose the language of your document for better text recognition accuracy. Currently, the tool supports English, but more languages will be added soon.

  • English is selected by default for most documents
  • Language selection helps improve OCR accuracy
  • For documents with multiple languages, choose the primary language

The OCR engine will automatically detect and process text in the selected language.

Step 3: Process Your PDF

Click the "Make PDF Searchable" button to start the OCR process. The tool will:

  • Analyze each page of your PDF for text content
  • Use advanced OCR technology to recognize characters
  • Convert scanned images into selectable text
  • Create a new searchable PDF file for you to download

Processing time depends on the number of pages and image quality. Complex documents may take a few minutes.

Step 4: Download Your Searchable PDF

Once OCR processing is complete, your browser will automatically download the searchable PDF file. The file will be named with "_searchable" suffix.

  • The download starts automatically when processing finishes
  • You can now select, copy, and search text in your PDF
  • Your original file remains unchanged on your computer
  • The new file contains both the original images and searchable text

The searchable PDF is ready to use for research, editing, or archiving purposes.

Helpful Tips for Better Results

  • • Use high-quality scanned documents for best OCR accuracy
  • • Ensure good contrast between text and background
  • • Avoid documents with handwritten text - OCR works best with printed text
  • • For documents with tables or complex layouts, text recognition may vary
  • • The tool works best with black text on white backgrounds
  • • If you have multiple language documents, choose the primary language
  • • For very old or damaged documents, OCR accuracy may be reduced
  • • Always proofread the converted text for important documents

Important Things to Know

  • • Only PDF files are supported
  • • Your files are processed securely and automatically deleted after processing
  • • OCR works best with clear, high-resolution scanned documents
  • • If you get an error, try refreshing the page and uploading your file again
  • • For very large files, processing might take several minutes
  • • OCR accuracy depends on the quality of the original document
  • • Handwritten text cannot be reliably converted to searchable text