Convert · FREE PDF TOOL

Make a scanned PDF searchable with OCR

Turn an image-only scan into a PDF you can search. PrivyPDF renders the pages and recognizes English text in your browser using locally hosted OCR files.

Local processing Original stays unchanged

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How to OCR a PDF

Choose a scanned PDF of up to 20 pages. The searchable PDF option keeps the original page images and adds an invisible text layer over recognized words. Download and test a few searches in your PDF viewer.

Accuracy depends on the scan

Clear, upright pages with readable print work best. Handwriting, low contrast, unusual fonts, and complex layouts may produce incorrect or misplaced text. Do not rely on OCR alone for important names or numbers.

Private, local processing

The OCR engine and English language data are served from PrivyPDF and run inside your browser. Your chosen PDF is not sent to an OCR service. The first run downloads the engine files from this site.

MORE WAYS TO USE THIS TOOL

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Extract PDF text as Markdown

USEFUL TO KNOW

A little more about this tool.

Does this change the visible pages?

The original page images remain visible. OCR adds a searchable text layer that may contain recognition errors.

Can I export the recognized text?

Yes. Choose OCR scan to Markdown in the Text mode menu.