OCR PDF Online — Scan to Text
Convert scanned documents into searchable, selectable text PDFs.
- Accurate text recognition High-quality OCR that turns scans into real, selectable text.
- English free, more with Pro Arabic and multi-language recognition are premium features.
- Pro unlocks more Enhanced scans, PDF/A output and table export.
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PDF files only
Max file size: 50 MB · Files deleted immediately after processing
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OCR Settings
Choose a language and output options.
Arabic and multi-language recognition are premium.
Advanced
Premium
UpgradeOCR typically takes 10-40 seconds depending on file size and language.
Extract tables
CSV costs 1 credit. Excel export is premium.
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How to OCR a PDF online
- Upload the scanned PDF you need to make searchable.
- Choose the recognition language, and tick Re-OCR anyway only if the existing text layer is wrong.
- Press Start OCR, then download the searchable PDF.
Why run OCR on a scanned PDF
A scan is a picture of a document. It looks readable, but nothing inside it can be searched, copied, quoted or indexed, which makes a folder of scanned contracts effectively opaque. OCR adds an invisible text layer behind the image, so the page still looks exactly as scanned while Ctrl+F, copy-paste, screen readers and document search all begin to work. It is also the prerequisite for PDF to Word and table extraction, which have nothing to read without it.
About recognition accuracy
Recognition is trained on printed and typed characters, so clean office scans do well and handwriting does not — there is no handwriting model here, and cursive in particular should be treated as unreliable rather than merely imperfect. Accuracy drops with low resolution, blur, skew, heavy stains, decorative fonts and complex multi-column layouts. Enhanced scan processing can straighten and despeckle a crooked or noisy page before recognition, which often helps photographed documents. No OCR engine is error-free, so names, figures and legal wording deserve a read before you rely on them.
Frequently asked questions
- Can online PDF OCR recognise handwritten text?
- Online PDF OCR here is designed to make printed or typed scans searchable, not to recognise handwriting. Clear block letters may occasionally produce usable characters, but cursive and varied handwriting are unreliable because no dedicated handwriting model is used.
- What happens if my PDF already contains selectable text?
- The default mode skips pages that already have a text layer. Re-OCR anyway forces every page through OCR, rasterises it, and replaces the existing text layer, which can reduce visual or text quality. Use it only when the current text is wrong.
- Which languages and document sizes are available?
- English OCR costs one credit on the standard tier. Arabic, combined English and Arabic, and documents over five pages require premium access. Enhanced cleanup and PDF/A output are also premium options.
- Will OCR produce perfectly accurate text?
- No OCR system can guarantee that. Resolution, blur, skew, stains, unusual fonts, columns, and mixed languages all affect recognition. Enhanced cleanup can help crooked or noisy scans, but important names, numbers, and legal text should always be reviewed.