How to make a scanned PDF searchable with OCR
- Upload a scanned PDF or photos of documents.
- Choose the language of the text (English, French, Arabic…).
- Run OCR and download the searchable PDF.
A scanned or photographed document is just an image: you can't search for a word, copy a paragraph or convert it to Word. OCR (optical character recognition) reads the text on each page and adds an invisible text layer beneath the image. The PDF looks exactly the same, but becomes searchable with Ctrl+F and its text can be selected.
It is ideal for a signed, scanned contract, supplier invoices to archive, statements, old course notes or paperwork photographed with your phone. You can upload PDFs or images directly (JPG, PNG, HEIC…).
Pick the document's language for better recognition: English, French, Arabic, German, Spanish, or a combination such as French + Arabic for bilingual documents. Pages that already contain text are kept as they are, unless you tick the option to redo them.
Recognition uses the open-source Tesseract engine and works best on sharp, straight scans. Files are deleted after 30 minutes.
Frequently asked questions
Does OCR work with Arabic?
Yes, choose “Arabic” or “French + Arabic” for a bilingual document. Accuracy depends a lot on how sharp the scan is.
Will my PDF look different?
No. The recognized text is added as an invisible layer under the image, so the page looks identical but is searchable.
Can I OCR a photo taken with my phone?
Yes, upload the image directly (JPG, PNG, HEIC…). A well-lit photo taken straight on gives the best results.
How do I then get a Word file?
Once the PDF is searchable, use the PDF to Word tool to get editable text.
Why were some pages skipped?
They already contained text. Tick “Also redo pages that already have text” to force OCR on every page.