# Make a scanned PDF searchable with OCR

Recognise the text in a scanned PDF and add it as an invisible layer, so you can search, select and copy it. The pages look exactly the same.

Open: https://pdfjade.com/ocr-pdf

## How to make a scanned PDF searchable with OCR

1. Add a scanned PDF.
2. Choose the language the document is written in.
3. Press Make searchable, wait while each page is read, then download.

## At a glance

| | |
| --- | --- |
| Where files are processed | In your browser. The file is never uploaded. |
| How long files are kept | Nothing is kept on a server, because nothing is sent to one. |
| Free limits | No caps on files, pages or tasks. Your device's memory is the practical limit. |
| Account | None |
| Price | Free |
| Ads | None |
| Offline option | No app. Works in any current browser, on desktop and phone |

## Private by design

Compression, encryption and text recognition all run in your browser. Your file and your password are never sent to a server.

## Good to know

Recognition runs on your device with the open-source Tesseract engine, so it takes a few seconds per page. Straight, sharp scans at 300 dpi give the best results; a crooked phone photo will still work but with more mistakes.

## Questions

### Will the pages change?

No. The scan stays as it is. The recognised words are placed underneath, invisible, at the right positions.

### Why is the first run slow?

The recognition engine and the language data, a few megabytes, are downloaded the first time. Your browser then keeps them.

### Does it work for handwriting?

Poorly. OCR is made for printed text. Neat block capitals sometimes work.

### Is my scan sent to a server?

No. The recogniser is downloaded to your browser and the pages never leave your device.

## Related tools

- [Compress PDF](https://pdfjade.com/compress-pdf)
- [Protect PDF](https://pdfjade.com/protect-pdf)
- [Unlock PDF](https://pdfjade.com/unlock-pdf)
- [Insert blank pages](https://pdfjade.com/insert-blank-pages)
- [PNG to PDF](https://pdfjade.com/png-to-pdf)

Source: https://pdfjade.com/ocr-pdf