Make a Scanned PDF Searchable
Add a searchable OCR text layer to scanned PDF pages. Process English printed scans locally and download a searchable PDF copy.
Scanned PDF → searchable text layer · Local processing
English printed scans · Up to 20 pages and 30 MB. Recognition can take several minutes. Keep this page open. The engine downloads on first use; your document stays on your device.
This creates a flattened copy with page images and searchable text. Original forms, links, signatures, bookmarks and editable objects are not preserved. Keep your original.
How to Use Make a Scanned PDF Searchable
Choose and prepare
Choose a scanned PDF, start recognition and keep the page open. Download the copy and verify that searching for a visible word finds the correct page.
Review the result
Inspect the result and correct settings before downloading. Keep your original file.
About Make a Scanned PDF Searchable
How it works
The tool renders each visible page and runs English OCR to create an image plus a searchable text layer. Pages keep their displayed dimensions and orientation. Text recognition can take several minutes and can misread low-quality scans.
Supported files and practical limits
Up to 20 pages and 30 MB. The output is a flattened copy: original forms, links, signatures, bookmarks and editable objects are not retained. Recognition runs locally after engine downloads. Pages without recognized text are reported; an entirely unreadable scan is not presented as a successful searchable result.
Common uses for Make a Scanned PDF Searchable
- Searching archived scanned documents
- Making a printed report selectable and searchable
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need an account?
No. This tool is free to use without an account.
Are my files uploaded?
Processing happens in your browser. Your document is not uploaded to a conversion server. Recognition tools download their engine and language data on first use.
What should I check before using the result?
Up to 20 pages and 30 MB. The output is a flattened copy: original forms, links, signatures, bookmarks and editable objects are not retained. Recognition runs locally after engine downloads. Pages without recognized text are reported; an entirely unreadable scan is not presented as a successful searchable result.