Private by design
Text recognition runs inside your browser. Your scans, which often hold personal details, are never uploaded.
Make a scanned PDF searchable (OCR) AI: Uses AI
A scan is only a picture of text, so you cannot search or copy it. OCR reads the words and adds them as an invisible layer behind the picture. The page looks the same, but now you can search it.
Drop your scanned PDF here
One PDF file
Your files are processed on your device and are never uploaded.
How it works
OCR PDF in three steps
- Choose a scanned PDFSelect a PDF made by a scanner or a phone scanning app. Pages that already have text are left as they are.
- Let it read the pagesThe text recognition runs on your device and shows its progress page by page. A clear scan takes a few seconds per page.
- Download the searchable PDFSave the new PDF. Press Ctrl+F (or Cmd+F) in any PDF reader to search it, or select text to copy it.
Why use it
OCR PDF with ToolsCampus
Looks exactly the same
The scan is not changed. The recognised text sits invisibly behind it, in the right place for selecting and searching.
Handles sideways pages
Pages scanned sideways or upside down are detected and read in the right direction.
Questions, answered
OCR PDF questions
Which languages can it read?
English text, including numbers and common symbols. Other languages that use the Latin alphabet are partly recognised; accents may be missed.
Why does it take a moment to start?
The first time, your browser downloads the text recognition engine (about 7 MB). It is kept afterwards, so the next file starts quickly.
How accurate is it?
Clear, straight scans at 300 dpi read very well. Handwriting, blurry photos and very small print give weaker results.
Can I edit the text after OCR?
Yes. Open the PDF in our editor and use Edit text: it reads scanned pages too, so you can change words directly.
