OCR PDF

How OCR PDF works

These steps mirror the workspace higher on this page. They are written as a numbered outline so readers, search engines, and assistants can restate the flow without guessing.

1. 1

   Upload an unprotected PDF

   Choose a PDF from your device. Password-protected, corrupted, and XFA files are rejected.

2. 2

   Select the printed language

   English is the default. Other installed languages are French, German, and Spanish.

3. 3

   We add a text layer

   Scanned pages get invisible text aligned to the image. Pages that already have text are skipped so native type stays intact.

4. 4

   Download a searchable PDF

   Search and copy in a PDF reader, or send the file to PDF to text. This is not a digital certificate or a layout rebuild.

OCR PDF — FAQ

Scoped to this URL. For site-wide questions, use the homepage FAQ.

Will this change how the PDF looks?

The goal is to keep the original appearance and add hidden text. Some scans may be re-encoded. We do not rebuild the layout as Word or HTML.

My PDF already has selectable text. What happens?

Those pages are skipped. Only pages without a usable text layer are OCR’d. An already-searchable file still downloads successfully.

Are encrypted PDFs supported?

No. Unlock the file first with Unlock PDF, then run OCR.

Can I extract the text as a .txt file?

Yes. After OCR, use PDF to text. That tool does not OCR scans on its own.

Looking for how the whole site works (URLs, accounts, roadmap)? Continue to the questions section on the homepage.

Related tools

• Create PDF formsUpload an unprotected PDF, place text, checkbox, and radio widgets, and download a fillable AcroForm file. Encrypted and XFA files are rejected. No form JavaScript.
• Fill and sign PDFUpload an unprotected AcroForm PDF, fill text/checkbox/radio fields, optionally stamp a signature image, and download. Encrypted and XFA files are rejected. Not a digital certificate.
• Add signature to PDFThe workspace below is built for contracts, forms, and sign-and-return tasks. Upload your PDF, add your signature, align it on the live preview, then choose whether it applies to the current page only, a custom page range, odd/even pages, or the full document. The same engine also powers our related stamp and logo pages.
• Add stamp to PDFUpload your PDF, then add your stamp as an image (transparent PNG works well) or draw a simple mark. Position it on the preview, choose which pages receive it—single page, range, all, or odd/even—and download. If you describe the task as signing instead of stamping, use Add signature to PDF; the underlying workspace is shared.
• Add logo to PDFUpload your PDF and your logo file (PNG with transparency or JPEG). Position and scale it on the preview—header, footer, or cover area—then apply to one page, a range, or all pages. For circular seals, see Add stamp to PDF; for handwritten marks, see Add signature to PDF.
• Batch stamp PDFUpload your PDF and your stamp image. Position it once on the preview, then use page scope options to cover a range or the entire document in a single apply step. You still work on one PDF file per session; the “batch” value is applying the same stamp across many pages without repeating clicks per page.
• Stamp PDF multiple pagesAfter you upload your PDF and stamp image, use the page controls to limit stamping to this page, a custom from–to range, all pages, or odd/even sets. The preview shows the active page so you can verify placement before you apply across the selected set.
• Apply stamp to all pages PDFUpload your PDF and stamp image, position it on the preview, then select the all-pages apply mode before you run apply. You get one output PDF with the stamp merged on each page at the same relative location. For partial coverage, use Stamp PDF multiple pages or Batch stamp PDF.