OCR PDF
Make a scanned PDF searchable, so you can find and copy its words. Your file is uploaded to our server and deleted within 30 minutes. OCR (optical character recognition) reads the words in a scan, which our browser tools cannot do. It needs a $6 day pass or a $60 year plan. The one free server file is for PDF to Word only.
Uploads to our server
This tool needs a pass. A $6 day pass gives you 24 hours of server tools. You pay once, and it does not renew.
How to make a scanned PDF searchable
- Choose a scanned PDF. For a PDF that already has text you can select, use PDF to Word instead.
- Get a pass on this page, or sign in to the account that has one. The free file offer does not cover OCR.
- Download your searchable PDF. We delete our copy within 30 minutes.
Questions about OCR for PDF
Is my scan uploaded?
Yes. OCR uploads your scan to our server. We delete the scan and the result within 30 minutes. Our browser tools never upload your file.
Does the day pass renew?
No. The day pass is $6, charged once, and ends 24 hours later. The year plan is $60, and we email you 7 days before it renews. You can buy either one on the pricing page. Pricing
How to make a scanned PDF searchable and copy its words
OCR (optical character recognition) reads the letters in a scanned PDF and turns them into text you can search and copy. Our server turns each page into a picture at 200 DPI (dots per inch, a measure of sharpness) and reads the words on it. It reads English only (language code eng), and there is no menu for other languages. You get a PDF that looks like your scan, with the found text laid invisibly on top. The pages stay in order. The download is always named ocr.pdf. It is a PDF, not a Word file, and your original is not changed.
This tool uploads your PDF to our server. It does not run in your browser. We keep your scan and ocr.pdf only long enough to send you the result. We delete both within 30 minutes. The page pictures made during the reading are deleted as soon as the job ends, even if it fails. After deletion, we keep a small log that says which file was deleted and when, but not what was in it.
OCR is never free. Before it runs, you need an active $6 day pass or $60 year. Buy one on this page, or sign in to the account that has one. The day pass is charged once, lasts 24 hours, and does not renew. The year lasts 365 days. Each file can have up to 20 pages, even with a pass. Your one free server file is a PDF to Word conversion, on its own page. Each step of the reading has 60 seconds to finish, so very heavy pages may not complete. You can send one file at a time.
Why did my OCR fail? If you did not choose a file, or the file is not a PDF, the page asks you to choose a PDF. If the file is damaged, the page says it could not be read. Try another copy. If the file has no pages, the page tells you. If it has more than 20 pages, split it into smaller parts with Split PDF, then try each part. If you do not have an active pass, the page asks you to get a $6 day pass or $60 year, or to sign in to the account that has one. If a step takes too long, the page says the file could not be read. Try a file with fewer pages. If OCR is down on our server, the page says it is not available. Try again later.
Questions about OCR for PDF
What do I get in the OCR PDF?
A PDF that looks like your scan, with English text you can select and search. Columns are not rebuilt, and you do not get a Word file. If your PDF already has text you can select, it still goes through the same reading step. To turn existing text into Word, use PDF to Word.
Is OCR PDF free?
No. OCR PDF is never the free file. Your one free server file is a PDF to Word conversion, up to 20 pages, for a PDF that already has text you can select. This page checks for an active pass before it reads your scan.
What do you keep after my files are deleted?
Within 30 minutes, we delete your scan and ocr.pdf. The page pictures are already gone. We keep a short record of the job: the file name, the page count, your account email, and a scrambled code made from your network address (not the address itself). We also log when each file was deleted. We never keep what was in your file.
What does a pass change for OCR?
You need an active pass before your first scan. The $6 day pass is charged once, lasts 24 hours, and does not renew. The $60 year lasts 365 days. If you cancel the year, the next charge stops. Both passes keep the 20-page limit. A pass does not add other languages, and it does not turn the result into Word.