Scan PDF (OCR) is a free, browser-only tool: Add searchable text to scanned PDFs using OCR technology. Your file is not uploaded to any server—processing runs locally. No account is required. Typical jobs finish in under 2 seconds on modern devices. Part of EssentialPDFTool's 24 client-side PDF tools with zero uploads.
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Scan PDF (OCR)

Add searchable text to scanned PDFs using OCR technology.

Files never leave your browser. 100% client-side. Zero uploads.

How it works

  1. 1

    Upload your scanned or image-only PDF.

  2. 2

    Select the document language for best OCR accuracy.

  3. 3

    Click "Run OCR" and download a searchable, selectable-text PDF.

Why use our Scan PDF (OCR)?

100% Private

All processing happens in your browser. Files are never uploaded to any server.

No signup required

Use the tool instantly — no account, no email, no credit card needed.

Works everywhere

Runs on any device with a modern browser — desktop, tablet, or mobile.

No quality loss

Direct PDF manipulation preserves fonts, images, and vectors at original fidelity.

Frequently asked questions

Which languages does OCR support?

Over 100 languages are supported via Tesseract.js including English, Tamil, Hindi, Spanish, French, German, Chinese, Arabic, and many more.

How accurate is the OCR?

For clear, well-scanned documents at 300 DPI or higher, accuracy typically exceeds 95%. Poor scans, skewed pages, or unusual fonts reduce accuracy.

Does it modify my original scanned images?

No. OCR adds an invisible text layer over your existing images — the original scans remain unchanged.

How long does OCR take?

A typical 10-page scan takes 15-30 seconds. Longer documents take proportionally more time as processing is page-by-page.

Can I OCR a PDF that already has some text?

Yes. The tool detects pages without text and runs OCR only on those pages, preserving existing text layers.

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