OCR PDF Online
Use PDF.it to run OCR on scanned PDFs — turn images into selectable, searchable text and download a cleaner, usable PDF.
Use PDF.it's OCR tool to extract text from scanned PDFs and make documents searchable and copyable. Perfect for receipts, invoices, contracts, forms, and archived scans — upload your PDF, run OCR, and download an OCR-processed file in seconds.
- ✓ Turn scanned PDFs into searchable PDFs
- ✓ Make text selectable and copyable
- ✓ Works on Mac, Windows, iOS, Android, and Linux
- ✓ No installation — OCR runs in your browser
Drop your scanned PDF here
or click to browse files
Supported format: .pdf (scanned documents)
Make Scanned PDFs Searchable
If your PDF is a scan, it's just an image — you can't highlight or search text. OCR recognizes the text and creates a searchable PDF.
Extract Text From PDF Scans
Need the words from a scanned document? OCR pulls text from image-based pages so you can copy and paste into notes, email, or Word.
Receipts, Forms & Contracts
OCR is especially useful for paperwork and archived documents where you need to search, find keywords, or reuse text quickly.
How to OCR a PDF
Upload your scanned PDF
Drag and drop or click to choose a file
Run OCR
Choose language and click to start
Download your PDF
Get your searchable PDF instantly
Frequently Asked Questions
What is OCR for PDFs?
OCR (Optical Character Recognition) detects text inside scanned or image-based PDFs and converts it into selectable, searchable text.
When do I need OCR instead of PDF to TXT?
If the PDF is a scan and you can't highlight text, you need OCR. If the PDF already contains selectable text, a normal PDF to TXT conversion may be faster.
How accurate is PDF.it OCR?
Accuracy depends on scan clarity, resolution, and font. Clean, high-resolution scans produce the best results. Blurry or skewed scans reduce accuracy.
What languages does the OCR Scanner support?
The OCR Scanner supports 16+ languages including English, Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, Italian, Dutch, and more.
Is it safe to upload scanned documents?
Yes. All transfers are SSL encrypted and your files are deleted immediately after your session. We never store or share your documents.
What is the maximum file size I can OCR?
Pro accounts can upload files up to 200MB. Business accounts can upload files up to 1GB.