Make PDF Searchable Online
— Free & Private.
Turn scanned PDFs and images into documents you can select, copy, and Ctrl‑F — with an invisible OCR text layer baked right in. Pure WebAssembly, no uploads.
Make any PDF or image searchable.
Drag in a scanned PDF or an image. Choose your OCR language. We recognize the text and bake an invisible, searchable layer onto every page.
Make PDF Searchable
Supports scanned PDF, PNG, JPEG, or WEBP (Max: 100 MB)
filename.pdf
0.0 MB · Analyzing…
Preparing optical parser modules…
document-searchable.pdf
0.0 MB
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Four steps to a searchable document.
Nothing leaves your device. The whole pipeline runs locally in WebAssembly threads.
Drop your file
Upload a scanned PDF, PNG, JPG, or WEBP. The tool does not impose a size limit; very large files are bounded by browser memory.
OCR runs locally
Tesseract.js recognizes characters on every page, in your browser, with optional scan cleanup.
Text layer is baked in
An invisible, searchable text layer is added under each page's image — the look never changes.
Search & copy
Download the searchable PDF. Select text, copy it, or hit Ctrl‑F to find keywords instantly.
Searchable PDF vs PDF/A.
Choose the output that matches your needs. Standard PDF is fastest; PDF/A adds archival metadata for long-term records.
| Feature | Standard Searchable PDF | PDF/A (1b / 2b / 3b / 4) |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Everyday search, copy, edits | Long-term archival & compliance |
| Searchable text layer | Invisible OCR layer baked in | Same invisible OCR layer |
| Archival metadata | Basic document metadata | XMP PDF/A compliance declared |
| Speed | Fastest | Slightly larger, same speed |
| Certification | Not applicable | Metadata best-effort — verify in Acrobat / veraPDF |
Even with PDF/A selected, we recommend validating the final file in Adobe Acrobat Pro or veraPDF before relying on it for certified archival.
Choose the output you need
Scanned PDF to text
Copy the recognised text or download it as .txt instead of a new PDF.
Scanned PDF to Word
Export the text as an editable .docx for Word, Docs or LibreOffice.
Image to text
Run OCR on a photo, screenshot or scanned image without making a PDF first.
Free OCR without uploads
Understand what is downloaded and what never leaves your device.
i2OCR alternative
Compare an online OCR service with a local browser workflow.
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How to make a scanned PDF searchable
A scanned PDF is a picture, not text. Your PDF viewer can display it perfectly, but if you try to select a word, copy a paragraph, or search the document, you get nothing. Making a PDF searchable solves this by running OCR (Optical Character Recognition) and storing a searchable text layer alongside the original page image.
Why searchable PDFs matter
Searchable PDFs let you retrieve information fast. Instead of scanning page after page by eye, you press Ctrl‑F, type a keyword, and jump straight to the result. You can also copy text into notes, documents, or emails, and screen readers can read searchable documents aloud — a major accessibility win.
How the OCR text layer works
This tool renders each page, recognizes the characters with Tesseract.js running in-browser WebAssembly, and writes the recognized words as an invisible text layer in the output PDF. The visible page stays pixel-identical, while the hidden layer carries the searchable text and its coordinate position on the page. That's what makes selecting and searching feel natural.
Get the best results
- Use a clear scan. Higher resolution and even lighting give OCR more to work with.
- Pick the correct language. Matching the OCR language to the document's language measurably improves accuracy.
- Enable scan cleanup for noisy, low-contrast scans — the auto-threshold step boosts the text against the background.
- Choose PDF/A only for archival needs, and verify the result with Acrobat or veraPDF.
Ready to make your PDF searchable?
It's free, it's private, and it works entirely in your browser. No upload, no account, and the file stays on your device.