How to make a scanned PDF searchable
- Tap "Choose a PDF" or drop a scanned PDF onto the box.
- Check the languages the document is written in. The first time, allow the one-time download of the text reader (about 3 MB with English).
- Tap "Make searchable", wait while each page is read, then download the searchable PDF.
Good to know
A scanned PDF holds pictures of pages, so you can’t search it or copy from it. This tool draws each scanned page, reads the words on it with Tesseract (a well-known open-source text reader), and adds the words to the same page as invisible text, placed over the printed words. Your PDF keeps its pages, pictures and size of page exactly as they were; only the hidden text is added, so it usually grows by just a few kilobytes per page. Pages that already have real text are left alone.
It reads printed text well when the scan is sharp and straight. Handwriting is not read reliably. Tables and columns are kept as lines of text in reading order, not as a table. Small, blurry, faint or crooked text gives more mistakes, so check names, numbers and amounts before you rely on them. Pages scanned sideways or upside down should be turned the right way up first with Rotate PDF.
Everything happens on your device: the text reader and the languages you choose are downloaded once from our site (about 3 MB with English, then about 0.5 to 2 MB per extra language), and your browser keeps them, so they aren’t downloaded again. A full page of text took about 4 to 10 seconds on our 2-core test computer; phones are slower, so long documents are best done on a computer.
Questions
Will my PDF look different?
No. The text is added invisibly over the printed words, so every page looks exactly as before. You can now search it, select words and copy them.
Which pages are read?
Only pages that have no real text, such as scans and photos of pages. Pages that already have text you can select are left exactly as they are.
Can it read handwriting?
Not reliably. It is made for printed and typed text. Neat handwritten capitals are sometimes read, but expect mistakes.
Which languages can it read?
English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Indonesian, Arabic, Chinese (simplified), Hindi, Bengali and Urdu. Check up to three at once; a document in one language reads fastest.
Is my PDF uploaded?
No. The pages are read by your browser on your device. Only the text reader itself is downloaded from our site, once.
Page last reviewed 25 October 2026.