PDF OCR, Make scanned PDFs searchable, free online
Text recognition (OCR) for scanned PDF files. Text becomes searchable and copyable. 100% free, no registration, GDPR compliant.
How it works, PDF OCR in 3 steps
Choose language
Select the document language for best recognition.
Choose language
Choose the document language for best recognition.
Download
Download your searchable PDF, done!
OCR text recognition for PDF, make scanned documents digitally usable
OCR stands for Optical Character Recognition and is the key technology for converting scanned PDF documents into searchable and editable files. With PDF Monster's OCR text recognition, you analyze every page of your scanned PDF, recognize letters, words and paragraphs and overlay an invisible text layer on the original image. The result: Your PDF looks exactly the same as before, but the text is now selectable, copyable and searchable.
Our free online OCR tool supports over 100 languages and delivers a recognition accuracy of over 99% with good scan quality. All files are transmitted SSL-encrypted and automatically deleted after processing, fully GDPR compliant. No installation, no registration, no hidden costs.
Why use PDF Monster for OCR?
Precise recognition
Over 99% accuracy with good scan quality.
100+ languages
German, English, and many more languages.
100% Secure
SSL encryption, automatic deletion after 1 hour.
Searchable
Text becomes searchable and copyable.
Your data is safe with us
SSL encryption
All files are transmitted encrypted. No one can intercept your data.
Automatic deletion
Your files are automatically deleted from our servers after processing.
GDPR compliant
Servers in the EU. We meet all requirements of the General Data Protection Regulation.
No third-party access
Your files are not shared with third-party providers or used for other purposes.
What can you use PDF OCR for?
Scanned contracts
Make scanned contracts searchable so you can quickly find individual clauses, paragraphs or names using the search function.
Digitize old documents
Turn historical or old paper documents into searchable digital files, ideal for archives, authorities and libraries.
Searchable invoices
Process scanned invoices and receipts with OCR to quickly find and copy amounts, dates and invoice numbers.
Archive books
Archive scanned books and journals as searchable PDFs, find relevant text passages in seconds.
Editable forms
Process scanned forms with OCR so you can copy the recognized text and transfer it to new documents or databases.
Secure paper documents
Save important paper documents as searchable PDF files, so you can always find and access them digitally.
Frequently asked questions about PDF OCR text recognition
What is OCR?
OCR (Optical Character Recognition) is a technology that recognizes text in images and scanned documents. It turns an "image of text" into real, copyable text.
Which languages are supported?
German, English, and over 100 other languages are supported. Automatic language detection selects the right language for the best results.
Is the original modified?
The recognized text is added as an invisible, searchable layer over the original scan. The appearance of the document remains unchanged.
Can I copy the recognized text?
Yes, after OCR processing, the text is copyable and searchable. You can select text passages and paste them into other programs.
How accurate is the recognition?
With good scan quality, we achieve over 99% accuracy. Factors such as image resolution, contrast, and font affect the result.
Get more out of your scanned PDFs
PDF Monster's OCR text recognition is the first step to making scanned documents usable again. Once your PDF is searchable, you can convert it directly into an editable Word document, use our PDF to Word tool for this. This way, the recognized text can be conveniently edited, formatted and inserted into new documents.
Want to scan paper documents first? Our Scan to PDF tool helps you convert photos of documents into clean PDF files. Then you can use the OCR function to recognize the text. For further adjustments, our PDF Editor is available, add text, images or annotations. All tools work directly in the browser, free, secure and without installation.