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Make a scanned PDF searchable with OCR

Turn a scanned PDF into one you can search and copy from. GrovePDF reads the text on each page and adds it as an invisible layer, so the pages look exactly the same.

  1. 1Choose file
  2. 2Set options
  3. 3Download

Drop your PDF here

Scanned PDF → searchable PDF · up to 100 MB

Choose file You can also paste a file or screenshot with Ctrl+V.

    AI assistant

    Add a PDF above to ask questions about it, summarise it or give it a better name.

    OCR PDF in 3 easy steps

    1. Choose your file (Scanned PDF → searchable PDF): drop it on this page or click “Choose file”.
    2. Check the options (smart suggestions can set them for you), then click “Make searchable”.
    3. Download the result. Everything runs in your browser, so your files are never uploaded.

    Why use GrovePDF

    • Free, with no signup, no watermark and no daily limit.
    • Private: your files are processed on your device, never on a server.
    • AI built in: smart suggestions and an assistant that answers questions about your PDF.
    • Works on any device with a modern browser, in nearly 110 languages.

    Updated · GrovePDF team

    What OCR does

    A scanned PDF is a stack of pictures: you can read it, but your computer can't, so Ctrl+F finds nothing and you can't copy a sentence. OCR (optical character recognition) reads the words on each page and adds them as an invisible text layer in the same place. The pages look exactly the same, but now you can search, select and copy.

    How to make a PDF searchable

    1. Choose your scanned PDF.
    2. Pick the document language.
    3. Keep Skip pages that already have text ticked for mixed documents, so only the scanned pages are read.
    4. Click Make searchable.

    Getting accurate results

    • Clean, straight scans at 300 dpi read best.
    • Handwriting, very small print and photos taken at an angle may contain mistakes.
    • Photographing pages with a phone? Scan to PDF straightens and cleans them up, and can add OCR in the same step.

    OCR or PDF to Word?

    Use OCR PDF to keep the document as a PDF that you can search. Use PDF to Word with OCR when you want to edit the text in Word.

    OCR PDF: questions and answers

    Will my pages change?

    No. The pictures stay as they are; the recognised text is added invisibly on top, in the same place as the words you see.

    How accurate is it?

    Clean, straight scans at 300 dpi read best. Handwriting, very small print and photos taken at an angle may have mistakes.

    Is my document uploaded?

    No. Text recognition runs in your browser. The language data is downloaded once from this site and kept by your browser.

    Does OCR change how my PDF looks?

    No. The page pictures stay exactly as they are; the recognised text is added invisibly on top.

    Guide: Scan documents with your phone: a free CamScanner alternative with AI