Make a Scanned PDF Searchable

Your PDF is a scanned image - you can't select text, search for words, or copy anything from it.

Use Ask PDF: upload the scanned document and type "make this PDF searchable". OCR recognises the text and adds a hidden, searchable layer.

Works on scanned receipts, contracts, forms, and book pages
The PDF looks identical - OCR text is added invisibly
Combine with compression: "make searchable and compress below 5 MB"

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What is OCR?

OCR (Optical Character Recognition) reads the image of text in a scanned PDF and adds an invisible text layer. After OCR, you can search, select, and copy text from the PDF.

Does the PDF look different after making it searchable?

No. The visual appearance of every page is unchanged. Only a hidden text layer is added, making it searchable in PDF readers and search engines.

What languages does OCR support?

Ask PDF's OCR covers all major languages using AI-powered text recognition.