Searchable PDF
Turn a scanned PDF into a searchable PDF: same visual pages plus an invisible OCR text layer so you can Ctrl+F, select text, copy, and index the file.
Drop a file here
PDF stays in your browser — text layer first, OCR when scanned
How to use this tool
Upload a scanned PDF
Choose the image-based PDF you want to make searchable.
Make searchable PDF
Each page is OCR’d and text is embedded invisibly.
Download and search
Open the result and use Ctrl+F or select text.
A real OCR utility
Unlike convert-to-TXT tools, Searchable PDF keeps the original page appearance while embedding OCR text for search and selection.
Appearance notes
Pages are rasterized and rebuilt with pdf-lib. Visual fidelity is approximate — fonts in the invisible layer use a standard embeddable face.
Frequently Asked Questions
More on quality loss: conversion quality guides · compression guides
Can I search with Ctrl+F afterward?
Yes, in readers that respect the text layer. That is the main goal of this tool.
Is batch OCR a separate page?
Not yet — batch demand is low as a landing page. Use this tool per file for now.
Does converting or exporting a PDF reduce quality?
Rasterizing pages or re-encoding embedded images can. Keep vector text when possible and avoid unnecessary re-exports of scanned pages.
Ready to convert more formats?
Browse converters or jump back to the tool above.