PDF OCR

Run OCR on scanned PDFs and images in 12+ languages to turn pictures of text into searchable, copyable content. Recognition runs in your browser.

PDF OCR turns scanned documents and photographed pages into searchable, copyable text by recognising characters visually rather than relying on an existing text layer. It supports more than a dozen languages, including English, Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, Italian, Arabic, Hindi, Urdu, Chinese, Japanese and Russian, so it handles documents well beyond English-only scans.

Recognition runs entirely in your browser using an on-device OCR engine, which means scanned contracts, ID documents and medical records never get uploaded anywhere to be processed. Select the correct language before scanning, upload your file, and the tool returns text you can copy, search or export — the same capability as commercial scan-to-text software, without the subscription.

How to use the PDF OCR

1. Upload the scanned PDF or image file you want to make searchable.
2. Select the correct language from the dropdown for the document's content.
3. Run the OCR scan and wait for the recognition engine to process each page.
4. Review the recognised text against the original scan for any errors.
5. Copy the text or export the result for use elsewhere.

Why use this tool

12+ language support

Recognises text in English, Spanish, French, German, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Russian and more, so multilingual archives don't need separate tools.

Runs entirely on-device

The OCR engine processes images locally in your browser, which matters for scanned documents that contain personal or confidential information.

Turns scans into usable text

Once recognised, previously uneditable scanned pages become copyable, searchable and ready to paste into other documents.

Common use cases

• Making an old scanned contract searchable and copyable again.
• Digitising a photographed page from a book or printed manual.
• Extracting text from a scanned invoice for bookkeeping software.
• Recognising foreign-language documents before translating them.
• Turning a stack of scanned forms into text data for a spreadsheet.

Getting the best accuracy

Use scans of at least 300 DPI, keep pages straight rather than skewed, and ensure even lighting with no glare. Clean printed text typically reaches 95%+ recognition accuracy; handwriting is far less reliable and should be checked manually.

Choosing the right language

Selecting the correct language before scanning matters, since the OCR engine uses language-specific character models. Running an Arabic document through an English model, for instance, will produce garbled results.

Difference from plain text extraction

Use the Extract Text from PDF tool for documents that already contain a text layer — it's faster since there's nothing to recognise. Reach for OCR specifically when a PDF is made of scanned images with no underlying text.

Frequently asked questions

Which languages does the OCR support?

More than a dozen, including English, Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, Italian, Arabic, Hindi, Urdu, Chinese, Japanese and Russian. Pick the language before scanning for best accuracy.

How can I improve OCR accuracy?

Use scans of at least 300 DPI, keep pages straight and evenly lit, and choose the correct language. Clean printed text typically reaches 95%+ accuracy; handwriting is far less reliable.

Is PDF OCR free to use?

Yes. PDF OCR on Klipza is completely free with no account, no subscription and no watermark on your files, and there is no daily usage limit.

Are my files safe when using PDF OCR?

Processing happens locally in your browser wherever technically possible, so your files are not uploaded to a server, stored or shared with third parties.

Does PDF OCR work on mobile phones?

Yes. It is fully responsive and runs in any modern browser on Android, iPhone, iPad, Windows and macOS — nothing to install.