Free PDF Tool · OCR

Searchable PDF

Run searchable pdf in your browser. Free, private, no signup — your selected files are processed in your browser and are not uploaded to our server.

Local OCR: The OCR engine, worker, Tesseract core, and English/Hindi language data are served from this site where available. The first run can be slow because OCR data loads into memory. This build supports English, Hindi, and English + Hindi only. OCR quality depends on scan clarity, resolution, contrast, and the selected language.
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Drop your file here

or click to browse from your device

Accepts: .PDF
How it works: Tesseract.js (open-source OCR) runs in your browser, reads each PDF page as an image, and recognises the text. The local OCR engine initialises on first run (English/Hindi data served from this site) which is cached after — subsequent OCR jobs reuse the loaded OCR language data and are much faster. Quality depends on the scan resolution (300 DPI gives the best OCR accuracy but is slower) and the selected language. For mixed English/Hindi documents, choose the English + Hindi option.

About this Searchable PDF

Make your scanned PDF searchable with our searchable pdf tool. We use Tesseract.js — open-source OCR engine — to read the text from each page image and output Plain text, Word document (.docx), or a Searchable PDF with an OCR text layer. OCR accuracy and search completeness depend on scan quality, language, and output limits.

Quality depends on scan resolution (300 DPI gives the best OCR accuracy but is slower) and language. Tesseract supports English and Hindi (bundled locally in this build).

Your privacy is the default. Your selected files are processed in your browser and are not uploaded to our server; all processing happens client-side using PDF.js/browser canvas for page rendering, Tesseract.js for OCR, jsPDF for searchable PDF output, and docx for Word output where selected. Closing the tab clears the working session from this page; downloaded files remain on your device.

This tool is free to use with no signup required. Large files may be limited by your browser’s memory and device performance. Part of PDF Tools Base, a privacy-first collection of 161 PDF utilities. Bookmark the page for next time, and explore related tools in the footer below.

How to use the Searchable PDF tool

  1. Drop your scanned PDF.
  2. Choose English, Hindi, or English + Hindi.
  3. Click Process and wait — the local OCR engine initializes.
  4. Choose Plain text, Word document, or Searchable PDF, then download the OCR result.

Why use PDF Tools Base?

100% Browser-Based

Searchable PDF processes selected files in your browser. Your selected files are processed in your browser and are not uploaded to our server.

No Server Upload, No Signup

Your selected files are processed locally in your browser. No account, no server upload, no email needed.

No Watermark Ever

Outputs are clean. We never stamp our brand or a paywall watermark on your files.

Free to Use

No accounts and no signup. Use the tool as much as you need within reasonable browser limits.

Works on Every Device

Windows, Mac, Linux, iPhone, iPad, Android, Chromebook. Any modern browser.

Built on Open Source

Powered by browser-side PDF.js rendering, browser canvas, Tesseract.js OCR, jsPDF for searchable PDF output, and docx for Word output where selected.

Common uses for searchable pdf

Archive search

Make stored scans findable.

Text layer

Invisible OCR text over the image.

Stored records

Search contracts and forms.

Keep originals

The page image is preserved.

Frequently asked questions

Is Searchable PDF safe to use?

Yes. Everything happens in your browser. Your selected files are processed in your browser and are not uploaded to our server. Closing the tab clears the working session from this page; downloaded outputs remain on your device until you delete them.

Do I need to register or sign in?

No. No account, no email, no sign-up. Open the page and start using the tool immediately. Free to use, no signup needed.

Is there a watermark on the output?

No. PDF Tools Base never adds a watermark or branding to your output. Your final file is clean — just what you produced from the original.

Is there a file size limit?

There is no fixed limit. OCR renders pages in your browser and loads OCR language data locally, so RAM, page count, selected DPI, language choice, and scan complexity affect what is feasible. Phones may struggle with large or high-DPI OCR jobs; try fewer pages, lower DPI, or a desktop browser.

Does this work on mobile devices?

Yes. The tool works on all modern mobile browsers: Chrome on Android, Safari on iOS, Firefox, Edge, Brave. The drag-and-drop also accepts files from your phone’s file manager.

Why is the first searchable pdf run slow?

English and Hindi OCR data are served from this site (locally bundled in /assets/tessdata/) and cached by your browser. The first run can still be slow because the OCR engine initialises and loads the language data into memory. Subsequent OCR jobs reuse the loaded OCR language data and are much faster.

Which languages are supported?

This browser build includes local OCR data for English and Hindi only. The OCR dropdown is limited to English, Hindi, and English + Hindi.