OCR PDF
Extract text from scanned or image-based PDFs with optical character recognition running in your browser.
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Max 100 MB per file
Extract text from scanned PDFs with browser-based OCR
OCR converts visible characters in scanned or image-based PDF pages into text you can copy, search manually, quote, or save as a TXT file. YourPDFs renders each PDF page locally and runs Tesseract OCR in your browser, which is useful for scanned letters, receipts, forms, archived documents, and PDFs where normal text selection does not work. The OCR language model may be downloaded from its hosting service, but your document pages are not sent there for recognition. Results depend heavily on scan clarity, contrast, rotation, font style, and choosing the correct document language.
How to use this tool
- Select a scanned or image-based PDF.
- Choose the language that best matches the document.
- Run OCR, review the recognized text, and download it as a TXT file if needed.
Frequently asked questions
Does OCR make my PDF searchable?
Not in this version. The tool extracts recognized text and lets you download it as a text file; it does not add an invisible searchable text layer back into the PDF.
Why is OCR sometimes inaccurate?
Recognition quality depends on scan resolution, contrast, font style, page rotation, handwriting, and the selected language.
Is my scanned PDF uploaded for OCR?
No. PDF pages are rendered and recognized in your browser. The OCR engine may download code or language data, but your selected document is not uploaded to a YourPDFs server.
Can I use OCR before PDF to Word?
Yes, but this OCR tool currently outputs text rather than a new searchable PDF. You can use the extracted text directly, while PDF to Word works best when the original PDF already contains selectable text.
How can I improve OCR accuracy?
Use a straight, high-contrast scan with readable characters, select the correct language, and avoid blurry photos or pages with heavy shadows. Rotating a sideways page before OCR can also help.
Does OCR preserve tables and formatting?
No. This version focuses on recognized text. It does not recreate the visual page layout, table structure, fonts, or exact spacing from the scanned document.