PrivConvert

PDF tool

OCR PDF

Extract text from selectable PDFs and scanned-page images with on-device OCR.

Add your input

Your file stays in this browser.

Settings

Good to know1 file · 100 MB max · 500 pages max
Upload a PDF fileResult: text file
  • Your PDF stays in this browser while the tool runs.
  • Encrypted or damaged PDFs may need to be unlocked or repaired before this tool can read them.
  • This tool preserves page artwork where possible, but it does not rewrite original PDF text like a word processor.
  • This tool reads selectable text first, then tries OCR when a page has no readable text.
  • Scanned pages are best read at moderate sizes; very large pages may be skipped with a size-limit message.

Next tools

Keep working with this file

Extract PDF textExport visible text content from searchable PDF pages as TXT.PDF to ImageExport selected PDF pages as PNG, JPEG, or WebP images.SplitSplit one PDF into individual pages or custom page-range PDFs.Add imagePlace a PNG or JPG image on top of one PDF page.

How it works

How to use OCR PDF online

  1. Choose a PDF and specify all pages or a smaller page range.
  2. Choose whether page labels should be included in the text output.
  3. Run text extraction and OCR in your browser, review the result, and download the TXT file.

Overview

Extract text from searchable and scanned PDFs

The tool reads an existing PDF text layer first and applies OCR to pages without readable text. It exports a TXT file rather than creating a new searchable PDF.

Input

Upload a PDF file

Output

text file

Limits

1 file · 100 MB max · 500 pages max

Best for

OCR PDF use cases

  • Recover text from a scanned document for editing or reference.
  • Export selectable PDF text as a plain TXT file.
  • Process a moderate-size PDF without creating an account-based file history.

Processing

What happens in your browser

PrivConvert uses PDF text extraction and OCR for this workflow. 2 adjustable settings. No special browser capability is required for typical inputs

Your PDF stays in this browser while the tool runs.

Related tools

Extract PDF TextPDF to ImageSplit PDFAdd Image to PDFAdd Image WatermarkAdd Page Numbers

Guides & tests

Understand the output before you choose

Compress PDF Without Losing Searchable Text — Which compression mode keeps text and forms? Compare the results from a text document and an illustrated document.

FAQ

OCR PDF questions

See how privacy works

Is OCR PDF free to use?

Yes. This tool is free to use in your browser and does not require an account.

Are my files private?

OCR PDF uses PDF text extraction and OCR in the browser. Selected files are processed locally when the required browser features are available, while application, library, model, security, and limited analytics requests may load separately.

What limits should I know about?

1 file · 100 MB max · 500 pages max. Encrypted or damaged PDFs may need to be unlocked or repaired before this tool can read them.

Does OCR PDF create a searchable PDF?

No. This tool exports recognized content as plain text. It does not add an invisible OCR layer to the original PDF.

Will it OCR every page?

The tool first reads selectable text and uses OCR when a page has no readable text. Very large scanned pages may be skipped with a limit message.