OCR PDF: how it works
To make a scanned PDF searchable, open the OCR PDF tool and add your file; PDFER runs optical character recognition in your browser and adds an invisible, selectable text layer so you can search and copy the text. The scan is never uploaded.
How to use OCR PDF
- Open the OCR PDF tool and add your scanned PDF.
- Let PDFER recognize the text on-device (powered by Tesseract).
- Download the searchable PDF with a selectable text layer.
In your browser vs. uploading to a server
Best for making image-only scans searchable without sending documents to a cloud OCR service. On-device recognition keeps records private; accuracy depends on scan clarity.
Frequently asked questions
How do I make a scanned PDF searchable?
- Open the OCR tool and add the scan; PDFER recognizes the characters in your browser and layers selectable text over the image so the PDF becomes searchable and copyable.
Does OCR work offline and privately?
- Yes. Recognition runs locally with an on-device engine, so the document never leaves your browser.
Are my files uploaded to a server?
- No. PDFER runs entirely in your browser using WebAssembly and JavaScript. Your files are read into memory on your device, processed locally, and never sent to PDFER or any third party. Closing the tab or leaving the tool erases them from memory.
PDFER is a privacy-first PDF toolkit built by Kiril Urbonas. Every tool runs entirely in your browser — see our security model and privacy policy.