OCR PDF
Turn scanned PDFs into searchable, copyable text.
How OCR PDF works
Recognizes the text in scanned PDFs and adds an invisible text layer behind each page. The page looks the same as before, but now you can search it, copy text from it and have a screen reader read it aloud.
Choose the languages in the document (up to three). English, Turkish, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Russian, Arabic, Dutch and Portuguese are supported. With "Skip pages that already have text" on, pages that already have selectable text are left alone. You can also get the recognized text as a separate TXT file. For better results, see how to prepare a scan.
Frequently asked questions
Does it recognize handwriting?
OCR is built for printed text. Handwritten notes usually aren't recognized or come out as wrong characters.
How accurate is the recognized text?
On a straight, clean scan at around 300 dpi, accuracy is very high. Low resolution, skewed pages and the wrong language raise the error rate. Check critical details such as ID numbers or amounts by eye.
Is OCR PDF free? Do I need an account?
It’s free and there’s no sign-up. We don’t ask for an email address and we don’t put a Yeti watermark on your file.
Are my files uploaded to a server?
No. The file is processed in your browser’s memory on your own device and is never sent to Yeti’s servers. The limit is 25 MB and 200 pages per file.