OCR PDF
Extract selectable and searchable text from scanned PDF documents and photo files. 100% client-side optical character recognition with zero cloud uploads.
Select or drop a scanned PDF document
Extract selectable text from scanned PDFs and photo documents using client-side Tesseract OCR.
Browse Scanned PDFHow to Use PDF OCR Engine
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Upload your scanned PDF document
Select or drag and drop a scanned PDF file, photo receipt, or non-searchable document into the dropzone.
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Choose recognition language
Select the document language (English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, or Portuguese) for optimal optical character recognition.
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Run OCR & copy/export text
Click "Start OCR Text Extraction". Each page is rendered to high-resolution canvas and processed by client-side Tesseract.js. Copy all text or download as .txt or .md.
Extracting Scanned Paper Invoice Example
Scanned-Vendor-Invoice.pdf (Flat image scan, non-selectable text)Vendor Name, Line items, Total Amounts, Tax IDs — 98% confidenceInstantly ready to paste into Excel, accounting software, or database records.
Technical Specifications
- Supported Inputs: PDF
- Input Limit: 50 MB
- Processing Engine: 100% In-Browser (PDF.js + Tesseract.js WASM)
- Content Uploads: None (Your files and text are processed locally on your device with zero uploads)
Privacy & Security Guarantee
Your scanned documents, receipts, invoices are processed entirely in your web browser's memory using native client-side web technologies. Unlike traditional cloud tools, your content is never uploaded to remote servers, stored on external disks, or analyzed by third parties.
2ClickKit In-Browser vs Traditional Cloud Tools
| Feature | 2ClickKit (In-Browser) | Traditional Cloud Services |
|---|---|---|
| Data Privacy | Files never leave your local device | Uploaded to remote servers and third-party clouds |
| Processing Speed | Instant local execution (0ms upload time) | Constrained by internet upload & server processing queues |
| Account & Costs | 100% Free with zero registration or paywalls | Tiered subscriptions, limits, or forced sign-ups |
Best Practices & Tips
- Ensure the scanned document is upright. If a page was scanned sideways or upside down, use our companion Rotate PDF tool before running OCR.
- Select the matching document language in the dropdown to significantly improve recognition accuracy on accented characters.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does client-side PDF OCR work without server uploads?
Standard OCR engines require server uploads. Our tool renders each PDF page to a high-resolution HTML5 canvas at 200 DPI using PDF.js inside your browser, and then feeds the raw canvas bitmaps into an in-browser Tesseract.js WebAssembly worker. Zero bytes leave your device.
What types of PDFs benefit most from OCR?
Scanned paper contracts, photographed book pages, faxed forms, and flat image-only PDFs that do not currently allow text selection or keyword searching (Ctrl+F).
How accurate is browser-based OCR?
For clean scans (printed typed fonts at 150+ DPI), accuracy typically exceeds 95%–99%. Extremely blurry photos, skewed pages, or cursive handwriting may yield lower confidence.
Can I export the recognized text as Markdown?
Yes! You can copy the raw text to your clipboard or download it as either a clean plain text (.txt) file or structured Markdown (.md) file with page demarcations.