JPEGConvert.com
Private by design. Processed in your browser on your device. No account required. How it works
OCR workflow

Turn Scanned PDFs into Searchable Documents

A practical OCR workflow for scanned PDFs that improves searchability and downstream editing while keeping document structure usable for sharing and archiving.

8 min read Updated 2026-02-10

OCR-first sequence

Run this order when scans need to be searchable and share-ready.

  1. 1

    Run OCR on the cleanest source available

    Use the highest-quality scan you have before applying heavy compression.

  2. 2

    Verify critical fields and headers

    Spot-check names, totals, and dates where OCR errors are most costly.

  3. 3

    Finalize with privacy and size controls

    After corrections, redact sensitive fields and compress for delivery.

Use these tools

Open the right workflow directly from this guide.

OCR PDF
Primary OCR pass for converting scanned text into selectable content.
Open tool
PDF Editor
Patch obvious OCR mistakes before sharing final output.
Open tool
Compress PDF
Reduce file size after OCR processing and edits.
Open tool
PDF to Word
Move OCR content into an editable format when heavy revisions are needed.
Open tool
Redact PDF
Remove sensitive text after OCR makes content discoverable.
Open tool
Remove PDF Metadata
Strip hidden metadata before external delivery.
Open tool

Choose your OCR path

Pick the route based on document quality and destination.

Need searchable archive only

Run OCR and export directly after quick validation checks.

Open OCR PDF

Need editable draft output

Convert OCR output to Word for structural edits and cleanup.

Open PDF to Word

Need privacy-safe distribution

Redact and scrub metadata after OCR before external sharing.

Open Redact PDF

What OCR changes in a scanned PDF

OCR creates a searchable text layer so users can find and copy content instead of relying on visual scan images alone.

  • Search and copy workflows improve immediately.
  • Downstream tools become more reliable on text-rich pages.
  • Privacy review becomes more important after text is discoverable.

How to reduce OCR cleanup

A short review routine catches most serious OCR issues with minimal delay.

  • Check document titles, totals, dates, and names first.
  • Fix visible OCR errors before size optimization.
  • Export only after a quick page-by-page spot check.

Best handoff pattern

Separate internal working files from externally shared output copies.

  • Keep the original scan and OCR working file internally.
  • Create a privacy-reviewed delivery copy.
  • Compress only after all edits are complete.

OCR pitfalls and fixes

These issues create most OCR cleanup work across teams.

Compressing before OCR

Issue: Early compression can remove detail OCR needs for accurate recognition.

Fix: Run OCR before aggressive compression whenever possible.

Open OCR PDF

Skipping a field-level review

Issue: Critical errors in names or numbers can pass unnoticed in long documents.

Fix: Review high-risk fields before export and external delivery.

Open PDF Editor

Sharing OCR output without privacy cleanup

Issue: Searchable text increases discoverability of sensitive information.

Fix: Redact sensitive fields and remove metadata before sharing.

Open Remove PDF Metadata

FAQ: OCR and searchable PDFs

Will OCR keep my original PDF layout exactly the same?

OCR usually preserves visual layout, but text extraction quality varies by scan clarity, skew, and font quality. Always validate key pages before final delivery.

Should I OCR every scanned PDF?

Use OCR when searchability, copy/paste, or accessibility matters. For simple archival images, OCR may be optional but still useful for future retrieval.

Why do I still see mistakes after OCR?

Low-contrast scans, skewed pages, and handwriting often reduce accuracy. A targeted review of critical fields is still required for high-trust workflows.

Can OCR increase privacy risk?

Yes. Once text becomes searchable, sensitive terms are easier to locate. Redact sensitive content and remove metadata before sharing outside your team.

Key takeaways

  • OCR should happen before aggressive compression.
  • Field-level review is the fastest way to catch high-risk errors.
  • Searchable output requires stronger privacy cleanup before sharing.

Related guides

Sponsored

Related workflow

Need a next step? Open a related tool directly from this guide.

Browse all tools

Keep exploring

Browse all published workflows and references.

Browse all guides
(function() { const title = document.querySelector('h1'); const actionRegion = document.querySelector('.action-container, .action-body'); if (!title || !actionRegion || title.querySelector('.tool-hero-mark')) return; const path = window.location.pathname.replace(/\/$/, ''); if (!path || path === '/' || path.startsWith('/converters') || path === '/about' || path === '/contact' || path === '/support' || path === '/privacy-policy') { return; } const lowerKey = path.replace(/^\/(video|audio)\//, '').replace(/^\//, '').toLowerCase(); if (!lowerKey) return; let category = 'image'; if (path.startsWith('/video/')) category = 'video'; if (path.startsWith('/audio/')) category = 'audio'; const isUtility = lowerKey.includes('ascii') || lowerKey.includes('resizer') || lowerKey.includes('metadata') || lowerKey.includes('compress') || lowerKey.includes('base64') || lowerKey.includes('background') || lowerKey.includes('crop') || lowerKey.includes('watermark') || lowerKey.includes('remove-pages') || lowerKey.includes('unlock') || lowerKey.includes('protect') || lowerKey.includes('editor') || lowerKey.includes('excel') || lowerKey.includes('upscale') || lowerKey.includes('merge') || lowerKey.includes('split') || lowerKey.includes('ocr') || lowerKey.includes('sign') || lowerKey.includes('trim') || lowerKey.includes('favicon'); if (category === 'image' && isUtility) category = 'tool'; const labelMap = { jpg: 'JPG', jpeg: 'JPEG', png: 'PNG', gif: 'GIF', svg: 'SVG', pdf: 'PDF', heic: 'HEIC', jfif: 'JFIF', webp: 'WEBP', bmp: 'BMP', ico: 'ICO', word: 'DOCX', docx: 'DOCX', excel: 'Excel', xls: 'XLS', xlsx: 'Excel', mp4: 'MP4', mov: 'MOV', avi: 'AVI', mp3: 'MP3', aac: 'AAC', flac: 'FLAC', wav: 'WAV', webm: 'WEBM', cr2: 'CR2', arw: 'ARW', nef: 'NEF', raf: 'RAF' }; const formatLabel = (value) => labelMap[value] || value.toUpperCase(); function getFormatMeta(key) { const directMatch = key.match(/^([a-z0-9]+)-to-([a-z0-9]+)$/); const convertMatch = key.match(/^convert-([a-z0-9]+)-to-([a-z0-9]+)$/); const convertToMatch = key.match(/^convert-to-([a-z0-9]+)$/); if (directMatch) { return {primary: formatLabel(directMatch[1]), secondary: formatLabel(directMatch[2]), connector: 'arrow'}; } if (convertMatch) { return {primary: formatLabel(convertMatch[1]), secondary: formatLabel(convertMatch[2]), connector: 'arrow'}; } if (convertToMatch) { return {primary: 'Any', secondary: formatLabel(convertToMatch[1]), connector: 'arrow'}; } if (key.startsWith('compress-')) { return {primary: 'Compress', secondary: formatLabel(key.replace('compress-', '')), connector: 'dot'}; } if (key.includes('base64') && key.includes('decode')) { return {primary: 'Base64', secondary: 'Decode', connector: 'dot'}; } if (key.startsWith('base64-to-')) { return {primary: 'Base64', secondary: formatLabel(key.replace('base64-to-', '')), connector: 'arrow'}; } if (key.includes('-to-base64')) { const from = key.replace('convert-', '').replace('-to-base64', ''); return {primary: formatLabel(from), secondary: 'Base64', connector: 'arrow'}; } if (key.includes('base64')) { return {primary: 'Base64', secondary: 'Encode', connector: 'dot'}; } if (key.includes('ascii')) { return {primary: 'ASCII', secondary: 'Art', connector: 'dot'}; } if (key.includes('resizer')) { return {primary: 'Resize', secondary: 'Pixels', connector: 'dot'}; } if (key.includes('remove-pages')) { return {primary: 'Remove', secondary: 'Pages', connector: 'dot'}; } if (key.includes('crop') && key.includes('pdf')) { return {primary: 'Crop', secondary: 'PDF', connector: 'dot'}; } if (key.includes('pdf-editor')) { return {primary: 'Edit', secondary: 'PDF', connector: 'dot'}; } if (key.includes('unlock')) { return {primary: 'Unlock', secondary: 'PDF', connector: 'dot'}; } if (key.includes('protect')) { return {primary: 'Protect', secondary: 'PDF', connector: 'dot'}; } if (key.includes('pdf') && key.includes('metadata')) { return {primary: 'Clean', secondary: 'Metadata', connector: 'dot'}; } if (key.includes('metadata')) { return {primary: 'EXIF', secondary: 'Clean', connector: 'dot'}; } if (key.includes('background')) { return {primary: 'Remove', secondary: 'Background', connector: 'dot'}; } if (key.includes('crop')) { return {primary: 'Crop', secondary: 'Image', connector: 'dot'}; } if (key.includes('watermark')) { return {primary: 'Watermark', secondary: 'Image', connector: 'dot'}; } if (key.includes('upscale')) { return {primary: 'Upscale', secondary: 'Image', connector: 'dot'}; } if (key.includes('merge')) { return {primary: 'Merge', secondary: 'PDF', connector: 'dot'}; } if (key.includes('split')) { return {primary: 'Split', secondary: 'PDF', connector: 'dot'}; } if (key.includes('ocr')) { return {primary: 'OCR', secondary: 'PDF', connector: 'dot'}; } if (key.includes('sign')) { return {primary: 'Sign', secondary: 'PDF', connector: 'dot'}; } if (key.includes('trim')) { return {primary: 'Trim', secondary: 'Video', connector: 'dot'}; } return {primary: 'Tool', secondary: '', connector: 'dot'}; } function getIconClass(key, categoryName) { const toFormat = key.split('-to-')[1]; if (key.includes('ascii')) return 'bi-textarea-t'; if (key.includes('resizer')) return 'bi-aspect-ratio'; if (key.includes('metadata')) return 'bi-shield-slash'; if (key.includes('compress')) return 'bi-file-earmark-zip'; if (key.includes('base64')) return 'bi-journal-code'; if (key.includes('background')) return 'bi-scissors'; if (key.includes('crop')) return 'bi-crop'; if (key.includes('watermark')) return 'bi-type'; if (key.includes('remove-pages')) return 'bi-trash'; if (key.includes('unlock')) return 'bi-unlock'; if (key.includes('protect')) return 'bi-lock'; if (key.includes('editor')) return 'bi-pencil-square'; if (key.includes('excel')) return 'bi-file-earmark-spreadsheet'; if (key.includes('upscale')) return 'bi-arrows-angle-expand'; if (key.includes('merge')) return 'bi-files'; if (key.includes('split')) return 'bi-scissors'; if (key.includes('ocr')) return 'bi-file-earmark-text'; if (key.includes('sign')) return 'bi-pen'; if (key.includes('trim')) return 'bi-scissors'; if (toFormat) { switch (toFormat) { case 'jpg': case 'jpeg': return 'bi-filetype-jpg'; case 'png': return 'bi-filetype-png'; case 'gif': return 'bi-filetype-gif'; case 'svg': return 'bi-filetype-svg'; case 'pdf': return 'bi-filetype-pdf'; case 'word': case 'docx': return 'bi-file-earmark-word'; case 'xls': case 'xlsx': case 'excel': return 'bi-file-earmark-spreadsheet'; case 'heic': return 'bi-filetype-heic'; case 'webp': return 'bi-filetype-webp'; case 'bmp': return 'bi-filetype-bmp'; case 'ico': return 'bi-file-image'; case 'mp4': return 'bi-filetype-mp4'; case 'mov': return 'bi-filetype-mov'; case 'mp3': return 'bi-filetype-mp3'; case 'wav': return 'bi-filetype-wav'; case 'avi': return 'bi-filetype-avi'; default: return 'bi-file-earmark-image'; } } if (categoryName === 'video') return 'bi-film'; if (categoryName === 'audio') return 'bi-music-note-beamed'; if (categoryName === 'image') return 'bi-file-earmark-image'; return 'bi-gear'; } const formatMeta = getFormatMeta(lowerKey); const connectorIcon = formatMeta.connector === 'arrow' ? 'bi-arrow-right-short' : 'bi-dot'; const iconClass = getIconClass(lowerKey, category); const mark = document.createElement('span'); mark.className = `tool-hero-mark converter-mark converter-mark--${category}`; const iconWrap = document.createElement('span'); iconWrap.className = 'converter-mark__icon'; const icon = document.createElement('i'); icon.className = iconClass; iconWrap.appendChild(icon); mark.appendChild(iconWrap); const formatWrap = document.createElement('span'); formatWrap.className = 'converter-format'; const primary = document.createElement('span'); primary.className = 'format-pill'; primary.textContent = formatMeta.primary; formatWrap.appendChild(primary); if (formatMeta.secondary) { const connector = document.createElement('span'); connector.className = 'format-connector'; const connectorIconEl = document.createElement('i'); connectorIconEl.className = connectorIcon; connector.appendChild(connectorIconEl); formatWrap.appendChild(connector); const secondary = document.createElement('span'); secondary.className = 'format-pill format-pill--secondary'; secondary.textContent = formatMeta.secondary; formatWrap.appendChild(secondary); } mark.appendChild(formatWrap); title.classList.add('tool-hero-title'); title.prepend(mark); })();(function(c,l,a,r,i,t,y){ c[a]=c[a]||function(){(c[a].q=c[a].q||[]).push(arguments)}; t=l.createElement(r);t.async=1;t.src="https://www.clarity.ms/tag/"+i; y=l.getElementsByTagName(r)[0];y.parentNode.insertBefore(t,y); })(window, document, "clarity", "script", "ihfkf38tbl");