How do I make a scanned PDF searchable using Acrobat?

Open your scanned PDF in Acrobat. Go to 'All tools' > 'Scan & OCR' > 'In this file'. Select your page range and the correct language. Click 'Recognize Text'. Acrobat will add a hidden text layer, making your document searchable.

What is the difference between a regular PDF and a searchable PDF?

Feature Regular PDF (Image-based) Searchable PDF (OCR-processed). Text Interaction Text cannot be selected, copied, or searched. Text can be selected, copied, and searched. Content Type The document is treated as a single image. Contains a hidden layer of actual text over the image. File Size Can be smaller if only images are present. Slightly larger due to the added text layer. Use Case Viewing documents where text content is not critical for search/copy. Archiving, indexing, and data extraction from scanned documents.

Create Searchable Records in Adobe Acrobat — How-to & AI prompts

AI prompts

2 ways to ask · copy any one

AExecute — “help me do it”Combine last year's operating policy PDFs into one searchable, Bates-numbered PDF and confirm…+

Combine last year's operating policy PDFs into one searchable, Bates-numbered PDF and confirm the file is indexed for audit retrieval.

when the reply comes backPush once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part, and to say what it assumed.

BImprove — “do it better”Before archiving for the auditors, merge and OCR the policy files, add Bates numbers, create a…+

Before archiving for the auditors, merge and OCR the policy files, add Bates numbers, create a short index of policy titles and dates at the front, and call out any missing or redlined policies that need follow-up.

when the reply comes backPush once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part, and to say what it assumed.

How to do it

the tool · the steps · what to avoid

1
Open the scanned PDF file in Adobe Acrobat.
2
Go to the Tools menu.
3
Select Scan & OCR from the tools list.
4
Click Recognize Text and choose In This File.
5
In the settings panel, ensure PDF Output Style is set to Searchable Image.
6
Click Recognize to start the OCR process.
7
Save the PDF after OCR is complete.
Best practiceFor best OCR accuracy, scan your documents at 300 dpi and ensure the images are clear before running OCR.

In the appWith the API

After OCR completes, you can search, copy, and highlight text in your previously scanned PDF.

This runs in the Acrobat app - there is no separate API for this task.

Glossary

words on this page

OCROCR stands for Optical Character Recognition. It is technology that turns images of text into real text you can search and copy.ExampleAfter scanning a paper invoice, OCR allows you to copy the vendor's name from the image.

Searchable PDFA searchable PDF is a document where you can look for words, even if it started as a scanned image.ExampleEven though it was a scan, the searchable PDF let me find every instance of 'warranty' in the document.

DPIDPI means dots per inch, and it tells you how clear an image is when it is scanned.ExampleA scanned photo saved at 300 DPI will usually contain more detail than the same photo at 72 DPI.

Who does this

3 roles

ArchivistResearch LibrarianRecords Manager

FAQ

about this task

Open your scanned PDF in Acrobat.
Go to 'All tools' > 'Scan & OCR' > 'In this file'.
Select your page range and the correct language.
Click 'Recognize Text'. Acrobat will add a hidden text layer, making your document searchable.

Recognizing text in a scanned PDF converts images of words into actual text data. This is important because it allows you to search for words, copy text, and edit the document. Without text recognition (OCR), a scanned document is just a picture, and computers cannot understand the words in it.

If your scanned document is blurry or has low quality, text recognition (OCR) might not work well. The accuracy of OCR depends on the clarity of the image. For the best results, always scan documents at a high resolution, like 300 dpi. This makes the text clearer for Acrobat to recognize, leading to fewer errors and more accurate searchable text.

Acrobat might fail to perform OCR if the page already contains 'renderable text'. This means the page is not an image but already has real, selectable text. OCR is designed to convert image-only text into searchable text. If Acrobat finds existing text, it will not try to recognize it again, and you might see an error message.

Feature	Regular PDF (Image-based)	Searchable PDF (OCR-processed)
Text Interaction	Text cannot be selected, copied, or searched.	Text can be selected, copied, and searched.
Content Type	The document is treated as a single image.	Contains a hidden layer of actual text over the image.
File Size	Can be smaller if only images are present.	Slightly larger due to the added text layer.
Use Case	Viewing documents where text content is not critical for search/copy.	Archiving, indexing, and data extraction from scanned documents.

Create Searchable Records

When to use it

AI prompts

How to do it

Glossary

The real tasks

Who does this

FAQ

Sources

Adobe help

When it fails