How do I use Recognize Text (OCR) to make my scanned PDF searchable in Adobe Acrobat?

Open your scanned PDF in Acrobat. Go to 'All tools' and select 'Scan & OCR'. Choose 'In this file', set the page range and language. Click 'Recognize Text' to start OCR. Save your PDF when it is done.

If my scan is blurry or low quality, will OCR still work in Adobe Acrobat?

OCR may not work well on blurry or low-quality scans. Acrobat recommends scanning at 300 dpi for best results. If the scan is too poor, OCR might miss words or make mistakes.

What is the difference between a searchable PDF and an image-only PDF in Adobe Acrobat?

Searchable PDF Image-only PDF. You can search, select, and copy text. You cannot search or select text; it is only a picture. Has a text layer created by OCR or typing. No text layer; just images of pages. Useful for finding information quickly. Hard to use for searching or copying words.

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

AI prompts

3 ways to ask · copy any one

AExecute — “help me do it”I have a scanned lease agreement with faint handwriting on page 4. Run text recognition so the…+

I have a scanned lease agreement with faint handwriting on page 4. Run text recognition so the whole document becomes searchable, keep original layout, and export a searchable PDF named [filename=Lease-Searchable-by-Tuesday].

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

BImprove — “do it better”The legal reviewer will need accurate, searchable text but dislikes OCR errors in dates and…+

The legal reviewer will need accurate, searchable text but dislikes OCR errors in dates and names. Run OCR on the [pages=18]-page manual, flag low-confidence lines, and produce a text extract of all dates, names, and contract numbers for quick verification before I send it to legal.

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

CDecide — “help me choose”We found an old printed contract in the archive with handwritten amendments and faint stamps.…+

We found an old printed contract in the archive with handwritten amendments and faint stamps. I’m unsure whether OCR will misread clause numbers or signatures. Tell me how reliable OCR typically is on mixed‑quality scans, list what I should check afterward, and recommend settings that maximize accuracy for dates and clause numbers without mangling legal formatting.

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 text layerThis is an invisible layer of text added to an image-based PDF, allowing you to search for words in the document.

Renderable textRenderable text is real, typed text in a PDF, not just a picture of words.

FAQ

about this task

Open your scanned PDF in Acrobat.
Go to 'All tools' and select 'Scan & OCR'.
Choose 'In this file', set the page range and language.
Click 'Recognize Text' to start OCR.
Save your PDF when it is done.

OCR, or Optical Character Recognition, is a feature in Adobe Acrobat that reads text from images or scanned documents and turns it into real, searchable text. This is important because scanned PDFs are just pictures of pages, so you cannot search or copy words unless you use OCR. With OCR, you can find, select, and use the text easily, which saves time and makes documents more useful.

OCR may not work well on blurry or low-quality scans.
Acrobat recommends scanning at 300 dpi for best results.
If the scan is too poor, OCR might miss words or make mistakes.

Adobe Acrobat shows this message because OCR only works on pages that are images, not on pages that already have real, typed text. If your PDF already has text, Acrobat will not run OCR, since it is not needed. This helps avoid mistakes and keeps your document clean.

Searchable PDF	Image-only PDF
You can search, select, and copy text.	You cannot search or select text; it is only a picture.
Has a text layer created by OCR or typing.	No text layer; just images of pages.
Useful for finding information quickly.	Hard to use for searching or copying words.

Create Searchable Text

When to use it

AI prompts

How to do it

Glossary

The real tasks

FAQ

Sources

Adobe help

When it fails