What is OCR and why do I need it?

OCR (Optical Character Recognition) is a technology that converts images of text — such as scanned documents or photographed pages — into actual digital text that you can search, copy, and edit. Without OCR, a scanned PDF is just a picture: you cannot search for words, select text, or extract data from it.

Is the OCR tool free to use?

Yes. You can process scanned PDFs with OCR for free — no watermarks, no registration, and no file size limits on the free tier. Premium plans offer higher daily processing limits and priority queue access for users with large volumes.

What languages does the OCR engine support?

Dokk.ai OCR supports over 100 languages, including English, Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, Italian, Dutch, Polish, Russian, Ukrainian, Arabic, Hebrew, Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), Japanese, Korean, Hindi, Thai, and many more. Select the document language before processing for optimal accuracy.

Does OCR change how my document looks?

No. The OCR engine adds an invisible text layer behind the original scanned image. The visual appearance of your document is preserved exactly — every page looks identical to the original. The difference is that the text is now searchable, selectable, and accessible.

Can I OCR a multi-page scanned document?

Yes. Upload a multi-page scanned PDF and the OCR engine processes every page in a single operation. Whether your document has 5 pages or 500, you get a fully searchable PDF back.

What file formats can I OCR?

You can upload scanned PDF files and image files (JPG, PNG, TIFF). The output is a searchable PDF with the text layer embedded, or optionally a plain text file with the extracted text content.

How accurate is the OCR recognition?

Accuracy depends on scan quality and document type. Clean, high-resolution scans of typed text typically achieve 95–99% accuracy. Lower-quality scans, faded text, or unusual fonts may produce lower accuracy. For best results, use Deskew to straighten tilted pages before running OCR.

Can OCR recognize handwritten text?

The OCR engine can recognize clearly written block handwriting with moderate accuracy. Cursive or heavily stylized handwriting is more challenging and may produce incomplete results. For handwritten documents, we recommend reviewing the output and correcting any errors.

Is it safe to process sensitive documents with OCR?

Yes. All file transfers use TLS encryption. Documents are processed on isolated servers and automatically deleted after the OCR is complete. We never read, store, or share your files. No account or personal data is required to use the tool.

How can I improve OCR accuracy on poor-quality scans?

First, use the Deskew tool to straighten any tilted pages — even a 1-2 degree skew can reduce accuracy. Second, select the correct document language. Third, if possible, scan the original document at 300 DPI or higher for the clearest input. These three steps together can significantly improve recognition quality.

All tools

OCR

Recognize text in scans

1Upload

2Configure

3Process

Drop file here

PDF, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, images up to 25 MB

Key Features

AI-powered text recognition with 100+ language support
Invisible text layer preserves the original visual appearance of scans
Handles complex multi-column layouts and tables accurately
Works on scanned PDFs and images (JPG and PNG and TIFF)
Process multi-page documents in a single operation
Multiple output formats — searchable PDF or extracted plain text
Improves accessibility — searchable PDFs work with screen readers
Skip-text mode avoids re-processing pages that already contain text
Combine with Deskew for better accuracy on tilted scans
No watermarks and no registration required
Works on any device — desktop and tablet and mobile browser
TLS encryption and automatic file deletion after processing

Use Cases

Making scanned contracts searchable so you can find clauses by keyword
Digitizing paper archives into a searchable digital repository
Enabling copy-paste from scanned academic papers and research documents
Making scanned documents accessible to screen readers for visually impaired users
Extracting invoice numbers and dates from scanned invoices for accounting
Converting photographed whiteboard notes into searchable reference files
Processing scanned patient intake forms for healthcare data entry
Preparing scanned legal filings for full-text search in case management
Converting old typewritten documents to searchable digital format
Extracting text from scanned business cards and contact sheets

How to Use

1Upload your scanned PDF or image file (JPG, PNG, TIFF) by dragging it into the upload area
2Select the primary language of the document — this helps the OCR engine optimize character recognition for that script
3Choose your output format: searchable PDF (text layer behind the image) or plain text extraction
4Click Process — the OCR engine analyzes every page and embeds the recognized text layer
5Download your searchable PDF and verify the results — try searching for a keyword to confirm the text was recognized correctly

You have a scanned contract and need to find a specific clause. Or a stack of photographed receipts you cannot copy-paste from. Or archived paper records that are completely invisible to search. The problem is always the same: a scanned PDF is just a picture of text — you cannot search it, select it, or extract data from it. OCR (Optical Character Recognition) fixes this by converting image-based documents into fully searchable, selectable, and copy-able PDF files. Dokk.ai's free online OCR tool does it in seconds, with no installation and no sign-up. Our OCR engine uses advanced AI-powered recognition that supports over 100 languages, including Latin, Cyrillic, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean scripts. It accurately detects and transcribes text even from low-quality scans, faded typewritten documents, mixed-language pages, and documents with complex multi-column layouts. Tables, headers, footers, and page numbers are recognized and positioned correctly in the text layer. The output is a searchable PDF that looks identical to the original scan. The visual appearance of every page is preserved exactly — the OCR engine adds an invisible text layer behind the scanned image rather than replacing it. This means you get the best of both worlds: the authentic look of the original document with the full functionality of digital text. You can search for keywords, select and copy paragraphs, and use the text with screen readers and assistive technologies for accessibility compliance. Dokk.ai OCR handles both scanned PDF files and standalone images (JPG, PNG, TIFF). You can process multi-page documents in a single operation — upload a 200-page scanned book and get a fully searchable PDF back. For best results, run the Deskew tool first to straighten any tilted pages, which significantly improves OCR accuracy on batch-scanned documents. The tool also offers multiple output formats. Keep the searchable PDF for archiving and sharing, or extract the recognized text as a plain text file for further processing. This is invaluable for data extraction workflows — pulling invoice numbers from scanned invoices, extracting names from forms, or converting paper archives into structured digital data. Dokk.ai works on every device and operating system. Run OCR on Windows, Mac, Linux, or mobile — all you need is a browser. There is nothing to install. Your files are encrypted during transfer and automatically deleted after processing. We never read or store your documents beyond the time needed to perform the recognition.

Frequently Asked Questions

Security & Privacy

Your files are protected with TLS encryption during upload and download. All documents are automatically deleted from our servers after OCR processing is complete — we never store, read, or share your files. The OCR engine runs in an isolated environment with no access to other users' data. No registration is required.