How to Batch OCR PDFs in Multiple Subfolders with Acrobat Pro
Question details
The user needs to convert multiple PDF files located in various nested subfolders into searchable text without manually processing each individual folder.
- Product
- Adobe Acrobat Pro
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Batch processing PDF files for Optical Character Recognition (OCR) across complex nested directory structures.
- Observed behavior
- Processing each subfolder manually to apply OCR is highly inefficient and time-consuming.
Ensure that the PDFs you intend to process are not password-protected against editing, and consolidate your parent folders to streamline the batch execution.
Use the Action Wizard in Adobe Acrobat Pro
Create a custom action in Acrobat Pro to automatically apply OCR and save files across a parent folder and all its nested subfolders.
Adobe Acrobat Pro includes an Action Wizard feature designed specifically for automating repetitive tasks. By setting up an action that includes text recognition and saving, you can apply it to a top-level folder, allowing Acrobat to recursively process all PDFs contained within its subfolders.
Launch Adobe Acrobat Pro, navigate to the 'Tools' tab at the top left, and select 'Action Wizard' from the Customize section.
Click on 'New Action' in the Action Wizard toolbar to open the Create New Action dialog box.
In the left pane under 'Choose tools to add', expand the 'Recognize Text' category, select 'Recognize Text using OCR', and click the '+' icon in the center to add it to your action steps on the right.
Expand the 'Save & Export' category in the left pane, select 'Save', and click the '+' icon to append it after the OCR step. This ensures the newly searchable PDFs are automatically saved.
On the right side under 'Files to be Processed', click 'Add Folder' and browse to select the main parent folder that contains all your subfolders.
Click 'Save', give your custom action a descriptive name (e.g., 'Batch OCR Folders'), and then select it from the Action List to run it. Acrobat will recursively process all PDFs within the nested directories.
Use WPS PDF for Fast and Accurate OCR Processing
WPS Office offers a powerful PDF toolkit that includes an advanced OCR engine. You can easily extract text from scanned PDFs, convert them to editable Word documents, and manage large PDF files efficiently without the high cost of Adobe Acrobat.
- 1. Open Your PDF: Launch WPS Office and open your scanned PDF document using the WPS PDF tool.
- 2. Access the OCR Tool: Navigate to the 'Tools' tab on the top ribbon and click on the 'OCR' button.
- 3. Select OCR Options: Choose your desired output, such as extracting the text directly or converting the document into an editable Word file.
- 4. Process and Save: Click 'Start' to initiate the text recognition process, then save your newly searchable document.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Acrobat Pro skipping some PDFs in my subfolders during batch OCR?
Acrobat might skip files that are encrypted, password-protected against editing, or already contain a renderable text layer. Check the error log in the Action Wizard panel after the process completes to identify which files were skipped and why.
Can I batch OCR PDFs without Adobe Acrobat Pro?
Yes, you can use alternative PDF editors like WPS Office, which provides powerful built-in OCR tools, or specialized batch OCR software that supports folder recursion and automated processing.
Will the Action Wizard overwrite my original PDF files?
It depends on your configuration. In the Action Wizard 'Save' step settings, you can choose to overwrite the original files or specify a new destination folder to save the OCR'd versions, keeping your original files intact.
Does OCR quality degrade when processing large batches of PDFs?
No, the OCR engine uses the same recognition algorithms whether processing a single file or a batch. However, the accuracy still relies heavily on the source document's scan resolution and clarity.
