How to Clear Files from the Adobe Acrobat Batch OCR List
Question details
The user needs to remove previously processed documents from the Batch OCR file selector queue.
- Product
- Adobe Acrobat
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Preparing to run a new Batch OCR task and needing a clean file list.
- Observed behavior
- Old files from previous OCR jobs persist in the Batch OCR list and do not clear automatically.
Verify that your previous Batch OCR jobs have fully completed and the extracted files are safely saved before clearing the queue.
Use the Manage Files Menu to Clear the OCR List
Access the hidden file management options within the Acrobat Action Wizard to manually delete old files from your batch queue.
In Adobe Acrobat, Batch OCR is often configured as an Action Sequence rather than a standard built-in feature. Because it functions as an Action, it may retain files from previous uses.
To clear these out, you must access the specific file management window connected to the 'Add Files' function.
Open the Batch OCR Action Sequence in Adobe Acrobat and look for the 'Add Files' button on the tool panel.
Click the small downward-pointing triangle icon right next to 'Add Files' to reveal a drop-down menu, then select 'Manage Files'.
In the management window that opens, select the old files from your previous OCR jobs and delete them from the list before adding your new batch of documents.
Easily Perform OCR on Multiple PDFs with WPS Office
Skip complex action sequences. WPS Office offers an intuitive, built-in OCR feature for PDFs that effortlessly extracts text from scanned documents and converts them into editable formats.
- 1. Open WPS PDF: Launch WPS Office and navigate to the PDF tab.
- 2. Load your scanned document: Open the scanned PDF file that you wish to process.
- 3. Access the OCR Tool: Navigate to the 'Tools' menu at the top and click on the 'OCR' button.
- 4. Extract and save: Choose whether to extract the text directly or convert the scanned PDF into an editable Word document, then let WPS process the file.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Acrobat keep old files in the Batch OCR list?
Acrobat's Action Wizard is designed to retain previously processed files in the queue to make repeating tasks on the same documents easier. You must manually manage and clear them for completely new batches.
Where do I find the Batch OCR tool in Acrobat?
Batch OCR is often not a default standalone tool in Acrobat but rather a custom Action. You can find or create it by navigating to Tools > Action Wizard.
Can I clear all files at once in the Manage Files window?
Yes. Once the Manage Files window is open, you can typically click inside the list and use standard keyboard shortcuts like Ctrl+A (Windows) or Cmd+A (Mac) to select all the files and delete them simultaneously.
