'%3e%3cpath%20d='M8%200C12.4183%200%2016%203.58172%2016%208C16%2012.4183%2012.4183%2016%208%2016C3.58172%2016%200%2012.4183%200%208C0%203.58172%203.58172%200%208%200ZM11.6162%204.38379C11.2257%203.99337%2010.5927%203.99338%2010.2021%204.38379L8%206.58594L5.79785%204.38379C5.40732%203.99334%204.77429%203.99329%204.38379%204.38379C3.99331%204.77429%203.99335%205.40733%204.38379%205.79785L6.58594%208L4.38379%2010.2021C3.99348%2010.5927%203.99341%2011.2257%204.38379%2011.6162C4.77426%2012.0066%205.40734%2012.0065%205.79785%2011.6162L8%209.41406L10.2021%2011.6162C10.5927%2012.0066%2011.2257%2012.0067%2011.6162%2011.6162C12.0067%2011.2257%2012.0066%2010.5927%2011.6162%2010.2021L9.41406%208L11.6162%205.79785C12.0066%205.40735%2012.0066%204.77429%2011.6162%204.38379Z'%20fill='%23080E17'%20fill-opacity='0.46'/%3e%3c/g%3e%3cdefs%3e%3cclipPath%20id='clip0_3761_713'%3e%3crect%20width='16'%20height='16'%20fill='white'/%3e%3c/clipPath%3e%3c/defs%3e%3c/svg%3e)
How to Fix Search Not Finding Text in PDF Documents
Question details
Users are unable to find specific words or phrases using the search function within certain PDF documents.
- Product
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Searching for specific keywords or phrases within a PDF document using the Find tool.
- Observed behavior
- The search function displays a 'Not found' message despite the text appearing visually on the document pages.
Before proceeding, try to highlight or select a word in the document with your cursor or finger to quickly verify if the PDF contains real text or is just a flat image.
Convert the Scanned PDF to Searchable Text using OCR
If your PDF is a scanned image, you must perform Optical Character Recognition (OCR) to extract the text and make it searchable.
A common reason the search function fails is that the PDF is composed entirely of flat images rather than encoded text. OCR technology scans the visual shapes of the letters in the image and converts them into an active text layer that the search tool can process.
Open your PDF and try dragging your cursor or finger over a paragraph. If the entire page highlights as a single block rather than individual words, it is an image-based PDF.
Locate the OCR or 'Text Recognition' feature in your PDF editor's tool menu and select it to process the document.
Once the OCR process finishes, save the newly generated searchable PDF. Press Ctrl+F (or Cmd+F) to search for your text again.
Report App Issues with System Details
If the document already contains selectable text but the search still fails, there may be a software glitch that requires further troubleshooting.
Make PDFs Searchable Instantly with WPS Office
WPS Office includes a powerful, built-in OCR feature that easily converts scanned PDFs and images into fully searchable and editable text documents in just a few clicks.
- 1. Open the scanned PDF: Launch WPS Office and open the image-based PDF document you wish to make searchable.
- 2. Access the OCR tool: Navigate to the 'Tools' tab on the top ribbon and click on the 'OCR' or 'Picture to Text' button.
- 3. Convert and search: Select the document language and the desired conversion output format, then click confirm. Once the conversion is complete, use the Find tool to search for your desired text seamlessly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why can I read the text on the screen, but the search tool says 'Not found'?
The text you see visually is likely part of a flat, scanned image. Search engines in PDF readers look for encoded digital text characters, not visual shapes, which is why an image-based PDF returns zero search results.
What is OCR and why do I need it for my PDF?
OCR stands for Optical Character Recognition. It is a technology that analyzes an image, recognizes the shapes of letters, and converts them into machine-readable text so you can interact with it, search it, and copy it.
Can I copy text from a scanned PDF without converting it?
No, you cannot directly select or copy text from a scanned image PDF. You must first apply an OCR tool to extract the text from the image layer before any copying or editing can occur.
