In this tutorial, we will show you how to convert scanned PDF into searchable PDF in JavaScript using PDF.co Web API. Below is the image of the source PDF and converted searchable PDF output.

Source PDF and Converted Searchable PDF Output
Source PDF and Converted Searchable PDF Output

Step 1: Source and Code

Let’s start by opening Visual Studio and saving the following files.

Step 2: Install Requests Module

We will use this requests module for file upload. Type the npm install request in your terminal.

Step 3: PDF.co API Key

In line 13, add your PDF.co API Key. You can get your API Key in the PDF.co dashboard here.

PDF.co API Key

Step 4: Source File

In line 17, enter your source PDF file.

Source File

Step 5: Destination File

Type in your desired PDF file name output in line 25.

Destination File

Step 6: Run Program

After setting up the code, you may now run the program. Type the node app.js in the terminal.

Step 7: Converted Searchable PDF Demo

Here’s a demo to convert scanned PDF into searchable PDF from start to finish.

Converted Searchable PDF Output
Converted Searchable PDF Output

In this tutorial, you learned how to convert scanned PDFs into searchable PDFs in JavaScript. You learned how to install the request module to run the program. You also learned how to use the PDF.co Web API to convert scanned PDFs into searchable PDFs.