How to get a table out of a PDF and into Excel
You have a PDF with tables that you want to use in Excel, but copying and pasting is not an option because it would not preserve the table structure. The tables in your PDF can be turned into an Excel spreadsheet with real rows, columns and numbers that you can add up.
This can be achieved with a PDF to Excel converter that reads where every word sits on the page, and can rebuild tables without lines from the gaps between the text, keeping columns of right-aligned amounts apart and descriptions that wrap onto a second line in one cell.
How it works
The converter works best with digital PDFs, such as bank statements, invoices, price lists and reports exported from accounting software, Excel or Word. It can handle tables drawn with lines, which become a grid of cells, and merged cells stay merged, while tables without lines are rebuilt from the gaps between the text.
Amounts such as 1,234.56, 1.234,56, (1,234), −12% or €45.00 become real numbers in Excel, with the same format, so SUM and filters work straight away, and codes with leading zeros, like ZIP codes and item numbers, stay exactly as written.
Limitations and requirements
A scanned PDF is only a picture of the paper, so there is no text to read, and the tool tells you instead of giving you an empty sheet. Very complex layouts, such as tables side by side, charts or headers stacked on three levels, may need some tidying up, so check the totals before you rely on them.
Dates are kept as they are written, so 03/04 never turns into the wrong day, and header rows come out in bold, making it easier to identify the different sections of the table.
Steps to follow
To convert your PDF to Excel, follow these steps:
- Select your PDF, or drop it on the box on the PDF to Excel converter page.
- Choose one sheet per page or all pages in one sheet, and whether you want only the tables or all the text.
- Click Convert to Excel and download the XLSX file, which will contain your tables in a format that can be used directly in Excel.
Security and privacy
The PDF is read and converted inside your browser on your own device, so bank statements, invoices and payroll reports are never sent or stored anywhere, and once the page has loaded it keeps working even without an internet connection.
This means that you can convert your PDF to Excel without worrying about your data being compromised, and you can do it all from the PDF to Excel converter page, without having to install any software or upload your files to a server.
Will the numbers work in Excel formulas? Yes, amounts are stored as real numbers, not as text, whether the PDF writes them as 1,234.56, 1.234,56 or 1 234,56, and negative amounts in brackets become negative numbers and percentages become percentages, so you can add, sort and filter them at once.
FAQ
Will the numbers work in Excel formulas?
Yes. Amounts are stored as real numbers, not as text, whether the PDF writes them as 1,234.56, 1.234,56 or 1 234,56. Negative amounts in brackets become negative numbers and percentages become percentages, so you can add, sort and filter them at once.
Can it convert a scanned PDF to Excel?
No. A scan is a photo of the page with no text inside, so there are no words or numbers to place in cells. The tool tells you clearly when a PDF has no text.
Is my PDF uploaded to a server?
No. The PDF is read and converted inside your browser on your own device, so bank statements, invoices and payroll reports are never sent to us or stored anywhere. Once the page has loaded it keeps working even without an internet connection.