Convert PDF Tables to Excel Without Losing Data
By PdfEditly Team · Published · Updated · 10 min read
It is convenient to use the PDF format when you want to transfer the document unchanged. Nevertheless, extracting data from it may turn into a real challenge because sometimes you need to extract some figures from a report, modify a sales table, or perform certain calculations based on figures from a financial statement. The process is time-consuming and error-prone if performed manually.
The best option would be to convert PDF to Excel in order to make further manipulations easier. In Excel, you will be able to edit data, use formulas, and rearrange everything as necessary. Yet, in some cases, the result may differ from the initial PDF file. In this manual, you will get acquainted with the process of converting tables from PDF to Excel, as well as learn what you should do in case the file is scanned and how to check your spreadsheet for errors.
Why Is It Hard to Copy Tables From a PDF to Excel?
The content of PDF files is kept in a fixed format. This will ensure that whatever appears in the file will look the same on all devices. The layout may sometimes pose challenges when transferring data from the table to another application.
This can be illustrated by considering a table containing three columns: product name, quantity, and price. When trying to transfer the data from the PDF file to Excel, for instance, the product name ends up in one column while quantity and price are misplaced.
Some of the problems that you might encounter include:
- Rows and columns may switch: This is where the information may not appear in the right cells.
- Numbers may be omitted: Some numbers will fail to be copied, especially if the table being worked on is complicated.
- Formatting may be changed: This is where borders, colors, and merged cells may differ from those of Excel.
- A scanned table may lack text selection: This means that a scanned PDF behaves like an image.
This may slow down the process of copying by hand. You can use PDF to Excel converter to transfer table data to your worksheet. You should verify the result since the success of the process will depend on the document itself.
How to Convert PDF Tables to Excel Online
With PdfEditly's PDF to Excel converter, you can convert table data in a PDF document to an Excel file, thus saving some time when dealing with reports, lists, or other documents containing tables.
Follow these steps to get started.
Step 1: Open the PDF to Excel Tool
Open PdfEditly and select its PDF to Excel tool. Make sure you have the correct PDF file ready on your device. Before you start, check that the document contains the table you need. If the PDF has many pages, note which pages contain the required information.
Step 2: Select Your PDF File
Select the required PDF file for conversion. Make sure that you select the correct file based on the name displayed. When you have multiple copies of a single report, consider using the most recent one. It can be used as a way of preventing the use of outdated information.
Step 3: Convert the PDF to Excel
Start the conversion process and wait until the tool does its work. The conversion process will attempt to transfer the contents from the PDF file to Excel format. The result can be affected by the format used in the creation of the original table. In fact, simple tables are usually easier to convert than those with complex structures.
How to Convert Scanned PDF Tables to Excel
However, a scanned PDF is not the same as an ordinary PDF document. It may have page images rather than selectable and copyable text. For instance, you can receive a scanned invoice or a picture of a printed document. Although the table seems to be perfectly legible to the eye, a computer may not recognize the data as text.
And here is where OCR may become useful.
Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology recognizes text from images and converts it into machine-encoded text. This may help software recognize text and numbers in scanned documents.
Here are some tips if you have to convert a scanned PDF to Excel:
- Use software capable of OCR scanning.
- Ensure that your scanned page is readable and clear.
- Look at all numbers, dates, and headings after conversion.
- Check all the numbers that seem ambiguous or wrong to you.
OCR scanning can improve your ability to work with scanned tables, although it does not guarantee 100% results. For example, a bad scan, an odd font, or handwriting might result in mistakes.
How to Keep Your Table Data Accurate After Conversion
Table conversion is just half the battle. You should also verify that the information is accurate prior to using it.
A PDF to XLSX converter file will sometimes result in different formatting or values, even if you get an editable spreadsheet. It is better to do a quick check before you proceed further with your work.
Start by checking the following points.
1. Check the column order
First of all, ensure that each value is located underneath its corresponding heading. In other words, the product names should never end up in the price column.
2. Compare important numbers
Select several rows and compare their data with the data in the original PDF file. If there are any sums in the PDF document, check them as well.
3. Look for missing rows
Scan through the entire sheet and make sure that all necessary rows were converted from the table in the PDF. Be careful with tables that are spread across multiple pages.
4. Review dates and decimal points
Sometimes dates have a different format after conversion. As for numbers, Excel may read them incorrectly due to decimal points or commas.
5. Check table headings
Check the headings to make sure that they are clear and arranged in the right order. If the original table included merged cells, you'll have to adjust the layout in Excel. These verifications are helpful when you are extracting tables from PDFs for business or academic purposes. The spreadsheet may seem accurate at first glance but still have some mistakes. You can check the critical values before doing any calculations or making formulas, charts, and reports based on them.
Common PDF to Excel Conversion Problems and Their Solutions
At times, you may find that your converted spreadsheet doesn't match what you wanted it to be. But don't worry; there are many problems that can easily be identified and resolved.
Table Columns Appear in the Wrong Place: The layout of the original PDF file may be complicated, or the spaces between the columns may be inconsistent.
What you can do: Check out the comparison between the spreadsheet and the PDF file. Place the values in the right columns and adjust the column width to improve readability of the table.
Numbers or Text Are Missing: There might be cases where some values are missing from the converted spreadsheet.
What you can do: First, check out the row in question from the PDF file and then add missing values. Make sure that the file is not a scanned one and that a file supporting OCR technology is used.
The Converted Spreadsheet Looks Different: A PDF file might include some colorings, borders, and merged cells. Some features of a PDF file might not be converted correctly to an Excel spreadsheet.
What to do: You should first concentrate on entering the correct information into the proper rows and columns. Then you might change the formatting of your spreadsheet in Excel, if necessary.
Scanned Tables Contain Incorrect Text: OCR may interpret some symbols incorrectly. For instance, OCR may confuse zero and O.
What to do: Verify any doubtful figures in accordance with the scanned file. If the scanned file is of poor quality, try to obtain a clearer version of the same file.
Please bear in mind that if you convert your PDF table Excel spreadsheet, then a perfect conversion does not necessarily imply usable data.
What Should You Look for in a PDF to Excel Converter?
All PDF to Excel converters do not convert all files in the same way. Before opting for a particular converter, consider the kinds of files that you will be using and the requirements of the file that needs to be created.
The following is a list of some of the features that can be helpful.
Accuracy of conversion: The software should allow you to arrange the content into the appropriate rows and columns.
Recognition of scanned documents: For scanned documents, you may want to choose a PDF converter that has OCR capability.
Editing of Excel file: Ensure that you can edit the cells in the Excel file.
Ease of handling files: An easy-to-use software interface will come in handy when you are not working regularly with PDF files.
Privacy issues: Find out how the software will handle your files. If there is personal, business, or financial information in the file, find out more about the software's privacy policy.
PdfEditly provides a PDF to Excel converter that has OCR functionality for scanned PDFs. Information about its features also mentions that it has support for table layout preservation. However, it is advisable to always check the converted file, as the results may differ depending on the document.
Select a converter based on your requirements and also check the latest features before using the converter.
When Should You Convert PDF Tables to Excel?
Excel helps when more is required besides just reading the information. Although PDF is convenient to distribute, the use of spreadsheets provides many more options to manipulate the data.
The following list includes the typical cases.
Expense reports: Enter all expense information into Excel in order to sort out costs and calculate totals.
Sales data: Organize product names, quantity, and price in separate columns, allowing you to analyze sales numbers or even compose a report.
Student scores: Enter scores from the table in a PDF document into the spreadsheet, allowing you to organize scores and calculate grades.
Research data: Enter values from published tables in Excel in order to make some additional manipulations.
Inventory data: Organize item names and prices to update records more easily.
In the aforementioned situations, the PDF to Excel converter is especially helpful, saving your time instead of manually entering all values.
But it is necessary to double-check all the transferred information before applying it to any decisions or calculations, as even a minor mistake in a number may ruin all the results.
Final Thoughts
Learning how to convert PDF to Excel will allow you to manipulate tables in reports, invoices, and other types of files. Data is copied to the spreadsheet where it can be edited, sorted, manipulated via formulas, and no cells have to be copied manually. To get the most out of your file, choose a tool that suits your file type and check the result after conversion. Scan documents, numbers, dates, and empty rows require special care. Try PdfEditly's PDF to Excel converter to import data from tables to a spreadsheet.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I convert PDF tables to Excel for free?
Yes, some online tools offer free PDF-to-Excel conversion. Check the tool's current features and limits before using it.
Can I convert a scanned PDF to Excel?
Yes, if the tool supports OCR. OCR reads text from scanned pages, but you should check the converted numbers and words for errors.
Will converting a PDF to Excel keep the original table layout?
Not always. Simple tables may convert well, while complex layouts, merged cells, and unusual spacing can cause changes. Review the spreadsheet after conversion.
How do I extract tables from a PDF without copying each cell?
Use a PDF-to-Excel tool that can move table data into a spreadsheet. After conversion, compare the rows and columns with the original PDF.
Can I edit the Excel file after conversion?
Yes. Once you have an Excel-compatible file, you can open it in a compatible spreadsheet program and edit the cells, sort data, or use formulas.