Extract Table from PDF to Excel
Pull a table out of a PDF and into Excel rows and columns. Free, and nothing is uploaded.
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How to convert PDF to Excel
Three quick steps. Nothing to install and nothing leaves your device.
Add your PDF files
Click the upload area or drag one or more .pdf files onto it. You can add several files and convert them in one go.
Choose a mode and layout
Pick Detect table columns for tables or One text line per row for plain text. Then choose one sheet per page or everything in a single sheet.
Convert and download
Press Convert, check the sheet and row count, then download each XLSX file or all of them as a ZIP.
How to extract a table from a PDF
A PDF does not store real tables, only text placed at positions on the page. The tool groups text on the same line into a row and lines up the columns by their left edges.
- Cut out the table pages with Split PDF if the file has cover pages or notes.
- Add the PDF and keep Detect table columns selected.
- Pick All pages in one sheet if the table runs over several pages.
- Convert, then check the first rows and the totals in Excel.
- Works best on: tidy tables with selectable text and steady left edges.
- May need clean-up: merged cells, tightly packed columns and multi-line cells.
- Long tables: columns are found page by page, and a blank row separates the pages, so check that columns line up where one page ends and the next begins.
- Columns look wrong? Run it again with One text line per row.
- Scanned tables: a scan has no selectable text, so this tool cannot read it. Run OCR on the file first.
More PDF to Excel guides
Why convert a PDF to Excel?
Bank statements, invoices, price lists, reports and exam results often arrive as PDFs. You can read them, but you cannot sort, filter, total or chart the numbers until they are in a spreadsheet. Copying and pasting from a PDF usually breaks the columns and leaves you fixing every line by hand.
This tool reads the text on each page and places it into rows and columns for you. It runs in your browser, so statements and financial documents stay on your device.
How this tool builds your spreadsheet
A PDF does not contain real tables. It only stores pieces of text at positions on the page. The tool works like this:
- It groups text into rows. Pieces of text that sit on the same line are put in the same row.
- It finds the columns. In Detect table columns mode, big gaps start a new cell, and the left edges that repeat down the page become your columns. Empty columns are dropped.
- It keeps text lines whole when you ask. In One text line per row mode, each full line goes into one cell, which suits letters, notes and other non-table documents.
- It turns plain numbers into numbers. A value like 1,250.50 becomes a numeric cell, so formulas such as SUM work right away. Values with a leading zero, currency symbols, percentages and dates stay as text.
- It lays out the sheets your way. One sheet per page names the sheets Page 1, Page 2 and so on. All pages in one sheet stacks every page into a single sheet called Data. Pages with no text are skipped.
What this tool cannot do
- Scanned PDFs. A scan is a picture of a page with no selectable text, so there is nothing to extract. Pictures need OCR first.
- Password-protected PDFs. Remove the password in your PDF viewer, then add the file again.
- Perfect copies of complex layouts. Merged cells, tightly packed columns and multi-line cells may need a quick clean-up in Excel.
Tips for cleaner results
- Try both modes. If the columns look wrong in Detect table columns, run the file again with One text line per row.
- Use one sheet for long tables. A table that runs over many pages is easier to sort and filter when you pick All pages in one sheet.
- Convert only the pages you need. Use Split PDF to pull out the table pages first, so the sheet is not full of cover pages and notes.
- Check the totals. Compare a column total in Excel with the total in the PDF before you rely on the data.
- Need plain text instead? PDF to Text and PDF to Word are better for documents that are not tables.
Going the other way? Excel to PDF turns a spreadsheet into a neat PDF, and Excel to CSV exports a sheet as plain CSV. To combine several PDFs before you convert them, use Merge PDF.
Frequently asked questions
Quick answers about the ConvertKit Lite PDF to Excel tool.
Are my documents uploaded to a server?
No. The Excel file is created in your browser, so your PDFs stay on your device.
How accurate is the table detection?
PDF files do not store real tables, only text placed at positions on the page. The tool groups text into rows and lines up columns by position, which works well for tidy, left-aligned tables. Complex layouts, merged cells and tightly packed columns may need a quick clean-up in Excel. If columns look wrong, try One text line per row.
What is the difference between the two modes?
Detect table columns splits each row into cells and places them in columns. One text line per row puts each full line of text into a single cell, which is useful for documents that are not tables.
Can I convert scanned PDFs?
No. Scanned PDFs are pictures of pages and contain no selectable text, so there is nothing to extract. Run OCR on the file first, then add it again.
Are numbers converted to real numbers?
Yes. Plain numbers such as 1,250.50 become numeric cells so you can use formulas. Values with a leading zero, currency symbols, percentages and dates stay as text.
Can I convert password-protected PDFs?
No. Remove the password in your PDF viewer first, then add the file again.
Can I convert many files at once?
Yes. Add several PDF files, convert them together, and download each XLSX file or one ZIP.
Does it keep my formatting, colors and fonts?
No. The tool extracts text and numbers only. Fonts, colors, borders, images and shading are not carried over. You get plain data that is ready to format in Excel.
Why are some columns merged or split in the wrong place?
Column positions are guessed from where text sits on the page. If text in different columns is very close together, or one column has uneven left edges, cells can merge or split. Try the other extraction mode, or fix the few affected rows in Excel.
Why did some numbers stay as text?
Only plain numbers, with an optional minus sign, comma thousands separators and decimals, are converted. Values with a leading zero, such as account codes, currency symbols, percentages and dates stay as text on purpose, so they are not changed by mistake.
What do the sheets and file names look like?
Each PDF becomes one XLSX file with the same name as the PDF. With one sheet per page, the sheets are named Page 1, Page 2 and so on. With all pages in one sheet, the single sheet is named Data.
Is there a watermark or a limit?
No watermark, no account and no daily limit. Very large PDFs take longer because everything runs on your own device.
Does it work on a phone?
Yes, in any modern browser on Android, iPhone, Windows and Mac. Long PDFs can take longer on older phones, and the spreadsheet is easier to check on a larger screen.
How do I extract a table from a PDF into Excel?
Add the PDF, keep Detect table columns selected and press Convert to Excel. The text is grouped into rows and columns and you download an XLSX file.
Can it extract a table that runs over several pages?
Yes. Choose All pages in one sheet to stack the pages in one sheet. Columns are found page by page, so check that they line up where one page ends and the next begins.