How to Convert PDF to Excel: A Step-by-Step Guide
12 July 2023 Senior Product Manager
Summary
Learn efficient ways to convert PDF files into editable Excel tables, including scanned PDFs. Editing and modifying table data has never been easier.
PDF
The PDF (Portable Document Format) file developed by Adobe is one of the most commonly used file types. Compared to other file formats, PDF files are mainly used for viewing rather than editing. One of the reasons PDFs have become popular is that they retain the full formatting and layout of the document, no matter what device it is opened on. In addition to this, creating documents in PDF format also guarantees accurate colors and accurate printing results. Today, more and more e-books, product descriptions, company announcements, web materials and e-mails are using the PDF format.
Common uses of PDF files:
- Print files: PDFs can contain precise page layouts and high-resolution images, so when you need to do high-quality print work, the PDF format is the best choice.
- Online transmission and sharing: When using PDF format transmission on the Internet, the content of the file can be better protected so that it can only be read but not modified. Moreover, the PDF displays the original layout and content correctly every time it is opened.
- Business and Legal Documents: The PDF format preserves accurate document layouts, which are critical for business and legal documents.
- Need to combine multiple document formats: PDF allows you to import text in Word documents, images in various formats, Excel tables, vector graphics, etc. into a single PDF document.
- Guarantee that anyone can view it: Whether it is Windows, Mac system or mobile phone, you can open PDF directly without installing other software.
- Interactive documents: PDFs can be used to fill in data in electronic forms and store data in databases.
Excel
Microsoft Excel is a software program included in the Microsoft Office suite that is often used to create spreadsheets and features calculations, drawing tools, pivot tables, and a macro programming language called Visual Basic for Applications. The Excel file we often refer to refers to the spreadsheet document created in the software, and the common file extension of the Excel file is “.xlsx”. An Excel table will contain many rows and columns, each intersection between rows and columns is a cell, and each cell can contain a piece of data and information. Organizing information in this way makes it easier to find and organize, and you can organize your data into graphs, histograms, line graphs, and more. Excel is a very powerful piece of software that is often used in the business world to store and manipulate data, as well as perform financial analysis.
Common uses of Excel files:
- Typically used to store financial data and data analysis reports.
- Draw graphics or chart data to help users intuitively understand the development trend of data/things.
- Clearly and intuitively display various data. Integrating all kinds of important data in Excel will make it easier to find and understand.
- Print data and graphs for use in summary reports.
- Sort and filter data to find specific areas of information.
- Links to worksheet data and charts are required in other programs such as Microsoft PowerPoint and Word.
- Import data from database programs for analytical processing.
Application Scenarios of Converting PDF to Excel
● For security reasons, most financial statements and documents are saved and shared in PDF format. However, in order to analyze the data accurately we need to convert it into an editable Excel format.
● When doing data analysis or financial analysis, Excel has more complete calculation tools than PDF.
● The data of multiple PDFs needs to be exported and consolidated for statistics. Converting to Excel format can improve work efficiency.
In today’s efficiency-conscious age, we need to use our time effectively. When it is necessary to organize the data of a PDF document into an Excel document, there is no need to manually enter the data. You can try to use the following efficient PDF file format conversion methods.
Although PDF files have good security and reliability, it is not so convenient to edit the data in it, and the editing functions it can provide are limited. If you need to process PDF documents containing many numbers and tables, you need to convert these documents into editable Excel format, so that you can organize, count and analyze data well.
Renee PDF Aide , easy to operate, the conversion rate can be as high as 80 pages/min. In addition to converting PDF to Excel file format, it also supports conversion to Word, PowerPoint, ePub, Text, HTML, JPG, TIFF and other formats. This software is a PDF conversion software that integrates various functions. In addition to format conversion, you can also edit, optimize, repair,Encrypt PDF files . Although the functions are diverse, the operation interface is simple and the actual operation is very simple. Renee PDF Aide integrates advanced OCR (Optical Character Recognition) technology to convert scanned PDFs into editable document formats. The software supports one-click batch conversion of multiple PDF files, providing you with an efficient, safe and free conversion experience.
advantage:
- The PDF conversion speed is fast, and the conversion rate is as high as 80 pages per minute.
- PDF editing features are diverse.
- It has OCR technology to recognize and convert PDF scans and content in pictures.
- Its simple design provides a user-friendly interface for both beginners and professionals.
- Simple operation and easy to use.
shortcoming:
- Mac OS is not supported.
- The text content of the PDF cannot be edited directly.
Hot Topic - ADsRenee PDF Aide - Powerful PDF Editing Tool 
Easy to use Friendly to computer beginners
Multifunctional Encrypt/decrypt/split/merge/add watermark
Safe Protect PDF with AES256 algorithms
Quick Edit/convert dozens of PDF files in batch
Compatible Convert PDF to Excel/PowerPoint/Text, etc.
Easy Use with simple steps
Functional Encrypt/decrypt/split/merge/watermark
Safe Protect PDF with AES256 algorithms
Free TrialFree TrialNow 800 people have obtained the free version!The specific operation steps are as follows:
① After installing Renee PDF Aide, open it. Select “Convert PDF”.
② Add the PDF files to be converted. You can click the “Add Files” button to import the PDF files you want to convert. In addition, the software supports batch conversion, and you can import multiple files at the same time. After the file is successfully added, the information of the file to be converted will be displayed in the conversion list, click the “Select Page” list to set the page for file conversion.
③ Click the “Excel” option in the upper menu bar.
④ If your PDF is a scanned copy, please select “Enable OCR” > “A: Recognize text in images or scanned PDFs”. If not, skip this step.
tipsThe software provides three OCR text recognition modes:
- A: Recognize text in pictures or PDF scans : This option defaults that the text on the PDF page is on the picture/scanned image, and the program will directly use the OCR function (selecting the corresponding language will have a better effect) to recognize the text on the file and then output it.
- B: Identify built-in fonts (to avoid garbled characters) : This option defaults to using embedded fonts for the text on the PDF page. The program will convert these fonts into pictures, and then use the OCR function (selecting the corresponding language will be better) to recognize the text conversion output of the file.
- A+B (slower) : The program automatically recognizes whether the font in the file is a picture or a PDF embedded font, and then converts and outputs it. But the recognition is time-consuming, and the conversion time will be longer.
⑤ Click the “Convert” button to convert. It prompts that the conversion is complete, and displays the total number of converted files and the number of successfully converted files. At this time, the PDF has been successfully converted into an Excel file.
As one of the most popular PDF reading and editing software Adobe Acrobat DC Software, using it to convert PDF to Excel format is also a more common method. This software can be used to read, edit, manage and share PDF documents. Although Adobe Acrobat DC software has various functions, its purchase price is relatively expensive, and it is generally not recommended for personal use (Renee PDF Aide will be more suitable). Adobe Acrobat DC supports cross-platform use of Windows, Mac, Linux, Android phones and Windows Phones, allowing you to edit PDF files at any time.
advantage:
- The conversion speed is fast and supports multiple formats conversion.
- Has a very complete PDF editing tool.
- Easy-to-use toolbar and user-friendly interface.
- OCR technology can be used to recognize and edit scanned PDF files.
shortcoming:
- The price is high compared to other PDF editing software.
- Due to high fees, it may not be suitable for individuals and small businesses.
The specific operation steps are as follows:
① Open the PDF file in Adobe Acrobat DC, and click “Export PDF” in the right menu bar.
② Click “Spreadsheet” and select “Microsoft Excel Workbook”. If you need to set the number and text recognition settings for the exported file, please click the “Settings” icon on the right side of “Microsoft Excel Workbook”.
③ Click “Export”, in the opened Save As window, you can choose the save location of the Excel sheet and enter the file name, and finally click “Save”. If your PDF document contains scanned documents, Adobe Acrobat DC will automatically run OCR text recognition.
In addition to using professional PDF conversion software to convert PDF to Excel, you can also use Microsoft Word software to convert, but the conversion operation will be relatively cumbersome.
advantage:In addition to converting PDF, it also provides a variety of text editing tools.
shortcoming:
- PDF files cannot be converted in batches.
- Complicated and difficult to operate.
The specific operation steps are as follows:
① Open the PDF file in Microsoft Word. Please right-click the PDF file and select “Word” in “Open With” to open it. Alternatively, you can click “File” > “Open” > “Browse” in Word to open the PDF file.
② In the prompt window that pops up, click “OK”. If the converted Word document is displayed in Protected View, click the “Enable Editing” button to edit the document.
③ Then in the Word application, you need to save the Word document as a web page file. To do this, click the “Save” icon in the upper left corner of the application, or go to “File” > “Save As” in the menu bar. Select “Web Page” under “Save as type” and click the “Save” button.
④ Finally, open the webpage file saved in step 3 in the Excel application program to convert it into an Excel file. After the conversion is complete, you can analyze and edit the data in Excel.
PDF2XL It is a powerful data conversion tool suitable for personal and business use. It can quickly convert PDF to EXCEL spreadsheet (.xlsx or .xls format), reducing human errors. The software supports the OCR recognition function, which can recognize the entire page or part of the converted PDF. In terms of conversion, it can convert various financial documents or lists, such as purchase orders, invoices, bank statements, supplier lists, bills of materials or inventory lists, etc., and easily extract data from PDF files to its calculation or analysis environment . PDF2XL supports batch conversion, you can process multiple PDF files at the same time.
advantage:
- The conversion speed is fast, up to 500 pages can be converted per minute.
- Accurately convert a wide variety of financial documents and forms.
- OCR text recognition function. You can scan paper documents and convert them to Excel files.
- Convert PDF to CSV files.
shortcoming:The trial version can only convert the first 10 pages of each document.
The operation of converting PDF to Excel table in PDF2XL is also relatively simple. You need to open the PDF file in the software. Then drag the mouse to select the table content to be converted. The PDF2XL software automatically provides you with a preview of the selected data in Excel. Finally, click the “convert” > “convert document” button, and the selected data is immediately pasted into your Microsoft Excel file.
If you can’t download the application on your computer, you can try an online conversion tool. There are many choices of online PDF conversion tools, and the recommended one here is Smallpdf conversion tool. Smallpdf is a versatile PDF conversion, editing and optimizing tool. You can convert PDF files to Excel, JPG, PowerPoint and Word formats. There are a lot of PDF editing tools on Smallpdf that allow you to split, merge, compress, password protect PDF, etc. online. Its operation interface is simple, so novice users can quickly convert PDF to Excel.
openingSmallpdf After that, click the “Choose File” button to upload the PDF file. On Smallpdf, there are two options for converting PDF to Excel. You can choose the “Convert to Excel using OCR” or “Convert to Excel” option according to the actual situation, and click the “Select Option” button to start the conversion. After the conversion is complete, click “Download”.
advantage:
- Table headings can also be converted to Excel tables.
- Simple and intuitive operation interface.
- The conversion speed is fast.
- Provides various PDF editing functions.
shortcoming:
- The free trial has a number of limitations when it comes to use.
- Batch conversion and other advanced features are available for a fee.
In addition to the above-mentioned PDF format conversion and OCR recognition conversion operations, frequently used PDF editing operations include merging, splitting, adding watermarks, and rotating. In order to finish editing more efficiently, it is recommended that you use Renee PDF Aide. This software is a collection of various editing functions, among which the “PDF Toolset” module can already meet most of your editing needs.
Hot Topic - ADsRenee PDF Aide - Powerful PDF Editing Tool
Easy to use Friendly to computer beginners
Multifunctional Encrypt/decrypt/split/merge/add watermark
Safe Protect PDF with AES256 algorithms
Quick Edit/convert dozens of PDF files in batch
Compatible Convert PDF to Excel/PowerPoint/Text, etc.
Easy Use with simple steps
Functional Encrypt/decrypt/split/merge/watermark
Safe Protect PDF with AES256 algorithms
Free TrialFree TrialNow 800 people have obtained the free version! After you download and install Renee PDF Aide, open it. Then please click to enter the “PDF Toolset” column. In the function menu bar at the top, you can select any function to perform personalized editing operations on PDF files. Such as repair, optimization, split, merge, rotate, encrypt/decrypt, watermark, image to PDF. In addition, you can also edit multiple PDF files at the same time, batch operations, convenient and fast.
Description of PDF toolset editing function modules:
repair: Repair damaged or unopenable PDF files.
repair: Repair damaged or unopenable PDF files.
optimization: Optimize PDF files that take a long time to load, and compress large PDF files.
segmentation: Split multi-page PDF files into multiple files or one as needed.
merge: Merge and output multiple PDFs into one PDF, and you can also specify the pages to be merged.
Rotation: Adjust the display angle of PDF files.
encrypt and decode: You can encrypt PDF files or decrypt password-protected PDF files.
watermark: Add foreground watermark/background watermark to PDF file, watermark can choose picture or PDF document.
Image to PDF: You can choose to merge and convert pictures into one file, or generate a PDF file from one picture.
Summarize
Although a variety of different PDF conversion tools and conversion methods have been introduced above, their conversion effects may be different, and some tools may cause table data confusion after converting PDF to Excel. In the actual test, the conversion effect of Renee PDF Aide is the best, all the tables in the PDF file can be saved to Excel in the original format, even the complex table data can be perfectly converted. In addition to the excellent PDF conversion function, it also provides many advanced editing functions.
Come and download Renee PDF Aide to try to convert and edit PDF files!
Hot Topic - ADsRenee PDF Aide - Powerful PDF Editing Tool
Easy to use Friendly to computer beginners
Multifunctional Encrypt/decrypt/split/merge/add watermark
Safe Protect PDF with AES256 algorithms
Quick Edit/convert dozens of PDF files in batch
Compatible Convert PDF to Excel/PowerPoint/Text, etc.
Easy Use with simple steps
Functional Encrypt/decrypt/split/merge/watermark
Safe Protect PDF with AES256 algorithms
Free TrialFree TrialNow 800 people have obtained the free version!Relate Links :
07-07-2023
Amanda J. Brook : Discover the best free and user-friendly PDF converters for mobile phones. Learn how to convert PDF files effortlessly...
PDF Converter: How to Convert PDF to PowerPoint?
22-04-2021
Ashley S. Miller : PPT, the combination of images and text, is used in presentation, lecture and report. How if you want...
PDF Converter: How to Convert PDF to Text?
21-04-2021
John Weaver : In these recent years, PDF is clear, safe and integrated. Usually, a file should be converted between PDF...
PDF Converter: How to Convert PDF Image to DOC?
30-04-2021
Jennifer Thatcher : If you want to convert PDF to the .doc document, you should depend on the OCR technology which...
