How to convert PDF to Excel

Converting a PDF file to an Excel spreadsheet can be useful when you need to work with the data in a more structured format. You can achieve this by using Adobe Acrobat, dedicated PDF to Excel conversion software, or online conversion tools. Here are three common methods to convert PDF to Excel:

Method 1: Using Adobe Acrobat (Paid Software)

Adobe Acrobat offers a straightforward way to convert PDFs to Excel format. If you have Adobe Acrobat, here’s how to do it:

  1. Open Adobe Acrobat on your computer.
  2. Open the PDF file you want to convert to Excel by clicking “File” > “Open” and navigating to the file location.
  3. Go to “File” > “Export To” > “Microsoft Excel.”
  4. In the “Export to Spreadsheet” dialog box, select the Excel format you prefer. You can choose “Spreadsheet” (XLSX), “Excel Workbook” (XLS), or “XML Spreadsheet 2003” (XML).
  5. Click the “Export” button.
  6. Choose where you want to save the converted Excel file and provide a name for it.
  7. Click the “Save” button to initiate the conversion process.
  8. Adobe Acrobat will convert the PDF data into an Excel spreadsheet and save it to the specified location.

Method 2: Using Dedicated PDF to Excel Conversion Software

There are dedicated PDF to Excel conversion software programs available, such as Adobe ExportPDF, Able2Extract, or Nitro Pro. These programs are designed specifically for converting PDFs to Excel and may offer additional features for data extraction and formatting. Here’s a general outline of the process:

  1. Install and open the dedicated PDF to Excel conversion software on your computer.
  2. Open the PDF file within the software.
  3. Choose the “Convert to Excel” or similar option from the menu.
  4. Select the Excel format you prefer (XLS or XLSX).
  5. Configure any conversion settings or options as needed.
  6. Click the “Convert” or “Start” button to initiate the conversion process.
  7. Save the converted Excel file to your desired location.

Method 3: Using Online PDF to Excel Converters

Online PDF to Excel converters offer a convenient way to convert PDFs to Excel without the need to install software. Here’s how to use one of these online tools (such as Smallpdf):

  1. Visit an online PDF to Excel converter website, such as Smallpdf (https://www.smallpdf.com/pdf-to-excel) or ILovePDF (https://www.ilovepdf.com/pdf-to-excel).
  2. Upload the PDF file you want to convert.
  3. Click the “Convert” or “Start” button to initiate the conversion process.
  4. After conversion, download the Excel file to your computer.

Please note that the accuracy of the conversion may vary depending on the complexity and formatting of the original PDF document. Complex layouts and graphics-heavy PDFs may require additional formatting adjustments after conversion.

Tips for converting PDF to Excel:

  • If the PDF file contains scanned text, you may need to use an OCR (optical character recognition) converter to convert the text to a machine-readable format before you can convert it to Excel.
  • If the PDF file contains tables, you may need to adjust the formatting of the tables before you can convert them to Excel.
  • If the PDF file is large, you may need to split the file into smaller files before converting it to Excel.