3 Easy Methods to Convert PDF to Excel

PDF has been in use since 1993 and is the most commonly used file format today. PDF has integrated functionality that allows you to exchange documents digitally and present your documents in various formats including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

Invoices, receipts, financial results reports, company incomes, and many other business documents are created in PDF format because of its ability to maintain the original format and layout and easier to be shared across different platforms. It is undeniable that Spreadsheets such as Microsoft Excel are one of the most frequently used document formats besides Word in various fields, especially business. Spreadsheets are closely related to work related to data analysis, computing, annual reports, and statistical representation of the relevant data. As the use of PDF and spreadsheets continues to increase, conversion between the two is also inevitable. It is easy when you want to convert your Excel file to PDF but in reverse, it would be a different matter.

PDF itself does not actually allow readers to edit files directly. Therefore, we have to learn how to convert data from PDF to Excel which is what this article would be about. As we mentioned previously, converting your Excel file to PDF is an easy task but converting PDF back to Excel may be a tricky task. It could be frustrating if you haven't learned the proper way to perform this task. After you read this article, we guarantee that you will be able to convert your PDF file to Excel instantly.

1. PDF Reader Pro - Best Way to Convert PDF to Excel

2. Convert PDF to Excel Using Get Data

3. Manual Copy Paste to Convert PDF to Excel

PDF Reader Pro - Best Way to Convert PDF to Excel

Converting a PDF file to Excel with PDF Reader Pro could be the best solution to convert your PDF to Excel. With PDF Reader Pro, you can not only convert PDF to Excel but also to Word, PowerPoint, Image, and Text. PDF Reader Pro has long been praised by its conversion's result accuracy, and easy-to-understand, and smooth interface. PDF Reader Pro also supports conversion in batches which would save your precious time. Follow the instructions below to convert your PDF to Excel with PDF Reader Pro. Open file with PDF Reader Pro:

1. Click Convert at the top navigation bar -> Select To Excel;

2. Choose Excel as the format -> Click Convert;

3. Select where you want to save your file and press OK.

Tips: PDF naturally doesn't allow you to edit PDFs directly. But luckily for you, PDF Reader Pro allows you to edit your PDF directly without even having to convert the file first. Open your file with PDF Reader Pro -> Click Edit PDF -> and Start Editing.

Convert PDF to Excel Using Get Data

You can convert PDF to Excel through the Get Data feature provided by Excel. Get Data is a feature that you can find in the Data feature. Follow the steps below to convert your PDF to Excel.

1. Click Data on the Menu Bar -> Get Data -> From File -> From PDF;

2. Excel opens your PC directory, choose PDF file to import into Excel;

3. A Navigator window will pop up. Choose the available Page under the Display Options. You can select multiple pages by enabling Select multiple items, Excel shows a preview of what the fetch data may look like after the conversion process is finished. Click Transform Data on the bottom;

4. After clicking Transform Data, Power Query Editor windows will open. Click Home -> Select Close & Load -> Select Close & Load;  

5. Excel will load all the content of your PDF in a table format. You can modify the data based on your needs.

Although it seems practical to convert your PDF to Excel with Excel’s own feature, the methods are quite complicated for beginners. Beware to closely follow all the instructions otherwise, you may end up with a non editable Excel file where you must repeat all the steps from the beginning.

Manual Copy Paste to Convert PDF to Excel

Follow the instructions below to copy and paste your PDF file to Excel.

1. Open any PDF file you want. Select the content you want to convert;

2. Open a blank Excel worksheet -> Right click on any cell and Context Menu appears -> Select Paste Special;

3. Paste Special Window will appear, Select Text and Press OK;

4. Your content will appear but Excel does not retain any formatting as you have in your PDF. Excel will likely put the entire content into one column.

You can skip steps 2 and 3 and go straight to Ctrl+V. But beware that this method wouldn't be suitable if you want to convert large or complex PDF files. This method will only be useful for converting simple data. In addition, this method is less practical between the three that we’ve mentioned because you still have to modify the data that you have copied.

Conclusion

In this article, we have explained several ways to convert your PDF to Excel. It is evident that converting PDF to Excel using PDF Reader Pro is the most practical and easiest method that you can choose compared to other methods. We recommend PDF Reader Pro because it is easy-to-understand, it has a clean and smooth interface, and your file will be converted in a matter of seconds. Now, you can convert your PDF to Excel in both our Windows and Mac versions, click to download.

Besides conversion tools, it also offers you rich features to handle your PDF files from annotation, editing, split & merge, and much more. Click here to learn more about our powerful features. Click download to get a 7-day free trial. If you have any problems, feel free to contact us at [email protected].