PDFs are a ubiquitous file format used by millions of people every day. They are popular due to their reputation for being secure and easily shareable with others. However, they can be challenging to work with when you need to extract specific information, such as tables.

Table data is often stored in a PDF document, and sometimes, you may need to extract it. A spreadsheet program like Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets, or OpenOffice Calc can extract data from a PDF document. But, extracting data from a PDF table is a cumbersome process. In this article, we will show you the easiest way to extract a table from a PDF document.

Option 1: Use Adobe Acrobat

Adobe Acrobat is one of the most popular PDF readers and editors. The software is equipped with advanced features, including the ability to extract tables from PDF documents.

Step 1: Open the PDF in Adobe Acrobat

Open your PDF document in Adobe Acrobat and locate the table you’d like to extract.

Step 2: Select the Table

Use the selection tool to highlight the table you wish to extract. Ensure that everything is highlighted since missing parts will make it challenging to generate an accurate table.

Step 3: Export the Table to Excel

Now that the table is selected, you can export it to an Excel file. Click on the “Export PDF” tool, choose the “Spreadsheet” option, and select a file format for your spreadsheet. Click “Export” to save your table as an Excel file.

Option 2: Use an Online PDF Converter

There are many online converters that allow you to extract tables from PDF documents automatically. One such converter is SmallPDF.

Step 1: Upload Your PDF File

Navigate to the SmallPDF website and upload your PDF file. Once uploaded, choose the “PDF to Excel” option.

Step 2: Download the Extracted Table

SmallPDF will analyze your document and extract its table. Once this is done, you can click the “Download” button to save the table as an Excel file.