If you have Excel, the most reliable way to convert a PDF to Excel is built in: choose Data, Get Data, From File, From PDF, pick the tables you want and load them into your sheet. If you don't have Excel, or the PDF is messy, Adobe's free online PDF to Excel converter turns the whole file into an XLSX you can download.
Bank statements, supplier price lists, sales reports from another system: so much business data still arrives as a PDF. Retyping it invites mistakes. Here's how to pull it into a spreadsheet cleanly, and what to check before you trust the numbers.
Which method should you use?
| Method | Cost | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Excel, Get Data From PDF | Included with Excel | Clean tables you want to tidy first | You need a version of Excel with the PDF connector |
| Adobe online converter | Free in a browser | Whole documents, no Excel needed | Files go to Adobe's servers |
| Copy from Word | Included with Word | One small table | Formatting can shift |
Method 1: Excel's Get Data From PDF
Microsoft's Power Query guide gives these steps:
- In Excel, select Data, then Get Data, then From File, then From PDF.
- Select your PDF file and click Open.
- In the Navigator box, look at the tables Excel has found and select the ones you want.
- Select Load to put the data straight into a sheet, or Load To to choose where it goes.
- If the data needs tidying first, select Transform Data to clean it in Power Query before loading.
Here's why this beats a one-off converter for business use: it runs through Power Query, so you choose exactly which tables come in and can clean and reshape them with Transform Data before they ever land in your sheet. That's far less tidying than pasting a whole converted document.
If you see an additional components message
Microsoft says you may get the message "This connector requires one or more additional components to be installed before it can be used." The PDF connector needs .NET Framework 4.5 or higher installed on your computer. Install that, then try again.
If you can't find From PDF
Microsoft lists its Power Query import guide for Excel for Microsoft 365, Excel for Mac, Excel 2024, 2021, 2019 and 2016, but not every connector appears in every version. If From PDF isn't in your menu, use Method 2.
Method 2: Adobe's free online converter
- Open Adobe's PDF to Excel page in any browser.
- Click Select a file, or drag your PDF into the drop zone.
- Choose to convert it to the XLSX format.
- Download your spreadsheet, or sign in to share it.
Adobe says the converter keeps your tables, rows and columns in the layout of the original, and works in any browser on Mac, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android. After converting, you can edit the file in Excel for the web from Acrobat if you sign in. Adobe says your file is deleted from its servers unless you sign in to save it.
XLS or XLSX?
Adobe explains the difference: XLS is the older format used by Excel 2003 and earlier, and XLSX arrived with Excel 2007. Unless someone specifically asks for XLS, save as XLSX.
Method 3: Through Word for a single table
Microsoft's advice for reusing PDF content in another Office file is to open the PDF in Word, which converts it to editable text, then copy and paste what you need. For one small table, that's often quicker than either converter: open the PDF in Word, select the table, copy it and paste it into Excel. Microsoft notes that conversion works best on PDFs that are mostly text.
Scanned PDFs are different
If your PDF is a scan or a photo of a page, there's no real data in it, just a picture of numbers, so it needs text recognition first. Adobe says Acrobat's OCR, optical character recognition, can detect text in scanned or image-based PDFs. Expect to check every figure afterwards, because recognition errors on numbers are easy to miss.
Check before you trust the numbers
- Compare the totals in Excel with the totals printed on the PDF.
- Look for numbers stored as text. They sit on the left of the cell and won't add up.
- Watch dates. A converter can swap day and month, especially between UK and US formats.
- Check negative numbers shown in brackets came through as negatives.
- Make sure no header or footer rows have landed in the middle of your data.
Five minutes of checking here saves the awkward conversation later when a report doesn't match the bank.
Once the data's in, the real work starts. My guide on Excel vs Google Sheets helps if you're deciding where to keep it, and using ChatGPT with Excel can speed up the formulas and clean-up.
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Keep sensitive data in mind
Bank statements and payroll reports are personal data. Excel's own Get Data route keeps the file on your computer, while an online converter uploads it. For anything confidential, I'd use Excel's built-in method, and if you do use an online tool, don't sign in and save the file there unless you need to.
Mac users who want text instead can follow our PDF to Word guide for Mac users.
My verdict
If you've got a recent version of Excel, use Get Data From PDF. It's built in, keeps the file on your computer, and turns a retyping job into a few clicks. If you don't have Excel, or you need the whole document in one go, Adobe's free converter is the quickest route. Either way, check the totals before anyone makes a decision from the spreadsheet.
Slides are the other common target, as our PDF to PowerPoint guide explains.
Frequently asked questions
How do I convert a PDF to Excel without software?
Use Adobe's free online PDF to Excel converter in your browser, then download the XLSX file.
How do I import a PDF into Excel?
Select Data, then Get Data, then From File, then From PDF. Choose your file, pick the tables in the Navigator and select Load.
Why does Excel say the PDF connector needs additional components?
Microsoft says the PDF connector requires .NET Framework 4.5 or higher to be installed.
Can I convert a scanned PDF to Excel?
Only after text recognition. A scan is an image, so the numbers need to be recognised first, for example with Adobe Acrobat's OCR.
Should I save as XLS or XLSX?
XLSX, unless someone asks for XLS. Adobe notes that XLS is the older format used by Excel 2003 and earlier.
