Step 1: Import your PDF files using the button above or by shift and land.
Step 2: Click the 'Transform' button to start the transformation.
Step 3: Capture your converted CSV files.
PDF to CSV Transformation FAQ
Is this a document converter or a table extractor?
+
A table extractor. The converter reads your PDF, finds the tables inside it, and writes those out as CSV. Everything that is not a table - body text, headings, images - does not come across, because there is no sensible way to lay prose out in spreadsheet cells.
What if my PDF has no tables in it?
+
Then it cannot be converted, and the converter says so instead of pretending otherwise. Where there is no table there is nothing to put into CSV, so you get a clear error asking for a file that contains at least one table - not a valid-but-empty spreadsheet.
Will the paragraphs and headings of my PDF appear in the CSV?
+
No. Only tabular data crosses over. If you need the wording of the document itself, convert the PDF to an editable document format such as DOCX, ODT or TXT instead - that path keeps the text and drops nothing.
How does the converter find the tables in my PDF?
+
It depends on the source. A DOCX or DOC stores its tables as real table objects, so they are read directly and exactly. A PDF stores no such structure, so the tables are detected from ruled lines and column-aligned text on every page.
Does it extract every table or only the first one?
+
Every one. The full PDF is scanned and each table found is written into the CSV; nothing is skipped because it appears late in the document.
My PDF is a scan - why does it produce nothing?
+
Because a scanned page is an image. The extractor works from actual text and its coordinates, and an image contains neither. OCR the PDF into a searchable file first; that version converts to CSV normally.
Do merged cells and formatting survive PDF to CSV?
+
Cell values and the row-and-column grid are what carry across. Visual styling - fonts, fills, borders - is not reproduced, and a merged cell is flattened into the grid, because the output is data rather than a picture of the original table.
My tables are huge - which target should I pick?
+
XLSX, unless you specifically need the legacy format. A .xls file cannot hold more than 256 columns or 65,536 rows, and you will get an explicit message when a table is too wide or too tall for it. XLSX carries roughly a million rows, and CSV has no structural limit at all.
I wanted my PDF turned into a document, not a spreadsheet - what now?
+
Pick a document target instead. Converting your PDF to DOCX, ODT, RTF or TXT keeps the text, headings and layout. The CSV route exists only for the case where the tables are the thing you actually want.
What does PDF to CSV cost?
+
Nothing for ordinary use - upload the PDF, get the CSV back, no sign-up. Paid plans exist for larger files and heavier batches rather than for the conversion itself.
How do I convert a folder of PDF files to CSV?
+
Select them all at once in the upload area. Each PDF is processed separately and comes back as its own CSV, with a clear per-file message for any that had no tables to extract.
Are my PDF files private during table extraction?
+
Yes. Uploaded PDF files are processed in isolated workers and deleted within minutes. Nobody reads the tables, and nothing is retained or shared. The retention window is documented at /privacy/.
