How well does table detection work?

Tables with ruled lines are read from the lines, including cells merged across columns or rows. Tables without lines — a bank statement, a price list, a sheet exported from Excel without borders — are read from how their text lines up in columns, and the job says when it did that. A table that runs over several pages comes back as one table, with a repeated header row left out. Check the result against the original, especially for tables with irregular layouts.

Will formulas be restored?

No. A PDF only contains the calculated values that were printed, not the formulas that produced them. You get the numbers as static cell values and can rebuild any calculations you need.

Can I convert a scanned table?

Not into rows and columns. Table detection reads the PDF's own text layer, and a scan has none. With ‘Recognise text (OCR)’ turned on, the words on a scanned page are read, but they come back as lines of text rather than cells: if the PDF has no detectable table anywhere, each line goes in its own row; if other pages do have tables, only those tables reach the workbook. Without OCR, a PDF that is entirely scanned is refused.

How is the workbook organised?

Each table gets its own sheet, named after the pages it came from — ‘Table 2 (pages 3-5)’, for example. The header row is frozen and offered for sorting and filtering, bold text and shaded cells keep their look, and column widths follow the printed table. Pictures and running text outside the tables are left out.

Which number and date formats are recognised?

Thousands separators, a currency symbol before or after the figure, percentages, and negatives written with a minus, in brackets as accountants write them, or with a trailing minus. Decimal commas such as 1.234,56 are recognised when the document uses them. Dates written as 25/03/2025, 2025-03-25, 25.03.2025 or 25 Mar 2025 become real dates. Whether 03/04/2025 means March or April is read from the rest of the document, and a date it cannot settle is kept as text rather than guessed. Every value keeps its printed look, so 4,800 still reads 4,800 but can be summed. Codes with a leading zero and long reference numbers stay as text.

What if no table is found?

You still get a workbook. The text is written one line per row on a single sheet, split into cells where the line is spaced apart, and the job tells you no table was detected.

Is this converter free?

Yes. Every conversion on ConvertNicely is free to use, with no account, no watermark on the result and no limit on how many files you convert.

What happens to my files?

Your uploaded file is deleted from our servers the moment the conversion finishes, whether it succeeded or failed. The converted result is deleted automatically one hour later, and you can delete it yourself at any time with the Delete button.

Is there a file size limit?

Files up to 50 MB are accepted for this conversion. Larger limits apply to paid plans in future, but the free limit is generous enough for the overwhelming majority of Excel conversions.

Do I need to install anything?

No. ConvertNicely runs entirely in your browser and on our servers, so there is nothing to download or install. It works the same on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS.

Does it work on a phone?

Yes. The whole site is built mobile-first, so you can upload from your camera roll or files app, convert, and download the result without leaving your browser.

Free

Convert PDF to Excel

Data trapped in a PDF table is data you cannot use. This tool detects the table structure and rebuilds it as spreadsheet rows and columns — with the figures written as real numbers you can sum, sort and chart, not as text that merely looks like them.

Also known as: PDF to XLSX · PDF to XLS · extract tables from PDF

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How to convert PDF to Excel

Step 1
1. Add your PDF file
Drag your PDF file into the box, or choose it from your device. It can be up to 50 MB.
Step 2
2. Choose your settings
Optional settings are under Advanced options; the starting values suit most files.
Step 3
3. Press Convert to Excel
The work happens on our servers, and you can follow its progress.
Step 4
4. Download your Excel file
Your upload is already deleted, and the result is deleted after one hour.

Worth knowing

Table detection is inference, not certainty. Ruled tables convert best; tables without gridlines are read from how their text lines up, and irregular layouts may need checking and correcting afterwards.

Why convert PDF to Excel?

Pulling figures out of a financial statement or invoice
Getting a published data table into a form you can chart
Recovering a spreadsheet when only the exported PDF survives
Turning a printed price list into something sortable

PDF vs Excel

Comparison of PDF and Excel
Property	PDF	Excel
Figures	Printed on the page	Numbers in cells you can sum
Sort and filter	No	Yes
Formulas	None, only results	None, values only
Best for	Presenting figures	Working with them

Frequently asked questions

Page updated 5 October 2026

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Convert PDF to Excel

How to convert PDF to Excel

1. Add your PDF file

2. Choose your settings

3. Press Convert to Excel

4. Download your Excel file

Why convert PDF to Excel?

PDF vs Excel

Frequently asked questions

Excel to PDF

PDF to Word

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PDF to JPG

Convert PDF to Excel

How to convert PDF to Excel

1. Add your PDF file

2. Choose your settings

3. Press Convert to Excel

4. Download your Excel file

Why convert PDF to Excel?

PDF vs Excel

Frequently asked questions

How well does table detection work?

Will formulas be restored?

Can I convert a scanned table?

How is the workbook organised?

Which number and date formats are recognised?

What if no table is found?

Is this converter free?

What happens to my files?

Is there a file size limit?

Do I need to install anything?

Does it work on a phone?

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