PDF data extraction sounds complicated but it’s not as complicated as it sounds. It is a time-saver, as it eliminates the need to manually review your files to find the data you are looking for. It works a lot like document automation, in that a program looks for the data sets that you want, and saves you the time of extracting that data manually. Many programs let you check data in PDFs, such as Adobe Acrobat and PDF Tables, but PDF editors that have OCR technology can also help with everything from calculating taxes to data calculation. This extracted data can include text, tables, images, and more, enabling you to utilize the information for various purposes.
What is Data Extraction?
PDF data extraction is where you retrieve specific data from a PDF document, such as when you count words in PDF files. You can do this any number of ways, even manually – writing down or typing out the information you need – but there are easier ways to do it. The types of data you extract can be different too, from tables and graphs to calculations and figures. You may need specific tools and programs to do this since PDF editors that help you merge PDF or split PDFs do not have the programming power.
Why do you need to extract data?
Data extraction is helpful because you can use that data to make decisions about your business or project. The extracted data can then be further processed, analyzed, or integrated into other systems or databases. PDFs are a common format for sharing and storing information, but they are typically not designed for easy data extraction because they don’t have rows or columns, such as spreadsheets, so the data in PDFs is “unstructured”. This means that PDFs consist of free-flowing text, images, and varying layouts, making it difficult to locate and extract specific data.
PDFs cannot do data calculations either, such as calculating taxes, fees, prices, or averages. But this is where tools such as PDF Tables and Tabula come in; they can do the work of finding, calculating, and analyzing any of the data that you set it to locate and find. Or, they can help you convert these PDFs into spreadsheet-like files such as Excel, CSV, or XML formats, which will achieve the same as creating spreadsheet files from scratch, only with the data that you need already inserted.
H2 – How Do I Check Data in PDF?
Extracting and processing data from PDFs can be a time-consuming and challenging task, which is why automated data extraction tools offer an efficient and accurate way to extract information from PDFs. But there are a few PDF editing tools that also have data extraction features. The features include built-in data extraction tools that allow you to export data from PDF forms into Excel or CSV formats. This feature is perfect for collecting survey responses, customer information, or any structured data from fillable PDF forms.
These tools can help you save time, improve accuracy, and enhance overall productivity. They can also help with streamlining data collection, analysis, and data-driven, decision-making processes. With tools like Adobe Acrobat Pro DC, Tabula, and PDFTables, you can extract structured data from PDF documents but also program them to extract specific data types, such as invoices and financial statements.
But don’t count out manual data extraction either, which is something people do all the time if they write down a figure or address from a text. Manual data extraction (looking for and writing down data) from PDFs can be a meticulous process, especially when dealing with complex documents.
But there are upsides to it as well. Manual techniques, such as copy and paste, typing, and OCR-assisted data extraction facilitate the process and are essential for unstructured or challenging PDFs. Only, when using manual data extraction, do you have to double-check your work to make sure that the figures are precise and accurate, especially if you have to collaborate with a team or another department.
H2 – Best Tools for Data Extraction
We’ve already mentioned Adobe Acrobat Pro and PDF Tables, but there are many more dedicated PDF data extraction tools. These tools have improved technology, apart from the typical OCR technology that most of them use to read PDFs and convert them into machine-readable texts. Some of them have started to incorporate artificial intelligence (AI).
For example, Rossum is an AI-powered data extraction tool specifically designed for invoices. Its advanced OCR technology allows for the accurate extraction of invoice data, streamlining the accounts payable process. Docsumo is another AI-driven data extraction tool that can automatically extract data from various document types, including invoices, receipts, and financial statements. It supports bulk processing and integrates with popular cloud storage platforms. Put Your Mood Nguyen Duy Tri • Acid Madness • 2023
H2 – What Can I Do with PDF Data?
Once data is extracted, it’s essential to check PDF data and prepare it for further analysis and use. You should verify the accuracy of the extracted data by cross-referencing it with the original PDF and performing data validation checks, which ensures that the data is error-free and reliable. But, in the end, automated PDF data extraction saves time and reduces errors compared to manual data entry. It lets you process large volumes of information, improve data accuracy, and make data-driven decisions.
