PDF to CSV extracts tables and text from a text-based PDF into a comma-separated file. Add the PDF from your device, Google Drive or Dropbox, choose Table detection or Plain text mode, pick a page range and delimiter, then click Extract & Convert to CSV. The tool reads the embedded text with pdf.js and builds the CSV in your browser, so the file never leaves your device. Preview the Table view or the Raw CSV view before you download or copy. Note: scanned or image-only PDFs need OCR first.
What is a PDF to CSV converter?
A PDF to CSV converter pulls text and tables out of a PDF and writes them into a CSV file, which opens as a spreadsheet. When the PDF has real tabular data — invoices, bank statements, reports — the converter groups items that share a baseline into rows, then finds vertical gaps that repeat across many rows to recover the columns. That is why this tool has a dedicated Table detection mode.
Most people search for “pdf to csv” when they want to reuse data locked inside a PDF report. A CSV is portable, lightweight and compatible with every spreadsheet app, so it is the natural target for tabular text that needs sorting, filtering, counting or joining with other data.
The tool relies on pdf.js, Mozilla's open-source PDF renderer, to read the embedded text layer with each item's position. Column detection is a light heuristic on top of that text, so it works best with clean, single-column or grid layouts and degrades gracefully on multi-column magazines and complex forms.
How to convert PDF to CSV in 5 steps
The process is short and needs no account. Follow these steps and the first CSV will be ready in under a minute.
- Add your PDFDrag a text-based PDF onto the upload card, click Browse, or import directly from Google Drive or Dropbox. The tool loads the file inside your browser using pdf.js.
- Pick a mode and pagesChoose Table detection for PDFs with real columns, or Plain text for free-flowing prose. Then pick All pages, First page, or a custom page from the list.
- Adjust CSV optionsPick a delimiter (comma, semicolon, tab or pipe). Toggle header row, merge column gaps, and quote cells with newlines. The preview updates live.
- Convert and previewClick Extract & Convert to CSV. The tool reads each page, detects columns, and builds the table. Check the Table view or the Raw CSV view before you download.
- Download or copyClick Download CSV to save the file, or Copy to put the CSV on the clipboard. The file is UTF-8 with a BOM so Excel, Google Sheets and Numbers open it correctly.
Extraction is fast because pdf.js reads the text layer directly instead of rendering and running OCR. A 100-page text PDF typically finishes in a few seconds. If the preview is empty, the PDF is probably image-based, and you will need an OCR step first.
Everything the converter can do
| Setting | Options | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Mode | Table detection, Plain text | Detects columns for invoices and reports, or joins words into one column for prose. |
| Pages | All, First, Custom | Extract everything, test the first page, or pick a single page. |
| Delimiter | Comma, semicolon, tab, pipe | Matches the separator your spreadsheet or database expects. |
| Include header row | On or off | Treats the first detected row as a header in the preview. |
| Merge column gaps | On or off | Falls back to plain text when no columns are detected. |
| Quote cells with newlines | On or off | Wraps cells that contain the delimiter or a newline in quotes. |
| File name | Custom | Sets the name of the downloaded CSV. |
| Import sources | Device, Google Drive, Dropbox, clipboard | Loads the PDF without leaving the browser. |
Table detection vs plain text mode
Two extraction strategies share the same pipeline. Pick the one that matches your document.
Table detection
Best for invoices, bank statements, reports and anything with real columns. Items are grouped by baseline to form rows, and vertical gaps are counted to find column boundaries.
Plain text
Best for prose, articles and forms without columns. Words are joined in reading order and the whole page becomes a single CSV column. Reliable on almost any text-based PDF.
Merge column gaps
When Table detection finds fewer than two columns, this option switches that page to plain text instead of forcing a bad table. Disable it if you want the raw output.
Honest limit: column detection is a heuristic, not a full table parser. Complex layouts, merged cells and multi-column magazines can still come out jumbled. If the preview looks wrong, switch to Plain text mode or try a different page range.
The same trade-off appears in ClearPDF and PDF Ex, which tell you clearly when a layout is image-only or too complex, rather than silently producing a bad table . That honesty saves time, because you know whether the problem is the file or the mode.
Text-based vs scanned PDFs
This is the most important thing to understand about PDF to CSV conversion. PDFs come in two broad types, and only one of them works here.
Text-based PDFs
Created by Word, Google Docs, LaTeX, online invoices and most digital reports. They contain a real text layer that can be selected, copied and extracted. These work perfectly.
Scanned PDFs
Created by a scanner or a phone camera. Each page is a picture with no text layer. Selecting text does nothing. These need OCR first.
Quick test
Open the PDF and try to select a sentence with your mouse. If the text highlights, it has a text layer and this tool will read it. If nothing highlights, it is scanned.
Honest limit: OCR is not included in this tool. OCR engines add tens of megabytes and take much longer, so they belong in a dedicated workflow. If you have a scanned PDF, run it through an OCR tool first, save the result as a text-based PDF, then come back here.
Choosing the right delimiter
CSV stands for "comma-separated values", but commas are not always the best separator. The right choice depends on your text and your spreadsheet locale.
| Delimiter | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Comma (,) | Default everywhere; Google Sheets, Numbers, US Excel | Text containing many commas |
| Semicolon (;) | Excel in most of continental Europe | Text containing many semicolons |
| Tab | Pasting straight into a sheet; text with commas | Some viewers display tabs as spaces |
| Pipe (|) | Database exports and log files | Rare in spreadsheets; not the default in Excel |
The CSV follows RFC 4180, the standard for comma-separated values. Any cell that contains the delimiter, a double quote or a newline is wrapped in quotes, and internal quotes are doubled. That is why a text cell full of commas still opens as one cell instead of splitting into many.
Excel tip: if Excel opens your CSV as a single column of mangled text, switch the delimiter to semicolon. In most European locales, Excel expects semicolons rather than commas as the list separator.
Your PDF stays private
Everything happens in your browser. The PDF is loaded with pdf.js, the text is extracted page by page, and the CSV is assembled in JavaScript. Nothing is uploaded, logged or stored. When you close the tab, the file is gone from memory.
- Local processing. Text extraction, column detection and CSV generation all run on your device, so confidential documents never leave your computer or phone.
- Direct cloud downloads. When you import from Google Drive or Dropbox, your browser fetches the file straight from that provider after you grant access.
- No account needed. You can convert without signing in. Read our privacy policy for details about the site itself.
Tips for better CSV results
- Check for a text layer first. Select a line with your mouse. If it highlights, the PDF will work.
- Use Table detection for invoices and statements. Column detection pays off when the source has real cells.
- Use Plain text for articles. Prose has no columns, and forcing Table detection produces one tiny column per word.
- Try the first page first. Convert First page only, check the preview, and only then convert the whole document.
- Turn on Merge column gaps. It prevents a bad table on pages where no columns exist.
- Choose semicolon for European Excel. It avoids the single-column problem in locales where the comma is the decimal separator.
- Copy from the preview if you only need a glance. The Copy button puts the exact CSV on your clipboard, no file needed.
Common problems and quick fixes
| Problem | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| CSV is empty or nearly empty | The PDF is scanned or image-only | Run it through an OCR tool first, or test by selecting text in a viewer. |
| One tiny column per word | Table detection on prose | Switch Mode to Plain text. |
| Columns merged into one | Columns are too close for the gap heuristic | Turn off Merge column gaps, or use Plain text mode and split manually. |
| Text is jumbled or out of order | The PDF stores text in a non-linear order | Try a smaller page range and compare with the page; multi-column PDFs often extract column by column. |
| Excel shows one mangled column | Delimiter mismatch with the locale | Choose semicolon and re-download. |
| Accented letters look wrong | The CSV lost its UTF-8 BOM | This tool adds the BOM automatically; open the file with the correct encoding if you edited it elsewhere. |
| Cloud import fails | The sign-in window was blocked | Allow pop-ups for this site, then press the Drive or Dropbox button again. |
Import from Drive and Dropbox, then share
You do not need to download the PDF to your phone first. The upload card includes Google Drive and Dropbox buttons, and the editor toolbar repeats them. The provider opens its own file picker, you select the PDF, and the tool downloads it into the page list with a live progress bar.
After conversion, the share panel appears under the download button. You can post a link to the tool on WhatsApp, Facebook, X, LinkedIn or Telegram, send it by email, or copy the link. On phones and tablets that support the Web Share API, the Share CSV file button opens the system share sheet with the finished file attached.
Related PDF tools
These pair naturally with PDF to CSV and are all free.
Frequently asked questions
Is the PDF to CSV converter free?
Does the tool upload my PDF to a server?
Can I import PDFs from Google Drive or Dropbox?
What is the difference between Table detection and Plain text mode?
What does Merge column gaps do?
What kind of PDFs work with this tool?
Does it support OCR for scanned PDFs?
How is the CSV structured?
Can I extract only specific pages?
What delimiter should I choose?
Will special characters and accents be preserved?
Does it work on iPhone and Android?
Why is my CSV empty or jumbled?
Ready to extract your tables?
Load a text-based PDF, pick a mode, and download a spreadsheet-ready CSV in seconds. Free, private and built for every device.
Convert PDF to CSV