How to extract table data from pdf and store it in csv/excel using Automation Anywhere?

Question

I want to extract the table data from pdf to excel/csv. How can I do this using Automation Anywhere?

Please find below the sample table from pdf document.

Answer 1

There are multiple ways to extract data from PDFs. You can extract raw data, formatted data, or create form fields if the layout is consistent.

If the layout is more random, you might want to take a look at IQ Bot, where there are predefined classifications for things like Orders etc.

I would err on using form fields if you have unusual fonts like " for inches character if you have a standard format, since the encoding doesn't map well with the raw/formatted option.

The raw format has some quirks where you don't always get all the characters you expect, such as missing first letter of a data item for raw.

The formatted option is good at capturing tabular columns as they go across the line.