# Video Table Extractor (tables on screen to CSV/Excel) (`madrasco/video-table-extractor`) Actor

Reads the tables shown on screen in your own video file (screen recordings, slide talks, demos) and returns them as CSV and Excel. Every row cites the frame time it was read from and links to that frame's image. Scrolled tables are stitched into one.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/madrasco/video-table-extractor.md
- **Developed by:** [Jack Valmadre](https://apify.com/madrasco) (community)
- **Categories:** Videos, AI, Automation
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

Pay per usage

This Actor is paid per platform usage. The Actor is free to use, and you only pay for the Apify platform usage, which gets cheaper the higher subscription plan you have.

Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/actors/running/actors-in-store.md#pay-per-usage

## What's an Apify Actor?

An Actor is a serverless cloud program that runs on the Apify platform. It has two run modes.
In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours,
and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store.
In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server.

Apify vocabulary and the platform model are defined once, in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md.

## How to integrate an Actor?

If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects.
You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready.

Do not guess an integration path. Every one of them is in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md: the Apify MCP server, Agent Skills with the Apify CLI, the JavaScript and Python clients, the REST API, and the account-free path for an agent with no human to sign in. It also carries the rule on stating cost before the first paid run.

For examples already wired to this Actor's own input schema, see the [API](#api) section below.

Each client library has reference documentation the quickstart does not restate: [JavaScript/TypeScript](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md) (`npm install apify-client`) and [Python](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md) (`pip install apify-client`).

# README

## Video Table Extractor

Turn the tables shown on screen in your own video file (screen recordings, slide talks, product demos) into CSV and Excel files. Every row says the frame time it was read from and links to an image of that frame, so you can check any value against the video in one click. When a table scrolls on screen, the rows seen at each scroll position are stitched into one table.

### What you get

For each video:

- **Dataset rows**: one row per table row, with the video name, table id, row number, frame time (`00:01:07`), the cells as an array and as text, the table kind (ruled grid or aligned text), the text-recognition confidence and a link to the frame image.
- **Excel workbook** (`v01_tables.xlsx`, one sheet per table) and **one CSV per table** (`v01_table_001.csv`, ...).
- **HTML report** (`v01_REPORT.html`): each table next to a thumbnail of the frame it came from.
- **Frame images** (`v01_frame_table_001.jpg`, ...) and a run summary (`OUTPUT`: length, tables, rows, processing time, errors per video).

### Input

- **Video file links**: direct links to video files you own or have the right to use (MP4, MOV, MKV, WebM...). Links to video platform pages (YouTube, Vimeo, TikTok...) are refused: this actor does not download from video platforms.
- **Or a key-value store** in your Apify account holding uploaded video files (for a file on your computer: Storage > Key-value stores > upload, then pick the store here). Optionally list only some record keys.
- **Frames sampled per second** (default 1): 1 suits slides and screen recordings; raise it for fast scrolling, lower it for long talks. Time and cost grow with it.
- **Stitch scrolled tables** (default on).
- **Screen region** (optional): read only part of the frame, e.g. `0,0.1,1,0.8` to skip a menu bar and a webcam strip.
- **Maximum video length** (default 120 minutes) and **maximum file size** (default 2000 MB): longer or larger files are skipped.

Example input:

```json
{
  "videoUrls": ["https://example.com/my-screen-recording.mp4"],
  "framesPerSecond": 1,
  "mergeScrolledTables": true
}
```

### Measured accuracy and speed

Measured by us on our own test videos with known contents (2026-09-25). Your videos will differ; treat these as examples, not guarantees.

| Test video | Result |
|---|---|
| 54 s screen recording of a spreadsheet, 60 rows + header, 1280x720, scrolled both step by step and continuously (run on Apify, 4096 MB memory) | 1 table, 61/61 rows, no duplicate rows, 488/488 cells exactly right; 78 s run time |
| 16 s slide video, 2 table slides + 2 text slides, 720p | 35/36 cells exactly right, no false tables |
| Same slides, 360p with heavy compression | 35/36 cells exactly right (36/36 ignoring spaces), no false tables |

The scrolling test cost US$0.018 of Apify platform usage at 4096 MB memory, about **US$0.02 per minute of video**. Most of the time goes into reading each new screen state; a video with fewer changes on screen (slides that stay up for a while) has fewer states to read. We have measured this on one scrolling recording only, so expect the cost per minute to vary with how often the screen changes.

### Use with AI agents

Call the actor with `videoUrls` (a list of direct file links) and read the default dataset: each item has `cells` (array of strings), `frameTime` and `frameImage`, so an agent can quote a value together with where it appeared in the video. The `OUTPUT` record in the default key-value store summarises the run and lists per-video errors.

### Limitations

- Text recognition can be wrong without warning (for example a dropped space or a misread character). Check important values against the linked frame before relying on them.
- Tables are found from ruled grid lines or from text aligned in rows and columns. Charts, handwriting, tables drawn as images inside busy slides and very small text are not handled reliably.
- Tested on English text and digits only. The bundled recognition model (PP-OCRv4) also covers Chinese characters, which we have not tested; other scripts are not supported.
- Use only videos you own or are allowed to process.

### Privacy

Your video is downloaded into the run's temporary storage, processed and deleted when the run ends. Results stay in your own Apify storage. Madrasco does not collect or keep your videos or results.

### Support

Open an issue in the Issues tab of this actor. Replies are AI-assisted; a human owner can be reached on request.

Built and maintained by Madrasco, with AI assistance. Output is provided as is, without warranty; you are responsible for checking it before use.

# Actor input Schema

## `videoUrls` (type: `array`):

Direct links to video files you own or may use (MP4, MOV, MKV, WebM...). Links to video platform pages (YouTube, Vimeo, TikTok...) are refused: this actor does not download from platforms. To use a file on your computer, upload it to a key-value store instead (below).

## `keyValueStoreId` (type: `string`):

Pick a key-value store in your Apify account that holds video files (for example uploaded through Storage > Key-value stores). Every record whose key ends in a video extension or whose content type is video/\* is read, unless you list keys below.

## `videoKeys` (type: `array`):

Record keys to read from the key-value store above. Leave empty to read all video records.

## `framesPerSecond` (type: `number`):

How often the video is looked at. 1 per second suits slides and screen recordings; raise it (up to 4) for fast scrolling, lower it to save time on long talks. Time and cost grow with this number.

## `mergeScrolledTables` (type: `boolean`):

When the same table scrolls on screen, join the rows seen at each scroll position into one table (rows repeated between frames are kept once). Turn off to get one table per screen state.

## `region` (type: `string`):

Only read part of the frame: x,y,width,height as fractions of the frame, e.g. 0,0.1,1,0.8 skips the top 10% and bottom 10%. Useful when a webcam overlay or menu bar sits next to the table.

## `maxVideoMinutes` (type: `integer`):

Longer videos are skipped. The file is downloaded before its length is checked, so a skipped video still uses platform time for the download.

## `maxFileSizeMb` (type: `integer`):

Larger files are skipped. Run disk is twice the run memory, so very large files need more memory.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "videoUrls": [
    "https://api.apify.com/v2/key-value-stores/lPxNrK09Y5u0Y1tVN/records/madrasco-spreadsheet-demo.mp4"
  ],
  "framesPerSecond": 1,
  "mergeScrolledTables": true,
  "maxVideoMinutes": 120,
  "maxFileSizeMb": 2000
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `rows` (type: `string`):

One dataset row per table row: video, table id, frame time, cells and a link to the frame image it was read from.

## `files` (type: `string`):

Per video: v01\_tables.xlsx, v01\_table\_001.csv..., v01\_REPORT.html with thumbnails, v01\_frame\_table\_001.jpg...

## `report` (type: `string`):

Each table next to a thumbnail of its source frame.

## `summary` (type: `string`):

Per video: length, tables and rows found, processing time, errors.

# API

You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup.

## JavaScript example

```javascript
import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

// Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
// Replace the '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token
const client = new ApifyClient({
    token: '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>',
});

// Prepare Actor input
const input = {
    "videoUrls": [
        "https://api.apify.com/v2/key-value-stores/lPxNrK09Y5u0Y1tVN/records/madrasco-spreadsheet-demo.mp4"
    ]
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("madrasco/video-table-extractor").call(input);

// Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any)
console.log('Results from dataset');
console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`);
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
items.forEach((item) => {
    console.dir(item);
});

// 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs

```

## Python example

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient

# Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
# Replace '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token.
client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_API_TOKEN>")

# Prepare the Actor input
run_input = { "videoUrls": ["https://api.apify.com/v2/key-value-stores/lPxNrK09Y5u0Y1tVN/records/madrasco-spreadsheet-demo.mp4"] }

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("madrasco/video-table-extractor").call(run_input=run_input)

# Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any)
print(f"💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/{run.default_dataset_id}")
for item in client.dataset(run.default_dataset_id).iterate_items():
    print(item)

# 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start

```

## CLI example

```bash
echo '{
  "videoUrls": [
    "https://api.apify.com/v2/key-value-stores/lPxNrK09Y5u0Y1tVN/records/madrasco-spreadsheet-demo.mp4"
  ]
}' |
apify call madrasco/video-table-extractor --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,madrasco/video-table-extractor"
        }
    }
}
```

The hosted server signs you in with OAuth on first connect, so no API token belongs in this config. Clients without OAuth support can send an `Authorization: Bearer <APIFY_API_TOKEN>` header instead, using a token from API & Integrations in Apify Console (https://console.apify.com/settings/integrations).

## OpenAPI specification

Download the OpenAPI definition: https://api.apify.com/v2/actors/HL4cyisms1WuVwUoL/builds/SmuHU2pTHwrLKZwfU/openapi.json