# PDF Tables to CSV, Excel & JSON Extractor (`tidyfold/pdf-tables-to-csv`) Actor

Extract tables from PDF files into CSV, XLSX and clean JSON rows. Bulk URLs, page ranges, ruled and borderless tables. Pay per page.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/tidyfold/pdf-tables-to-csv.md
- **Developed by:** [Tidyfold Tools](https://apify.com/tidyfold) (community)
- **Categories:** Developer tools, Automation, Business
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $2.00 / 1,000 pdf page processeds

This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events.

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

## 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

## PDF Tables to CSV, Excel & JSON Extractor

Finds tables in digital (text-based) PDFs and exports each one as a CSV file, an Excel workbook per PDF, and clean JSON rows keyed by column name. Handles both ruled tables (with lines) and borderless tables aligned by spacing, such as bank statements and price lists.

### Features

- Bulk PDF URLs and page ranges like `1-3,7`
- Two detection methods (ruled lines or text alignment) with automatic fallback
- First row as header (optional), JSON rows with column names
- CSV per table plus one XLSX workbook per PDF, saved with direct download links
- Filters out two-column prose that other tools mistake for tables

### Use cases

Bank and credit card statements into spreadsheets, supplier price lists, financial and government reports, research data tables.

### Limits

Works on digital PDFs. Scanned image-only PDFs have no text layer; run them through our *PDF Text Extractor with OCR* first. Max file size 50 MB.

### Input example

```json
{
  "pdfUrls": [
    "https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p15t.pdf"
  ],
  "pages": "10"
}
```

### Output example

```json
{
  "pdfUrl": "https://example.com/statement.pdf",
  "status": "ok",
  "page": 1,
  "table": 1,
  "rowCount": 3,
  "columns": [
    "SKU",
    "Item",
    "Qty",
    "Price"
  ],
  "rows": [
    {
      "SKU": "A-100",
      "Item": "Widget small",
      "Qty": "10",
      "Price": "$4.50"
    },
    {
      "SKU": "A-200",
      "Item": "Widget large",
      "Qty": "5",
      "Price": "$9.75"
    }
  ],
  "csvUrl": "https://api.apify.com/v2/key-value-stores/<storeId>/records/doc1-p1-t1.csv"
}
```

### Pricing

Pay per event, so you pay only for results.

**$0.002 per PDF page processed** ($2 per 1,000 pages). A 50-page statement costs $0.10. Use the *Pages* field to process only the pages you need. PDFs that fail to download are not charged.

There is also Apify's standard run-start fee of $0.00005 per GB of run memory (a fraction of a cent per run). The exact prices are always shown on the **Pricing** tab. You can cap any run with the *Maximum cost per run* setting.

### Use it from code or no-code tools

Every run can be started from the Apify API, the Apify Python/JS clients, or connected to n8n, Make, Zapier and Google Sheets through Apify integrations. Results download as JSON, CSV, Excel or XML.

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient
client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_APIFY_TOKEN>")
run = client.actor("tidyfold/pdf-tables-to-csv").call(run_input={'pdfUrls': ['https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p15t.pdf'], 'pages': '10'})
for item in client.dataset(run["defaultDatasetId"]).iterate_items():
    print(item)
```

### Support

Found a bug or need a field added? Open an issue on the **Issues** tab. Tidyfold maintains these tools daily and usually replies within 1 business day.

# Actor input Schema

## `pdfUrls` (type: `array`):

Direct links to PDF files (bank statements, price lists, reports, invoices).

## `pages` (type: `string`):

Optional, e.g. '1-3,7'. Empty = all pages.

## `strategy` (type: `string`):

'lines' for tables with ruled borders, 'text' for borderless tables aligned by spacing.

## `fallbackToText` (type: `boolean`):

If no ruled table is found on a page, retry with spacing-based detection.

## `firstRowIsHeader` (type: `boolean`):

Use each table's first row as column names in JSON output.

## `xlsx` (type: `boolean`):

One Excel workbook per PDF, one sheet per table.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "pdfUrls": [
    "https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p15t.pdf"
  ],
  "pages": "10",
  "strategy": "lines",
  "fallbackToText": true,
  "firstRowIsHeader": true,
  "xlsx": true
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `results` (type: `string`):

Tables returned by the run (one item per row).

## `tableFiles` (type: `string`):

One CSV per table and one XLSX workbook per PDF, stored in the run's default key-value store.

# 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 = {
    "pdfUrls": [
        "https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p15t.pdf"
    ],
    "pages": "10"
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("tidyfold/pdf-tables-to-csv").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 = {
    "pdfUrls": ["https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p15t.pdf"],
    "pages": "10",
}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("tidyfold/pdf-tables-to-csv").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 '{
  "pdfUrls": [
    "https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p15t.pdf"
  ],
  "pages": "10"
}' |
apify call tidyfold/pdf-tables-to-csv --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,tidyfold/pdf-tables-to-csv"
        }
    }
}
```

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/vfQDz8GbaOHFqKJP3/builds/8aRCdWaqkxzemMC9M/openapi.json