How to convert pdf to google sheets without losing formatting？

1. Use a Reliable PDF to Excel Converter

Online Converters: Tools like Smallpdf, Adobe Acrobat online, and PDF2XL can convert PDFs to Excel files, which can then be imported into Google Sheets.

Steps:

Upload the PDF to the converter.

Choose Excel (.xlsx) as the output format.

Download the Excel file once the conversion is complete.

2. Review and Clean Up the Excel File

Open the Excel file to check if the formatting is intact.

Adjust columns and rows: Ensure that the data is properly aligned in the correct cells.

Merge or unmerge cells if necessary.

Correct any formatting issues like font sizes, borders, and cell colors.

3. Import the Excel File into Google Sheets

Open Google Drive and click on “New” > “File upload” to upload the Excel file.

Once uploaded, right-click on the file and select “Open with” > “Google Sheets.”

Google Sheets will convert the Excel file into a Google Sheets document.

4. Preserve Formatting in Google Sheets

Check the formatting: Ensure that all the original formatting from the PDF is retained.

Make manual adjustments: Fix any remaining formatting issues that may have occurred during the conversion.

Use Google Sheets features like merging cells, adjusting column widths, and applying conditional formatting to recreate the original PDF’s look.

5. Use OCR Software for Scanned PDFs

If your PDF is scanned, you might need to use OCR (Optical Character Recognition) software like Adobe Acrobat Pro, ABBYY FineReader, or Google Drive’s built-in OCR.

These tools will convert the scanned text into editable data before you follow the steps above.

6. Consider Using Google Apps Script (Advanced)

If you have basic coding knowledge, you can use Google Apps Script to automate parts of the conversion.

For example, you could write a script to format the cells automatically after importing the data.

7. Manual Entry (if necessary)

In cases where the formatting is too complex or gets too distorted, you may need to manually input the data into Google Sheets, especially for tables, charts, or mixed content.

8. Save and Share

Once you’re satisfied with the formatting, save your Google Sheet.

You can share it with others by clicking the “Share” button and choosing the appropriate permissions.

9. Use Add-ons or Extensions

There are Google Sheets Add-ons that can help with formatting and conversion. Some tools, like DocuPub or Tabula, may assist in extracting tables from PDFs while preserving formatting.

10. Final Touches

Review the document to ensure that all formatting elements (borders, colors, fonts, alignments) are consistent with the original PDF.

Adjust as needed, keeping in mind that Google Sheets might not support some advanced PDF formatting features.