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In business settings, there are many opportunities to receive documents in PDF format, such as invoices, quotes, and survey results. Many companies re-enter the information contained in these documents into Microsoft Excel for analysis and management. However, manual data entry is not only time-consuming but also carries the risk of input errors. Especially when dealing with large volumes of PDF data, the burden is significant and can encroach on the time that should be devoted to more critical tasks.
In this article, we will introduce a method that allows anyone to easily and automatically extract the necessary information from PDF files and transfer it to Microsoft Excel files, even without programming knowledge. By utilizing this method, you can eliminate tedious manual work and improve work efficiency. Be sure to read to the end!
Yoom offers a template for automating the workflow of "automatically reading data from received PDF files and transferring it to Microsoft Excel files."
If you want to try it right away, click the banner below to get started!
PDF files received in various situations, such as email attachments, PDFs stored in online storage, and PDFs submitted from forms.
There are many ways to extract data from them and automatically enter it into Microsoft Excel.
Here, we introduce some specific examples of automation. If you find something similar to your work, please click to check the details!
When a PDF file is added to online storage such as OneDrive or Microsoft SharePoint, OCR (Optical Character Recognition) automatically reads the file and transfers the extracted data to a specified Microsoft Excel file. This eliminates the need for manual entry with each upload, allowing for smooth file management and data entry tasks.
Automatically recognize PDF files attached to emails received in Outlook or Gmail, read the content with OCR, and append the data to Microsoft Excel. This allows for automatic processing of invoice PDFs sent from business partners without the need to open emails, leading to increased efficiency in accounting tasks and more.
When there is a file attachment field in forms like Google Forms or Yoom Forms, the submitted PDF files are automatically processed with OCR, and the extracted data is recorded in Microsoft Excel.
This allows you to list information from attached identification documents in application forms or documents attached to surveys without manual work, reducing the burden of reception tasks and data aggregation.
In this example, we will look at the steps to create a flow that "automatically adds content to Microsoft Excel by reading a PDF file stored in OneDrive using OCR."
By using a tool like Yoom, you can relatively easily set up such an automated flow with just on-screen operations.
If you do not yet have a Yoom account, please issue one from the registration form here.
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This time, we will create it through the following major processes:
First, register the OneDrive and Microsoft Excel accounts that will be linked with Yoom in "My Apps".
After logging into Yoom, select My Apps and click on Add.
Use the search box to find and select OneDrive from the app list.
Click on the account name you want to link.
Enter your password and click Sign In.
You have now registered OneDrive in My Apps.
After logging into Yoom, click on My Apps and select Add.
Select Microsoft Excel from the app list.
Using the search box will help you find it smoothly!
From here, follow the same steps as for OneDrive.
Click on the account name you want to link.
Enter your password and click Sign In.
You have now registered Microsoft Excel in My Apps.
Copy the template from the Yoom site.
Besides using the template, you can also create a flowbot from scratch.
Here, we will introduce how to set up using a template for easier configuration and operation.
Click on the banner below.
Please click "Try this template".
Please click "OK".
Now you have copied the template.
The copied template is saved in My Projects.
### Step 3: Set up the OneDrive trigger
Next, proceed to the Flowbot settings.
Please click "Create a file in a specific folder".
You can change the title.
Check the account information linked with OneDrive.
The trigger action "When a file is created or updated in a specific folder" is selected.
Once confirmed, click Next.
Set the trigger activation interval.
The trigger activation timing can be set to 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 15 minutes, 30 minutes, or 60 minutes.
Depending on your plan, the shortest interval for setting the trigger may vary, so be sure to check.
We generally recommend using the shortest activation interval for your plan.
Select the Drive ID from the options.
Select the Folder ID from the options.
After setting, execute the trigger action (when a file is created or updated in a specific folder) and click Test.
If the test is successful and OneDrive information is obtained, save it.
Next, click "Command Operation".
You can change the title.
For the value obtained for branching, select "When a file is created or updated in a specific folder" for the operation, and "Creation Date" for the obtained value.
For the branching condition, we want to set it so that the creation date and last update date are the same, so select "Last Update Date" from the obtained values of "When a file is created or updated in a specific folder".
After setting, save it.
Next, click "Download File".
You can change the title.
Check the account information linked with OneDrive.
The action "Download File" is selected.
Once confirmed, click Next.
Select the Drive ID from the options.
For the file item ID, select "Item ID" from the obtained values of "When a file is created or updated in a specific folder".
After setting, execute the test.
If the test is successful and OneDrive information is obtained, save it.
Next, click "Read text from image/PDF".
You can change the title.
The action "Any PDF/Image file (within 4000 characters)" is set.
Once confirmed, click Next.
For file attachment method, select "Use obtained value" and "Downloaded file".
Enter the content you want to extract from the PDF.
After setting, click Test.
If the item you want to read is obtained, save it.
This is the last setting item.
Please click "Add Record".
You can change the title.
Check the account information to be added with Microsoft Excel.
The action "Add Record" is selected.
Select the file storage location.
Select the Drive ID from the options.
Select the Item ID from the options.
Select the sheet name from the options.
Specify the table range and click Next.
For the value of the record to be added, select from the obtained values of "Read from Image/PDF".
After setting, click Test.
If information is added to Microsoft Excel, save it.
Once the settings are complete, turn on the flow and try uploading a PDF file to OneDrive.
If the data is automatically added to Microsoft Excel, the setup is complete!
The Flowbot setup is now complete.
By leveraging the Microsoft Excel API, various automations can be achieved.
It is possible to automatically add tasks or data registered in other tools to Microsoft Excel, or to retrieve budget information from Microsoft Excel at specified times and send notifications. This facilitates smooth centralized data management and business visualization.
In this article, we introduced a specific approach to "Automatically Extract Data from PDF to Microsoft Excel" without the need for programming.
By automatically transferring information from PDFs to Microsoft Excel, you can prevent manual input errors, reduce working time, and make daily tasks more efficient.
<span class="mark-yellow">Yoom offers a wide range of templates that can automate various document processing and data management tasks, in addition to the data extraction from PDFs introduced here.</span>
With flexible settings for file reception methods, storage destinations, and extraction items, you can achieve optimal automation tailored to your workflow.
If you want to "eliminate the task of entering invoices and quotes," "reduce the hassle of aggregation tasks," or "streamline PDF data management," consider utilizing Yoom's templates. No complicated operations are required, and you can start right away!
Why not try the templates first and take the first step towards improving your business operations?
👉 Create a free account now
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