Convert PDF to Excel using n8n action

PDF4me Convert PDF to Excel transforms PDF documents into structured Excel spreadsheets through n8n automation workflows. Process PDFs via n8n triggers, binary data, base64 strings, or public URLs to extract tables, forms, and data with intelligent table detection, accurate cell formatting, column/row preservation, multi-sheet support, and OCR capabilities for scanned documents. This solution is ideal for financial reporting, data analysis, invoice processing, form digitization, business intelligence workflows, and automated data extraction that require accurate PDF parsing with professional Excel formatting and seamless integration.

Setup

Add the PDF4me "Convert PDF to Excel" node to your n8n workflow and configure the required parameters. For initial setup instructions, see our n8n Integration Guide.

Prerequisites:

• PDF4me API credentials
• n8n workflow access

Get Your API Key

Configuration:

1. Add PDF4me node to workflow
2. Select "Convert PDF to Excel" action
3. Configure input parameters (see below)

Parameters

Complete list of parameters for the Convert PDF to Excel action. Configure these parameters to control PDF to Excel conversion.

Important: Parameters marked with an asterisk (***) are required and must be provided for the action to function correctly.

Parameter	Type	Description	Example
Input Data Type***	String	PDF Input Format Selection • Choose the format of your PDF data input • PDF4me supports multiple input types • Options: Binary Data, Base64 String, or URL	Binary Data
Input Binary Field	Binary	Binary PDF File Input (Required if Binary Data) • Reference PDF file from previous n8n node or file upload • PDF4me processes binary PDF files with automatic format detection • Required when Input Data Type is "Binary Data"	{{ $binary.data }}
Base64 Document Content	String	Base64 Encoded PDF Input (Required if Base64 String) • Provide PDF data as base64 encoded string • PDF4me automatically decodes and processes the PDF content • Required when Input Data Type is "Base64 String"	UEsDBBQABgAI...
File URL	String	Public PDF URL Input (Required if URL) • Provide a public/open permission URL to the PDF file • PDF4me downloads and processes the file from URL • Required when Input Data Type is "URL"	https://abc.com/sample.pdf
Quality Type***	Enum	Conversion Quality Setting • Choose the quality level for PDF to Excel conversion • Draft: Fast conversion, 1 API call per file (simple PDFs) • High: Accurate conversion, 2 API calls per page (complex/scanned PDFs) • Different quality levels provide varying accuracy	Draft
Language***	String	OCR Language Setting • Specify the language of text in the source PDF file • Use only if output text is not recognizable • Optimizes OCR processing for better text recognition • Common values: English, German, French, Spanish	English
Merge All Sheets***	Boolean	Multi-Sheet Consolidation • Control whether all detected tables merge into one worksheet • true = combines all tables into single worksheet • false = creates separate worksheets for each table • Default is false	true
Output Format***	String	Excel Output Format Specification • Defines the output format structure • Controls presentation and layout of Excel spreadsheet • Must be provided in string format • Determines Excel file formatting	"formatted"
OCR When Needed***	String	OCR Processing Control • Control whether OCR processing is applied • Use for image-based PDFs or scanned documents • Determines if OCR should extract text and table data • Must be in string format	"true"
Output File Name***	String	Excel Output Filename • Specify the name for the generated Excel file • Must include .xlsx extension • PDF4me ensures unique naming and format validation	PDF_to_EXCEL_output.xlsx
Document Name***	String	Source PDF Reference • Specify the name of the source PDF file • For reference and tracking purposes • Helps with processing tracking	output.pdf
Binary Data Output Name***	String	Binary Data Output Mapping • Define the variable name for accessing generated Excel binary data • Used in subsequent workflow actions • Essential for workflow automation	data

Output

Output Parameters

Parameter	Type	Description	Example
fileName	String	PDF4me generated Excel filename - The complete filename of the successfully generated Excel document with proper .xlsx extension. PDF4me ensures unique naming and validates file format compliance for seamless integration with downstream processes	PDF_to_EXCEL_output.xlsx
fileSize	Number	PDF4me Excel file size in bytes - The exact size of the generated Excel file in bytes, provided by PDF4me for storage planning, bandwidth optimization, and file transfer monitoring. Essential for enterprise document management and workflow automation	7817
success	Boolean	PDF4me conversion status indicator - Boolean flag indicating the success or failure of the PDF-to-Excel conversion process. PDF4me returns true for successful conversions and false for any errors, enabling robust error handling in automated workflows	true
originalFileName	String	PDF4me source PDF reference - The original PDF filename that was processed by PDF4me's conversion engine. This reference is maintained for audit trails, debugging purposes, and tracking the source of generated Excel documents in enterprise workflows	output.pdf
qualityType	String	PDF4me conversion quality used - Indicates the quality level that was applied during the PDF to Excel conversion process. Shows which quality setting (Draft, Standard, or High) was used for the conversion	Draft
language	String	PDF4me OCR language used - Shows the language setting that was applied during the conversion process for optimal text recognition and data extraction accuracy	English
ocrUsed	Boolean	PDF4me OCR processing indicator - Boolean flag indicating whether OCR (Optical Character Recognition) was applied during the conversion process. Useful for understanding the processing method used for the PDF document	true
mergeAllSheets	Boolean	PDF4me sheet consolidation indicator - Boolean flag indicating whether all detected tables from the PDF were merged into a single Excel worksheet or kept as separate worksheets	true
message	String	PDF4me conversion status message - Human-readable status message providing details about the conversion process result. Includes success confirmation or error details for troubleshooting	PDF converted to Excel successfully

N8N Action Response

The PDF4me Convert PDF to Excel API returns a response that can be viewed in multiple formats. Choose the view that best fits your needs:

JSON

JSON Response Format

The raw JSON response from the API:

{
  "fileName": "PDF_to_EXCEL_output.xlsx",
  "fileSize": 7817,
  "success": true,
  "originalFileName": "output.pdf",
  "qualityType": "Draft",
  "language": "English",
  "ocrUsed": true,
  "mergeAllSheets": true,
  "message": "PDF converted to Excel successfully"
}

Table

Table View

Response data in a structured table format:

Parameter	Value
fileName	PDF_to_EXCEL_output.xlsx
fileSize	7817
success	true
originalFileName	output.pdf
qualityType	Draft
language	English
ocrUsed	true
mergeAllSheets	true
message	PDF converted to Excel successfully

Schema

Schema View

The data structure and types of the response:

1 item
fileName: AB PDF_to_EXCEL_output.xlsx
fileSize: # 7817
success: ☑ true
originalFileName: AB output.pdf
qualityType: AB Draft
language: AB English
ocrUsed: ☑ true
mergeAllSheets: ☑ true
message: AB PDF converted to Excel successfully

Type Indicators:

• AB = String
• # = Number
• ☑ = Boolean

Binary

Binary Data View

The actual Excel file data and metadata:

data
─────────────────────────────
File Name: PDF_to_EXCEL_output.xlsx
File Extension: xlsx
Mime Type: application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet
File Size: 7.6 KB

Binary Data Access:

• n8n Binary Object: $binary.data.data
• Base64 Content: Available for direct use
• File Operations: Ready for download, email, or storage

Use Cases

Financial Data Analysis and Reporting

• Convert PDF financial statements, invoices, and accounting reports to Excel format for data analysis, financial modeling, and business intelligence applications
• Process PDF bank statements, transaction reports, and financial documents by converting them to Excel format for budget analysis, expense tracking, and financial planning
• Transform PDF audit reports, compliance documents, and regulatory filings to Excel format for data manipulation, trend analysis, and regulatory reporting

Business Intelligence and Data Processing

• Convert PDF reports, analytics dashboards, and business metrics to Excel format for further analysis, data visualization, and decision-making support
• Process PDF survey results, market research, and customer data by converting them to Excel format for statistical analysis, reporting, and business insights
• Transform PDF inventory reports, sales data, and operational metrics to Excel format for performance analysis, forecasting, and strategic planning

Research and Academic Data Analysis

• Convert PDF research data, scientific reports, and academic studies to Excel format for statistical analysis, data visualization, and research collaboration
• Process PDF survey data, experimental results, and research findings by converting them to Excel format for data analysis, hypothesis testing, and academic reporting
• Transform PDF census data, demographic reports, and statistical publications to Excel format for research analysis, trend identification, and academic studies

Get Help

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