How to Insert a PDF into Excel (2026 Guide)
In this guide, you will learn how to insert a PDF file into an Excel spreadsheet the right way. We also explain how the process works using modern AI and OCR tools.
There are many tools available in the market for inserting your PDF file into Excel. Below are our top recommendations:
- Lido
- Nanonets
- Docsumo
- Amazon Textract
- Google Document AI
How to Insert PDF into Excel
When inserting a PDF into Excel, you first need to decide what outcome you want. If you only need to display the PDF inside a worksheet, you can embed it as an object. If you need the data inside the PDF to become usable rows and columns, you will need a tool that understands both the text and the layout of the document.
This becomes important for invoices, reports, and structured tables where formatting must remain consistent after import.
For the purpose of this guide, we’ll use Lido because it handles complex PDF layouts well and allows you to insert structured data directly into Excel with minimal cleanup.
Below is a clear, step-by-step walkthrough of how the process works.
Step 1: Open a New File
Log in to Lido. You can sign up for free on their website. Once logged in, click New File to open a blank spreadsheet.
Step 2: Start the Data Extraction Process
Click Extract Data to begin the data extraction process.
Step 3: Upload the PDF
Upload the PDF you want to insert into Excel. Lido will scan and process the file automatically.
Step 4: Add or Remove Column Headers
Check the detected column headers and adjust them if needed so they match your data structure.
Step 5: Enable Multi-Row Extraction
If the document contains tables or repeating line items, turn on multi-row extraction so each item appears as a separate row in the CSV file.
Step 6: Apply Formatting Rules (Optional)
You can also set clear rules for how the data should be extracted. For example, you can require values to stay as numbers, apply a consistent date format, or remove unwanted words and symbols. This keeps the Excel file clean, structured, and ready to use.
Step 7: Run the Extraction
Click Process All Files and Lido will automatically extract the data.
Step 8: Review the Extracted Data
Review the rows and columns to confirm the data was extracted correctly.
Step 9: Export to Excel
Once done, click Export to Excel.
We hope you now know how to insert a PDF file into your Excel sheet.
