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How to Extract Text from Invoice PDF to Excel (Invoice Processing Tutorial)

ExtractGrid••9 min read

Part of our Batch PDF Text Extraction & OCR Guide — the complete overview of template-based batch extraction and export to Excel or CSV.

Invoice processing is one of the most common reasons teams search for an app to convert pdf to excel. Vendor PDFs repeat the same layout—invoice number, date, line items, tax, total—but the values change every time. ExtractGrid lets you extract text from invoice fields once, save a template, and batch-export structured Excel files for accounts payable.

This guide covers digital invoice PDFs with pdf text extraction. For scanned invoices, use the OCR path described in our OCR image extraction guide.

What you will extract

Typical invoice fields mapped to Excel cells:

  • Invoice number and date
  • Vendor name and address
  • Line item descriptions, quantities, unit prices
  • Subtotal, tax, and total amount
  • Payment terms or PO reference

Step 1: Create a template

Open the dashboard and click Create Template.

Create Template button on the dashboard

Step 2: Select PDF with selectable text

For digitally generated vendor invoices, choose PDF with selectable text for fast, accurate pdf text extraction.

PDF with selectable text option

Step 3: Upload a sample invoice

Upload a representative invoice PDF—the layout you use for bounding boxes should match the rest of your batch.

Choose file to upload a sample invoice PDF

Step 4: Use automatic cell assignment

For invoices with a regular grid of fields, toggle Cell assignment to automatic. ExtractGrid assigns cells to bounding boxes in sequence—faster than manual mapping when you have many line-item regions.

Cell assignment toggle set to automatic assignment

Step 5: Review auto-assigned cells and extracted text

Bounding boxes appear on the document; assigned cells and extracted text show in the right sidebar. Adjust any box that captures a label instead of a value.

Cells assigned automatically with extracted text in the right sidebar

Step 6: Save the invoice template

Enter a template name (for example, vendor-invoice-v1), click Save Template, then Next step.

Template name, Save Template, and Next step buttons

Step 7: Test Excel export on one invoice

Select Excel as output and click Process files to download a .xlsx test file.

Excel output format with Process files button

Step 8: Switch to batch processing

Click Apply this template to multiple files to process a folder of invoices in one run.

Apply this template to multiple files

Step 9: Upload multiple invoices

Select all invoice PDFs for this batch upload.

Upload files for batch invoice processing

Step 10: Load your invoice template

Click Load template and pick the invoice template you saved.

Load template to apply saved bounding boxes

Step 11: Batch export to Excel

Choose Excel and click Process files. Each invoice is processed with the same field mapping—structured invoice processing without copy-paste.

Excel format and Process files for batch invoice export

OCR invoice processing for scanned bills

If invoices arrive as scans or photos, use Scanned PDF or image mode instead of selectable text. That triggers ocr invoice processing via ExtractGrid's batch OCR engine. The template workflow is identical; only the recognition step changes.

Related guides

GuideUse when
Batch PDF Text Extraction & OCR (complete guide)Full overview of extraction vs OCR and export formats
How to Convert Bank Statement PDF to CSVTransaction exports and bank reconciliation
How to Convert PDF Balance Sheet to ExcelFinancial statements and reporting
OCR Data Extraction from ImagesScanned invoices and photo-based documents

Stop rebuilding invoice tables by hand—extract data from pdf to excel with a template you reuse every month. Get started with ExtractGrid.