How to check a table converted from PDF
Converted results are produced automatically. If the table holds money, spend a few minutes checking before you use it. These steps work with any converter.
1. Match the row count
- Count the rows in the PDF table (statements sometimes print the number of entries).
- In Excel, select one data column; the status bar shows the Count. Compare the two.
- If you combined several pages into one sheet, look at the page boundaries for a missing row or an extra header row.
2. Match the total
- If the PDF has a total row, sum the same column in Excel with
=SUM(range)and compare. - A total of 0 or a total that's too low means some cells stayed as text. → Fix numbers stored as text
- With no total row, compute subtotals per page and compare them with the PDF.
3. Spot-check by eye
- Put the first row, last row and a few in the middle next to the PDF.
- Watch the sign (negatives turning positive), decimal points and date formats.
- Check large amounts and rows that affect the total most.
4. Look for shifted columns
- Scan under each header for odd content (an amount in a date column, say).
- Open a column's filter to see the different kinds of entries mixed in one column.
5. If something is wrong
- Shifted columns may come from the PDF's table structure. → Why PDF tables break in Excel
- If the sender can give you the original spreadsheet, that is the most reliable fix.
For taxes, settlements or anything where a mistake matters, compare against the original before relying on converted data.
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