We prepared this step-by-step tutorial with screenshots to teach you how to find a table in your PDF using PDF.co and Zapier. We’ll be using the sample PDF below for this tutorial.

  1. Select a Trigger App
  2. Select a Trigger Event
  3. Select a Drive and Folder
  4. Test Trigger
  5. Select an Action App
  6. Select an Action Event
  7. Setup Action
  8. Test Action
  9. Detected Tables
Screenshot of Source PDF
Screenshot of Source PDF

Start by clicking on Make a Zap! at the upper-left corner of your Zapier dashboard.

Step 1: Choose Google Drive as the Trigger App

Choose Google Drive as the trigger app

Step 2: Choose New File in Folder as the Trigger Event

NOTE: You may choose different cloud storage with a similar trigger event.

Choose New File in Folder as the Trigger Event

Step 3: Select a Drive and Folder

Select a drive and folder

Step 4: Test Trigger

Test trigger

We’re now done setting up the trigger for this Zap. Let’s now move on to the action.

Step 5: Choose PDF.co as the Action App

Choose PDF.co as the Action App

Step 6: Choose PDF Find Table as the Action Event

Choose PDF Find Table as the Action Evet

Step 7: Setup Action

NOTE: There are two ways to find a table in PDF with PDF.co Web API. The first is by using the AI-Powered option, which will automatically detect a borderless/bordered table. The second is the Legacy Table Finder option, which will detect tables according to the specified settings.

AI-Powered Option

  • For the Input, select Web Content Link from your Google Drive trigger.

AI-Powered option

Legacy Table Finder Option

  • For the Input, select Web Content Link from your Google Drive trigger.
  • In the Custom Profiles, add the following profiles:
    { 
     'Mode': 'Legacy',
     'ColumnDetectionMode': 'BorderedTables',
     'DetectionMinNumberOfRows': 1,
     'DetectionMinNumberOfColumns': 1,
     'DetectionMaxNumberOfInvalidSubsequentRowsAllowed': 0,
     'DetectionMinNumberOfLineBreaksBetweenTables': 0,
     'EnhanceTableBorders': false
    }

Legacy Table Finder option

Step 8: Test Action

AI-Powered

Test action for AI-Powered

Legacy Table Finder

Test action for Legacy Table Finder

Step 9: Detected Tables

AI-Powered

Detected Tables for AI-Powered
Detected Tables for AI-Powered

Legacy Table Finder

Detected Table for Legacy Table Finder
Detected Table for Legacy Table Finder

In this tutorial, you’ve learned how to find a table in your PDF using PDF.co and Zapier.