How to Extract Data from a Password-Protected PDF using PDF.co and Zapier?

We prepared this step-by-step tutorial with screenshots to teach you how to extract data from a password-protected PDF using PDF.co and Zapier.

Extract Data from a Password-Protected PDF – Tutorial

  1. Start by clicking on Make a Zap!
  2. Set up our Trigger. Search and select Google drive as the App event.
  3. Trigger EventNew File in Folder.
  4. Select or connect your Google Drive account.
  5. Select My Google Drive specific folder.
  6. Test the trigger.
  7. For our Action, we’ll select PDF.co as the App event.
  8. For the Action Event, select PDF to Anything Converter.
  9. Select or connect your PDF.co account that you’ll be using with Zapier.
  10. Under Set up action.
  11. Test the action.
  12. See the Output CSV file.

We will use this sample password-protected PDF and extract the data inside it.

Screenshot of the password-protected PDF
Screenshot of the password-protected PDF
Screenshot of Source File
Screenshot of Source File

Step 1: Click Make a Zap!

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

Step 2: Set up the Trigger

We will now set up our Trigger. Search and select Google drive as the App event.

Selecting Google Drive as the Trigger App

Step 3: New File in Folder

As for our Trigger Event go ahead and choose New File in Folder. This will trigger the Zap whenever there’s a new file in your Google Drive folder.

Selecting New File in Folder as the trigger event

NOTE: For this tutorial, I’m using Google Drive storage. You may also use other cloud storage as your trigger, just look for a similar trigger event.

Step 4: Connect Your Google Drive

Select or connect your Google Drive account which you will be using with Zapier.

Connecting google drive account

Step 5: My Google Drive Folder Selection

Select My Google Drive as the drive to be used and select the specific folder where the PDF file is located.

Selecting the drive and folder to be used

Step 6: Test the Trigger

We will then Test the trigger to see if there are any errors or none.

Testing the trigger

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

Step 7: Select PDF.co as App Event

For our Action, we’ll select PDF.co as the App event.

Selecting PDF.co as the Action App

Step 8: Select the Action Event

For the Action Event, select PDF to Anything Converter. This will convert your PDF file to other formats such as CSV, XML, JSON, and etc.

Selecting PDF to Anything Converter as the action event

Step 9: Connect PDF.co Account to Zapier

Select or connect your PDF.co account that you’ll be using with Zapier.

Connecting PDF.co accoun to Zapier

Step 10: Customize Settings

Under Set up action, select CSV as the Output Format. For the PDF URL, just get the Web Content Link from your Google drive. For Pages, if you want to extract data from all of the pages you can leave it blank. Type the Password of your PDF file. You can also set the name of your output PDF, you may also leave it blank if you want to retain the same file name.

Set up action interface

Step 11: Test Your Zap

We will now Test the action to check for errors if there are any.

Testing the action

Step 12: Check the Output CSV File

Once it returns as successful, you will then see the Output CSV file or if you set inline as true, the data will be reflected right away.

Output
Screenshot of the Output

In this tutorial, you’ve learned how to extract data from a password-protected PDF using PDF.co and Zapier integration.