How to Find a Table in Your PDF with Zapier and PDF.co Web API

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.

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

Screenshot of choosing Google Drive 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.

Screenshot of Trigger Event

Step 3: Select a Drive and Folder

Screenshot of selecting a Drive and Folder

Step 4: Test Trigger

Screenshot of 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

Screenshot of choosing PDF.co as the Action App

Step 6: Choose PDF Find Table as the Action Event

Screenshot of choosing PDF Find Table as the Action Event

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.
Screenshot of selecting Web Content Link from Google Drive trigger

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
}
Screenshot of adding profiles to Custom Profiles

Step 8: Test Action

AI-Powered

Screenshot of Test Action for AI-Powered

Legacy Table Finder

Screenshot of 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.

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