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

Sep 11, 2024·3 Minutes Read

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.

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

IN THIS TUTORIAL

Choose Google Drive as the Trigger App

Choose New File in Folder as the Trigger Event

Select a Drive and Folder

Test Trigger

Choose PDF.co as the Action App

Choose PDF Find Table as the Action Event

Setup Action

Test Action

Detected Tables

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.

Step 3: Select a Drive and Folder

Screenshot of selecting a Drive and Folder

Step 4: 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
}