How to Convert a Price List PDF to Excel

A supplier sent you their price list as a PDF. You want it in Excel so you can sort it, search it or add your own prices. But when you copy it, the item names, codes and prices all get jumbled together.

Here are three ways to get a price list from a PDF into Excel. The first two are free. The third, Sheetsnap, puts each column in its own place in a few clicks.

First, ask for a spreadsheet

It sounds simple, but it often works. Many suppliers keep their price list in Excel and turn it into a PDF to send it. Reply and ask: "Could you send this as an Excel file too?"

If that doesn't work, try one of the ways below.

Check: is your PDF real text?

Open the PDF and try to highlight one price.

If the price highlights, the PDF has real text. All the ways below can work.
If you can only draw a box, the page is a scan. None of these ways can read it. Ask the supplier for a better copy.

Way 1: Copy and paste (free)

This is fine for a short list.

Open the PDF.
Drag across the rows you need to highlight them.
Copy them with Ctrl + C (Windows) or Command + C (Mac).
Open Excel, click cell A1 and paste with Ctrl + V or Command + V.

Each row will often land in one cell. To split it up, select the column, then click Data and Text to Columns. Pick Delimited, tick Space, and click Finish.

The catch: item names with spaces, like "Steel bolt 10 mm," get split into many columns. You have to fix those by hand.

Way 2: Excel's PDF import (free, Windows only)

Excel for Windows with Microsoft 365 can read tables from a PDF.

In Excel, click the Data tab.
Click Get Data, then From File, then From PDF.
Pick your price list and click Import.
Click each table on the left to see a preview.
Pick the right one and click Load.

This works well for neat tables with lines. A list that runs over many pages may come in as many small tables.

Way 3: Use Sheetsnap (quickest)

Sheetsnap finds the tables in your PDF and puts each column in its own place. It works on Windows, Mac and Chromebook.

Go to tools.ltd/sheetsnap.
Click Choose a PDF, or drag your price list into the box.
Press Make my Excel file.
Download the file and open it in Excel or Google Sheets.

Each table gets its own sheet, with the top row in bold. Sheetsnap copies the numbers that are in the PDF. It does not guess them. Your file never leaves your device. The tables are read right in your browser, and nothing is uploaded.

Check your prices

Take two minutes to check the sheet before you use it.

Count the rows. Does the sheet have as many items as the PDF?
Spot-check five prices. Pick a few from the top, middle and end, and compare them with the PDF.
Look for prices on the left of the cell. Excel puts numbers on the right. If a price sits on the left, Excel thinks it is text. Click it, then the small warning sign, and pick Convert to Number.

Tips for using your price list

Add a column for your own price. For example, type =C2*1.2 to add 20 percent to the price in cell C2. Change C2 to match your sheet.
Find an item fast. Press Ctrl + F (or Command + F on a Mac) and type the item code.
Keep the date. Name the file with the date of the list, like "Supplier prices 2026-10.xlsx", so you know which one is the newest.

Is it a bank statement instead?

Bank statements need extra care with money in and money out. MyBankToExcel is made for them, and it checks that the balances add up.

Frequently asked questions

Why does my price list paste into one column?

A PDF stores words by where they sit on the page, not in cells. When you copy, the columns get lost, so each row lands in one cell.

Will the prices be right?

Sheetsnap copies the numbers that are in the PDF. It does not guess them. Still, check a few prices against the PDF before you use the sheet.

My price list is a scan. Will this work?

No. A scan is a photo of a page, so there is no text to copy. Ask the supplier for the PDF their computer made, or for an Excel file.

Does my price list get uploaded?

No. Sheetsnap reads the tables right in your browser. Your file never leaves your device.