What is a PDF Parser? How to Extract Data from PDFs?

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]When you have a handful of documents to work on—it’s rather a convenient option to use ‘copy & paste’ to extract data. But when there’s an overwhelming amount of PDFs to extract data from manually, it can get difficult.

Sure, you can use a PDF scanner. But how reliable are they? Oftentimes, they fail to identify complex patterns within a PDF—such as locating the item lines within an invoice. Unfortunately, these technical problems continue to exist.

If you run a business with thousands of PDF files to process—be it invoices, purchase orders or bank statements—then a PDF Parser, like KlearStack, is a reliable solution to get the job done.

What is a PDF Parser?

PDF Parser is a tool that extracts data from multiple PDFs in one go. It is capable of extracting data fields in a fine-grained structured format that ensures accuracy and reliability in the parsing results.

A PDF Parser allows you to extract data from:

• PDF files
• Excel sheets
• Image files
• Google documents, and so on.

How Does PDF Parsing Work?

When you scan a document, a PDF Parser would identify the exact location where the key data fields are expected. With its advanced algorithms, it will extract data from non editable PDFs and present it in a digital format.

Traditionally, businesses would require additional human intervention to extract information that isn’t machine readable. The whole process of data extraction would become time consuming and error prone.

However, expert tools like PDF parser replace the traditional method of extracting. No matter the type of PDF layout you got, this tool can extract the same format structure in a couple of minutes.

A good example for the same would be invoice processing. An invoice often has multiple elements like invoice data, invoice number, and purchase total. Scanning it on a free PDF convert tool might extract data misaligned throughout. On the contrary, a PDF parser would get the same job done, while keeping invoice elements in the exact same position.

Data that Can Be Parsed from PDFs

PDF Parsers can recognize more than just your invoice numbers or purchase totals.

Here’s a few elements that a PDF Parser can recognize & extract:

• Headers
• Tables
• Images
• Lists
• Text Paragraphs
• Single data fields

Use Cases of PDF Parser

PDF parsers or PDF scrapers are often used in use cases dealing with intelligent document processing or business process automation. This is intended for all document management workflows in enterprises that need to automatically extract data from PDF documents.

• Extracts key data from invoices, such as invoice number, date, and total amount. This accelerates the accounts payable process and reduces manual data entry.
• Receipt Scanner or Receipt OCR: Relevant information such as merchant details, transaction date, items purchased, and total amount can be extracted using OCR, automating the process of data retrieval from receipts.
• ID Card Verification: Whether it’s a driver’s license, passport, or any other ID card, the PDF parser can adapt to various formats and layouts commonly found in different types of identification documents.
• Is able to identify table structures within PDF documents, understanding rows and columns. Can extract text from table cells.

Benefits of PDF Parsing

Some businesses prefer storing specific information based on its workflow, that goes beyond the convention. This may involve details such as—project codes, client names, department identifiers, or any other information specific to the document’s context. These fields, known as custom metadata fields, are created based on the organization’s workflow and data management needs.

By using custom metadata fields, organizations can enrich the context of their documents. For instance, a project management team might use custom fields to store project milestones, while a legal department may use them to track case numbers or legal categories.

However, extracting data from these custom fields can be challenging because they are not standardized across all documents.

But a capable PDF parser can:

• Recognize and extract information from diverse custom fields, ensuring that no valuable data is overlooked.
• Adapt to different document structures and accommodate varying sets of custom information.
• Has error-handling mechanisms to address variations in custom field formats.
• Performs validation checks on the extracted information from custom metadata fields. This helps in identifying and correcting any discrepancies or inaccuracies in the parsed data.

How to Parse PDF Files with KlearStack?

To extract specific data from the PDF, text from image, or data from table, simply use the KlearStack tool:

1. Sign up/Log in to your KlearStack account
2. Upload PDF files on KlearStack’s drag and drop area
3. Annotate the text area within the PDF that you want to extract
4. Train the model to recognize PDF elements on a larger scale
5. Press “Parse PDF.” Test and verify the PDF Parser.

Why is KlearStack the Best PDF Parser?

If you’re a business, processing over a 1000+ documents daily—then KlearStack is your all-in-one go to solution. The KlearStack PDF parser has pre-trained models for certain types of documents such as invoices, receipts, passports, insurance policies, purchase orders, NACH mandates, an etc.

• KlearStack runs on specific parsing algorithms that can extract data from any type of document format.
• Can perform OCR for scanned PDFs or images.
• Has flexibility to adapt to any document formats and structures.
• Has built-in mechanisms to validate and verify extracted data. This reduces risk of errors, and ensures 99% accuracy.
• Can extract data from different languages.
• Can extract metadata such as document creation date, author information, etc., for comprehensive data understanding.

Extract Data from your PDFs in Seconds!

KlearStack is your hassle-free solution to extract non-editable data into editable and readable format. It can locate all the elements within a PDF without compromising on its alignment.

✓ Extract data with 99% accuracy,

✓ Slash costs by up to 70%

✓ Extract data from PDFs, email attachments, invoices, bills, reciepts, and more.

Don’t wait—Schedule a demo session today!

FAQs on PDF Parser

What is a PDF Parser?

A PDF parser is a software tool that extracts text and data from PDF documents. It interprets the document’s structure to identify and retrieve information, enabling automated processing.

How to parse a PDF?

To parse a PDF, use a PDF parser tool, specifying data extraction parameters. It reads the PDF structure, extracting relevant information for analysis, storage, or further processing.

What is the best PDF parser?

The best PDF parser depends on specific needs. Consider factors like accuracy, scalability, and integration capabilities when choosing from options like Apache PDFBox, PDF.js, or commercial solutions.

What is the use of PDF parser?

A PDF parser is used to extract data and text from PDF documents. It streamlines tasks like information retrieval, document analysis, and automation, enhancing efficiency across various industries and business processes.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]