In this article, we will you how to extract data from a PDF in Google Drive using Lido's OCR software. Simply follow the steps below!
You can use Google Docs to apply OCR (Optical Character Recognition) on a PDF. Here's how you can do it:
Sign into your Google Drive account. Click on "New" and select "File upload." Choose the PDF file you want to upload and wait for the upload to complete.
Once the PDF is uploaded, locate it in your Google Drive. Right-click on the PDF file and select "Open with" > "Google Docs." Google Docs will automatically perform OCR on the PDF and open it as an editable document.
However, Google Docs' OCR capabilities are limited to extracting plain text, often struggling with complex formatting and tables, which can result in inaccurate or incomplete data extraction.
Lido provides a more robust solution by converting PDFs into structured spreadsheet formats, automating repetitive tasks, and integrating seamlessly with Google Drive. You can sign up for a free account here: https://www.lido.app/go/signup.
Here's how to extract data from a PDF file in Google Drive to Google Docs using Lido's unique formula, IMPORTPDF:
Log into your Lido account, go to the Files page, and click "New file" to create a new spreadsheet. This will be used to organize and analyze the data extracted from your PDF.
In your Lido spreadsheet, click the plus (+) icon at the top left corner to add a new worksheet.
In cell A1, type "=IMPORTPDF(" (without the quotation marks).
Click the "Add Credential" button and follow the instructions to link the Google account where your PDF is uploaded. This will allow Lido to access your file. Make sure to complete all the steps to set up your account correctly.
After connecting your Google account, press the comma key to move to the next part of the formula. Click "Select a file" to open the file dialog.
In the file selector, navigate to your Google Drive and select the PDF you uploaded. This will link the chosen file directly to the IMPORTPDF formula.
Complete the formula by typing ",Sheet1!B2)" to indicate where the extracted data should start, beginning at cell B2 in Sheet1. Press ENTER to apply the formula.
Right-click on cell A1 after entering the formula and select "Run action" from the context menu. This will execute the IMPORTPDF formula and begin extracting data from your PDF.
After the formula runs, navigate to Sheet1 and review the extracted data. Ensure that all information is accurately displayed and correctly represented in the cells.
We hope you now know how to OCR a PDF from Google Drive using Lido.