Fix the "no text found" message for scanned PDFs
If the tool says no text was found on the selected pages, the PDF is most likely a scan: a picture of paper with no characters stored inside it.
Your file is never uploaded. The PDF is read in your browser and makes no network requests while it works.
Open the PDF table to Excel / CSV tool
Steps
- Open the PDF in any viewer and try to highlight a word with your cursor.
- If nothing highlights, the page is an image and the tool has nothing to read.
- Go back to the source and ask for the original digital PDF, or re-export it from the program that made it.
- If you only have paper, use scanner software that can save a searchable PDF, which adds a text layer.
- Load the new file and check the preview with care.
Good to know
No OCR here
The tool does not do character recognition. It only reads text already stored in the file, which is why it cannot open scans.
Mixed files
Some PDFs mix real text pages with scanned ones. Use the Pages field to pick only the pages that have text.
Other error messages
A password-protected PDF is not supported, and a damaged or non-PDF file gives a could-not-open message instead.
Questions
Does a searchable PDF always convert well?
Not always. Text added by recognition software can contain misread characters or odd spacing, so review every value.
Is my scanned file sent anywhere to be processed?
No. Nothing leaves your browser, scanned or not.
Have bank statements as PDFs instead? RowSmith converts text-based PDF statements to CSV or Excel in your browser.
This guide was written with AI assistance and reviewed against the tool's behaviour. Always review your output before using it.