What to do when VeryPDF PDF to Excel output is blank or missing content
Title
Why Your VeryPDF PDF to Excel Output Is Blankand What You Can Do About It
Meta Description
If your VeryPDF PDF to Excel output is coming out blank or missing content, here's exactly how I fixed it.
Every time I converted a PDF report to Excel, I'd hold my breathwould it work this time, or be a blank sheet again?
If you're in finance, accounting, legal, or admin, you know the drill.
You get these scanned PDFs or structured reports, and someone wants them "in Excel by end of day." So you fire up your favourite converter, run the file, and nothing. Blank cells. No tables. No text.
Been there. Way too many times.
This is what pushed me to figure out why VeryPDF PDF to Excel sometimes outputs a blank fileand what you can do to fix it fast.
How I Stumbled Into the Blank Output Nightmare
I started using VeryPDF PDF to Excel Converter because I had to deal with heaps of financial documents from clients.
Invoices, tax forms, scanned receiptsyou name it.
This tool was a lifesaver because it actually handled both native and scanned PDFs. But then one day, I dropped in a new batch of documents, hit "Convert", and boom... Excel opened up completely empty.
What the hell?
Who This Tool's Really For
If you...
-
Work with scanned contracts, tax docs, or government forms
-
Handle data from PDF bank statements, insurance summaries, or audit reports
-
Are in legal, finance, accounting, or ops
...this software was literally built for you.
It's not just a "convert and pray" kind of toolit gives you control.
Here's Why You Might Be Getting Blank Output
Let's cut the fluff. These are the three biggest reasons VeryPDF PDF to Excel might give you nothing back:
1. The PDF is scannedbut OCR wasn't turned on
This one's HUGE.
If you're working with scanned documents (aka image-based PDFs), the software needs OCR (optical character recognition) to read them.
What to do:
When loading your PDF, make sure to:
-
Check the "Use OCR" option
-
Pick the right language for better accuracy
-
Avoid low-res scans (they mess with text recognition)
2. The table structure is complex or multi-column
Some PDFs use weird layouts: multiple columns, merged cells, nested tables.
Default settings won't cut it.
What to do:
Use the "Detect Table Structure" mode. You can:
-
Switch between "Auto" and "Manual"
-
Manually set the table region if needed
-
Use preview mode to test before exporting
This one change cut my cleanup time in Excel by over 60%.
3. Fonts or encoding in the PDF aren't standard
Ever opened a PDF that looks fine but turns into gibberish when copied?
Yeahsome PDFs are encoded in weird ways. If the font's embedded or the encoding's off, extraction gets messy.
What to do:
Try these:
-
Use "Force Text Extraction" in settings
-
Update to the latest version of VeryPDF (they're constantly patching this stuff)
-
If that fails, save the PDF as a new file using a PDF printer, then try again
Real Talk: Why I Stick With VeryPDF
I've tried Adobe, Nitro, SmallPDFmost are decent but choke on volume or complex tables.
What makes VeryPDF different?
-
Handles scanned + native PDFs in bulk
-
You can control OCR, table detection, layout options
-
Batch mode saved me literal hours when I had to process 100+ files from an audit project
I once processed 87 bank statements in one shot. VeryPDF spat them out into clean Excel sheets. Total time? Under 30 minutes. Try doing that manually.
Quick Fix Checklist (Bookmark This)
Before you hit convert, double-check:
Is OCR enabled (for scans)?
Did you select the correct layout/table detection mode?
Are you using the latest software version?
Have you tested with a sample page first?
Did you preview the output before saving?
FAQs
Q: Why is OCR so important for scanned PDFs?
A: Scanned PDFs are just imagesOCR turns them into readable, extractable text. No OCR = no data.
Q: Can I convert multiple PDFs at once?
A: Yep, batch mode is built-in. Load your folder, adjust settings, and boomone click, all done.
Q: What file types can I export to besides Excel?
A: You can also output to CSV or XML if you're doing database stuff.
Final Thoughts: This Tool Just Works (If You Know the Tricks)
So yeah, the blank output thing freaked me out at first.
But once I figured out why it happens and how to tweak the settings, VeryPDF PDF to Excel became one of the most reliable tools in my kit.
I'd highly recommend this to anyone dealing with PDF tables, reports, or scanned forms on the regular.
Want to stop wasting time and actually get clean, editable data?
Start your free trial now and boost your productivity: https://www.verypdf.com/
P.S. The keyword here is knowing your settings. Master that, and your blank Excel days are over.