Auto populating PDF inputs to an excel function

Dear @A R K Krishnan,

Thank you for posting your question in the Microsoft Q&A forum.

Since a PDF is essentially a fixed document format. While it can contain interactive fields, however, currently, there is no built-in feature in Microsoft 365 or Excel that automatically transfers data from a filled PDF form into an Excel sheet. PDFs are static documents and do not have a native mechanism to sync data with Excel.

I totally agree that having a built-in, one-click way feature to automatically transfer data from a filled PDF into Excel would save significant time and reduce manual work, especially when you’re meeting clients and need the data ready for processing without any manual re‑entry. Your request makes a lot of sense, and many users facing similar scenarios would benefit from it.

To help move this forward, I’d really encourage you to share this as product feedback, your voice directly informs the roadmap, and well‑described scenarios like yours are especially valuable. To ensure your feedback reaches the right teams, I highly recommend submitting your feedback directly to Microsoft Ideas · Community, where our product development team can know your requirements and ideas for product improvements. If enough users raise ticket for the same idea, Microsoft may consider adding this feature in the future. 

Note: As Microsoft Community moderators, please note that we are not involved in product design decisions and do not have direct access to the development roadmap, we want to assure you that your feedback has been acknowledged and is valued.  

In the meantime, there are alternative approaches you can consider:

Option 1: Microsoft Forms > Excel

If flexibility exists, I recommend you using Microsoft Forms is the simplest solution. Responses are automatically stored in an Excel workbook in OneDrive or SharePoint.

For more information, please refer to: Introducing Forms data sync to Excel

Option 2: Power Automate + AI Builder

You can create a custom flow that detects when a filled PDF is saved in OneDrive or SharePoint. This requires an AI Builder license and a consistent PDF template. For more information: Use a document processing model in Power Automate and Excel Online (Business)

However, since our category focuses on Office 365 products, this option is related to Microsoft Flow, to ensure that you get professional help and avoid incorrect information from our side, we suggest you post on the Microsoft Power Automate Community for expert assistance. This is a specific channel related to Power Automate.

Please understand that as a forum moderator, we have limited resources about Power Automate, therefore, I highly recommend you post your new question in Microsoft Power Platform Community Forum, you'll get the most qualified group of respondents, and other partners who read the forums regularly can share their knowledge or learn from your interaction. 

Note: Apologies for redirecting you to a different community as the members of the posted category focus on users with Microsoft 365 concern and have limited knowledge about Power Automate, so to get a quick and better assistance, we redirect you in the correct way. 

I hope this information is helpful. If I misunderstand anything, please feel free to reach out.

Thank you for your patience and your understanding. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out.

I'm looking forward for your reply.

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To automatically convert PDF inputs to an Excel sheet for processing, you can use tools that support PDF data extraction and integration with Excel. Here are some options:

1. Power Query: If you have access to Power Query in Excel, you can connect to PDF files directly. Power Query allows you to load data from a PDF file, transform it, and then load it into Excel. This can streamline the process of transferring data from your PDF forms to Excel.
2. PDF Conversion Tools: There are various third-party tools available that can convert PDF forms into Excel format. These tools can extract data from filled PDF forms and output it directly into an Excel sheet.
3. Microsoft Power Automate: You can use Microsoft Power Automate (formerly Microsoft Flow) to create automated workflows that can extract data from PDF files and send it to Excel. This would require setting up a flow that triggers when a PDF is filled out and then processes the data accordingly.
4. Manual Input: If automation is not feasible, consider using a PDF form that can be filled out on your tablet, and then use a PDF to Excel converter to manually convert the filled forms into Excel format.

In summary, while PDF forms cannot directly function like Google Forms, you can use tools like Power Query or third-party converters to automate the process of getting data from PDFs into Excel.

References:

• Connect to a PDF file from Power Query Online
• Summary