What is the difference between PDF Extract API and Document Generation API?

Feature Purpose Direction. PDF Extract API Turns PDFs into structured data (JSON, Markdown) PDF -> Data Document Generation API Creates PDFs or Word documents from data and templates Data -> PDF/Word

What kind of output can I expect from the PDF Extract API?

Structured JSON or Markdown for text and general content. CSV or XLSX files for tables. PNG images for any pictures found in the PDF.

Extract Bill Data in Adobe Acrobat — How-to & AI prompts

AI prompts

2 ways to ask · copy any one

AExecute — “help me do it”Convert the emailed PDF documents from suppliers received today into editable Excel files,…+

Convert the emailed PDF documents from suppliers received today into editable Excel files, extract vendor name, invoice invoice number, date, and line amounts, and save the output to folder AP Incoming/2026-07-15 for ledger entry.

when the reply comes backPush once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part, and to say what it assumed.

BImprove — “do it better”Before I hand data to the ledger, convert [date=today]’s emailed invoices into editable…+

Before I hand data to the ledger, convert [date=today]’s emailed invoices into editable spreadsheets, normalize vendor names to our [dataset=vendor master], flag any unreadable lines for manual review, and produce one combined worksheet with columns Vendor, Inv#, Date, GL code placeholder, and Total to speed data entry.

when the reply comes backPush once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part, and to say what it assumed.

How to do it

the tool · the steps · what to avoid

1
Open your PDF file in Adobe Acrobat.
2
Select the Export PDF tool from the right pane.
3
Choose Spreadsheet as the export format.
4
Select either Microsoft Excel Workbook (*.xlsx) or Comma Separated Values (*.csv) as your output format.
5
Click Export.
6
If prompted, specify the location and file name for the exported file, then save.
7
Open the exported file in Excel or your preferred spreadsheet application to review and analyze the extracted table data.
Best practiceIf tables are not extracted cleanly, try using the 'Organize Pages' tool to split the PDF into smaller sections before exporting, as some blogs suggest this improves accuracy for complex layouts.

In the appWith the API

You can preview the table structure in the export dialog before saving to ensure the data is being recognized correctly.

This runs in the Acrobat app - there is no separate API for this task.

Glossary

words on this page

APIA way for different software to talk to each other automatically.ExampleAn online store uses an API to automatically send shipping details to a delivery service.

JSONJSON is a simple way to store and share data. It looks like text and is easy for computers to read and write.ExampleA weather app might use JSON to send temperature and forecast data to your phone.

MarkdownMarkdown is a simple text format. It is used to write documents that can be easily converted to other formats like HTML.ExampleYou write an email in Markdown, and it converts to a formatted message.

The real tasks

the one, listed here

Convert emailed bills into a standard, editable copy so data can be entered into our ledger.

FAQ

about this task

The PDF Extract API can work with both native (digital) and scanned PDFs. It uses Sensei, which is Adobe's AI technology, to understand the content. You just send your scanned PDF to the API, and it will process it and return structured data, even if the original was a scan.

Feature	Purpose	Direction
PDF Extract API	Turns PDFs into structured data (JSON, Markdown)	PDF -> Data
Document Generation API	Creates PDFs or Word documents from data and templates	Data -> PDF/Word

Using the PDF Extract API is much better for large amounts of data. Copying and pasting is slow and can lose the structure of tables or reading order. The API automatically gives you structured data like JSON, which is easy for other computer programs to use and analyze.

The PDF Extract API is very good at identifying tables within your PDF. When you extract data, it can convert these tables into formats like CSV or XLSX. This means you get your table data in a spreadsheet format, which is easy to open and work with in programs like Microsoft Excel.

Structured JSON or Markdown for text and general content.
CSV or XLSX files for tables.
PNG images for any pictures found in the PDF.

Extract Bill Data

When to use it

AI prompts

How to do it

Glossary

The real tasks

Who does this

FAQ

Sources