Are you still scrolling through long PDFs just to find the latest revenue number for reports or investor updates? With the AI for Sheets add‑on, you can replace that manual search with a repeatable, no‑code workflow that sends revenue straight into Excel or Google Sheets.
This guide shows how to extract the most recent revenue from PDFs into a structured sheet using simple columns, ready‑made PDF prompts, and quick export to CSV or Excel.
Key advantages of using AI for revenue extraction
- Pull the latest revenue from PDFs into Sheets without writing any code.
- Standardize revenue, currency, and period across hundreds of files.
- Export clean CSV or Excel for analysis and reporting in minutes.
Which methods can I use to extract revenue from PDFs?
Teams usually choose between manual copy/paste, generic OCR tools, or AI‑based extraction. Here is how they compare so you can pick the right approach.
| Method | Summary |
|---|---|
| Manual copy/paste | Accurate but slow and inconsistent. |
| OCR to Excel | Works for scans, but needs post‑processing and still misses semantics. |
| AI data extraction (recommended) | Understands language, units, periods; handles PDFs; scalable. |
How do I set up a no‑code workflow to pull revenue from PDFs into Sheets?
This workflow gets you from PDF → structured CSV or Sheets in a few minutes using AI for Sheets.
Step 1: How do I prepare my PDFs in Google Drive?
The AI needs direct access to your files in Drive before it can read them.
- Upload your PDF invoices to a folder in Google Drive.
- Select all PDFs, right‑click, and choose Share.
- Under General access, change to Anyone with the link can view. This is required.
- Click Copy link and paste into your sheet.
Need help? See the setup guide: How to make files accessible in Google Drive.
Step 2: How should I set up my columns in Google Sheets?
Use a simple four‑column layout so every row captures the PDF link, the revenue amount, the currency, and the period you care about.
| A | B | C | D | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | PDF URL | Revenue Amount (number only) | Currency Code (e.g., USD, EUR) | Period (e.g., 2024, FY2024, Q2 2025) |
| 2 | https://drive.google.com/file/d/your-pdf-id/view | =PDF("Most recent revenue, number only", A2) | =PDF("Currency code for most recent revenue", A2) | =PDF("Period for most recent revenue", A2) |
Paste your PDF links in column A starting at A2, then use these formulas and fill down:
B2: Revenue Amount (number only)
=PDF("Return only the most recent revenue amount as a plain number. No currency symbol, no words, no commas.", A2)C2: Currency Code
=PDF("Return only the 3-letter currency code (e.g., USD, EUR) for the most recent revenue. Output only the code.", A2)D2: Period
=PDF("Return only the period for the most recent revenue (e.g., 2024, FY2024, Q2 2025). Output only the period string.", A2)Step 3: How do I help the AI pick the right revenue value?
Use these rules inside your prompts so the AI returns the correct revenue instead of another financial figure.
- Prefer the latest period mentioned; if multiple, choose the most recent and state the period.
- Currency: return the code seen in text (USD, EUR, GBP). Do not convert.
- Ranged values: pick the single most precise figure.
- Irrelevant amounts: ignore funding, profit, or market size unless explicitly labeled as company revenue.
- If not found: leave the cell blank.
Step 4: How do I export the results to Excel or CSV?
Once your formulas have run, your data is already in Google Sheets. If needed, download it as Excel (.xlsx) or CSV via File → Download.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will this work on scanned PDFs?
Can I export to Excel?
.xlsx.Does it work with non‑English documents?
What about accuracy?
Ready to try it? Get started on the Google Workspace Marketplace and import your first batch in minutes.