PDF Conversion Issues

Fix Merged Columns After Converting Bank Statement PDF to Excel

Amos Gikunda Oct 23, 2026 868 views

Question details

Users experience merged columns and disorganized cells when converting bank statement PDFs to Excel spreadsheets.

Fix Merged Columns After Converting Bank Statement PDF to Excel

Product: PDF to Excel Converter
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Converting complex bank statement PDFs into editable Excel format for financial tracking or data analysis.
Observed behavior: The resulting Excel file contains merged fields, separated transaction cells, and disorganized columns instead of a clean, structured table.

Before you start

Check if your bank statement PDF contains selectable text or if it is a scanned image. If it's a scanned document, ensure you use a PDF converter equipped with OCR (Optical Character Recognition) capabilities for accurate table extraction.

Solution 1Recommended

Reorganize the Worksheet Columns and Unmerge Cells in Excel

Manually adjust the formatting in your spreadsheet program to clean up merged cells and misaligned transaction data.

Since PDFs prioritize visual layout over data structure, converters often merge cells to replicate the exact spacing of the original document. You can resolve this by removing the merged formatting and using built-in data separation tools.

Unmerge all cells

Select the entire worksheet (Ctrl + A) or the affected data range, then click the 'Merge & Center' button on the Home tab to unmerge all cells.

Clean up empty rows and columns

Highlight and delete any blank rows or columns that were generated during the PDF conversion process to consolidate your data.

Use Text to Columns

If multiple pieces of data (like dates and descriptions) are crammed into a single cell, highlight the column, navigate to the Data tab, and click 'Text to Columns'.

Separate the data

Choose 'Delimited' in the wizard, then select the appropriate delimiter (like Space or Comma) to split the combined transaction details into proper, separate columns.

Reorganize the Worksheet Columns and Unmerge Cells in Excel

Formatting Tip: Once your columns are correctly separated, apply a 'Format as Table' style to easily filter and sort your bank transactions.

Solution 2

Download Data Directly from Your Bank

Bypass PDF conversion issues entirely by downloading a native spreadsheet file from your online banking portal.

Convert PDF to Excel Seamlessly

Use WPS Office for Accurate PDF to Excel Conversion

WPS Office includes a powerful PDF to Excel converter that intelligently recognizes complex table structures. It minimizes merged columns and disorganized data, perfectly preserving your bank statement layouts for easy editing.

1. Open the PDF in WPS Office: Launch WPS Office, navigate to the PDF tab, and open your downloaded bank statement.
2. Select PDF to Excel: Go to the 'Tools' menu on the top ribbon and click on the 'PDF to Excel' button.
3. Adjust Conversion Settings: Choose the specific pages you want to convert, select your preferred language if using OCR, and ensure the output format is set to .xlsx.
4. Start Conversion: Click 'Convert'. The accurately formatted spreadsheet will automatically open in WPS Spreadsheet, ready for financial analysis.

Advanced table recognition prevents merged or misaligned columns.Built-in OCR technology extracts data accurately from scanned bank statements.Fully compatible with Microsoft Excel (.xlsx) and CSV formats.Edit and clean up the converted spreadsheet seamlessly within WPS Spreadsheet.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why do my PDF tables get merged when converted to Excel?

PDFs are designed to maintain visual layout for printing, not underlying data structures. When converting, standard tools try to visually replicate the PDF's text placement in Excel, often using merged cells to mimic the original document's spacing and alignment.

Does OCR help with converting bank statements to Excel?

Yes, if your bank statement is a scanned image rather than a digital PDF, OCR (Optical Character Recognition) is essential. It identifies and extracts the text from the image so the converter can attempt to place the characters into individual Excel cells.

How can I prevent transaction amounts and dates from merging into one cell?

Using a high-quality converter with dedicated table-recognition algorithms, like the WPS Office PDF to Excel tool, helps identify column boundaries to prevent data merging. Alternatively, downloading a CSV file directly from your bank completely avoids the issue.

PDF Troubleshooting