Product FAQ

Answers before you capture.

How table detection, PDF parsing, local storage, editing, and exports work in the current version of Table Capture & Extractor.

Capturing tables

Which tables can the extension capture?

It detects standard HTML tables, repeating DIV grids, ARIA grids, tables inside open Shadow DOM roots, and tables inside iframes. Site-specific layouts can still need a recipe or a repair pass.

Can I capture only a few cells?

Yes. Cell range mode lets you drag across a rectangular selection. Keep the relevant header row when the data will be filtered, shared, or imported.

Does it work with tables that load while I scroll?

The extension includes scroll-assisted and multi-page capture tools. The required rows still have to be loaded by the source site before they can be extracted.

Will it bypass a login or paywall?

No. The extension works with content that you can legitimately view in your current browser session. It is not designed to bypass access controls.

Are keyboard shortcuts available?

Yes. Use Alt+Shift+C to copy the first table, Alt+Shift+E to open Table Studio, and Alt+Shift+T to rescan. You can change shortcuts in chrome://extensions/shortcuts.

PDF table extraction

Can it extract tables from a local PDF?

Yes. Choose a PDF file from your computer, review the detected tables, and open the selected result in Table Studio before export.

Can it load a PDF from a URL?

Yes. Paste a direct PDF URL and the browser will request that file. This is the main case where the extension intentionally accesses a remote resource on your behalf.

Why do some PDF tables need editing?

A PDF describes a page rather than a spreadsheet. Rows may be inferred from structure tags, lines, spacing, or text coordinates. Scans and irregular layouts can require OCR or manual correction.

Editing and data quality

What is Capture Score?

Capture Score summarizes structural and data quality signals. It helps direct your review, but it is not a guarantee that the source data is factually correct.

What can I change in Table Studio?

You can edit cells, find and replace values, sort by column, jump to quality issues, rename columns, remove rows, clean values, review detected types, generate a quick chart, and choose an export format.

Which data types are detected?

The current type detector recognizes numbers, currencies, percentages, dates, emails, URLs, booleans, and text. A warning appears when a value does not match the dominant type in its column.

Exports and privacy

Which export formats are available now?

Excel XLSX, CSV, JSON, HTML, clipboard TSV, Markdown, PNG, and PDF are available. You can also copy data and open Google Sheets to paste. Quick charts can be downloaded as PNG.

Are Notion, Airtable, and webhooks available?

Not yet. Those cloud destinations are planned Pro features and require a separate security design for credentials, scopes, retries, and delivery records. Local JSON and HTML exports are already free.

Is captured data uploaded to a server?

No server is used for ordinary capture, editing, or file generation. Local settings, recipes, filename templates, and the current Table Studio draft may be stored through Chrome local extension storage.

Why does the extension request access to pages?

It needs access to the active page and nested frames to detect and extract the table you ask it to capture. Chrome Web Store disclosures must match these permissions and the extension's actual behavior.

Need a practical walkthrough? Browse the table extraction guides.