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What is PDF data?
PDF (Portable Document Format) data represents information stored in PDF files, which are widely used for sharing documents while preserving formatting across different platforms. PDFs can contain various types of data, including text, tables, images, and forms, making them a common format for business documents, reports, and official records.
What is API data?
API (Application Programming Interface) data is information accessed through standardized protocols that allow different software applications to communicate and share data. APIs serve as bridges between different systems, enabling real-time access to databases, services, and platforms while maintaining security and controlled access to information.
Why would you want to combine PDF data with API data
Combining PDF data with API data allows organizations to create comprehensive, automated workflows that leverage multiple data sources for better decision-making and efficiency.
- Enhance PDF documents with real-time information from external sources
- Cross-reference and validate PDF data against current API data
- Create automated reports that combine historical PDF records with live API data
- Streamline data entry by automatically matching PDF documents with API records
- Build more complete datasets for analysis and reporting
Explore and learn more about Parabola
Use Parabola to bring your disparate data and documents together, then tackle your most complex processes with ease
Data transformation
Clean, standardize, and manipulate your data and make it actionable
Data storage
Architect new tables and store millions of rows of data
Data visualization
Build customizable visualizations to uncover new insights
Want to test out this process yourself?
Open the template, sign up, and get started
Pull from PDF file
Pull from API
How to use PDFs with Parabola
Parabola makes working with PDF data straightforward and efficient through its intuitive interface.
- Extract structured data from PDFs automatically without manual copy-pasting
- Process multiple PDF files simultaneously for batch operations
- Transform PDF data into clean, organized tables ready for analysis
Retrieving data from PDFs
Parabola's PDF data extraction functionality enables you to convert PDF documents into structured, analyzable data. The platform can handle various PDF formats and layouts, making it versatile for different business needs.
Key features
- Text and table extraction
- Multi-page document support
- Pattern recognition
- Structured data output
- Batch processing capability
How to use
- Add the Pull from PDF file step to your Flow
- Upload your PDF file
- Configure extraction settings, including column names and keys
- Run the step to extract the data
- Add examples and fine tune your extraction settings for more accurate parsing
How to use APIs with Parabola
Parabola simplifies API integration through its built-in connectivity features and intuitive interface.
- Connect to any API without writing code
- Automatically handle authentication and data formatting
- Schedule regular API data updates
Retrieving data from APIs
The Pull from API step in Parabola enables users to connect to virtually any API endpoint and retrieve data in real-time. This step handles authentication, request formatting, and response parsing automatically, making it accessible to users regardless of their technical expertise.
Key features
- Support for multiple authentication methods
- Automatic JSON parsing
- Custom header configuration
- Rate limiting protection
- Error handling and retry logic
How to use
- Add the Pull from API step to your Flow
- Enter the API endpoint URL
- Configure authentication settings
- Set up any required parameters, headers, pagination, and rate limiting settings
- Test the connection and preview data
Combining data from PDFs and APIs
Once you have both data sources imported into your Parabola Flow, you can combine them using the Combine Tables step. This powerful feature allows you to merge data based on common fields, creating a comprehensive dataset for analysis.
Key features
- Multiple joining methods
- Automatic column matching
- Custom key field selection
- Duplicate handling options
- Preview of combined data
How to use
- After you add your data sources to the Canvas, add the Combine tables step to your Flow
- Drag the arrow from your data sources to the Combine tables step on the Canvas
- Choose the columns to match between the tables
- Configure the join type
- Preview and verify the combined results
Practical use cases and examples
Invoice validation
Automatically validate PDF invoices against current pricing data from an API. This process can flag discrepancies and ensure accuracy in billing by comparing historical PDF records with current market rates or contracted prices.
Customer data enrichment
Enhance customer information from PDF forms by pulling additional details from a CRM API. This creates more complete customer profiles by combining submitted information with existing database records.
Inventory reconciliation
Compare inventory counts from PDF reports with real-time stock levels from an inventory API. This helps identify discrepancies and maintain accurate inventory records across all systems.
By combining PDF and API data in Parabola, you can automate complex data processes and create more efficient workflows. The ability to merge these different data sources without coding makes it accessible to teams of all technical levels, while the visual Flow builder ensures clarity and maintainability of your automated processes.
