Save PDF data to a database automatically

Step-by-step tutorial: Automatically write invoice data to a database table

Using the example of an incoming invoice register, this tutorial shows how Automatic PDF Processor automatically writes one record to a database for every incoming invoice: invoice number, invoice date, amount and the storage location of the file end up in a table of your accounting database — without any manual work.

The connection is established via ODBC. The task therefore works with practically any database that offers an ODBC driver — Microsoft SQL Server, MySQL, MariaDB, PostgreSQL, Oracle, Microsoft Access and many more. SQL knowledge is not required for the approach shown here: you select a table and assign a value to each column.

Note: This tutorial uses the "Fill table" mode — the easiest way, with no SQL knowledge required. If you prefer INSERT/UPDATE commands or stored procedures, you will find the "Custom SQL command" mode at the end of this tutorial and in detail in the program help.

Step 1: Prepare the target table in the database

Create a table in your database (or use an existing one) that will receive the values. For the invoice register, a table like this is sufficient (here for Microsoft SQL Server):

CREATE TABLE dbo.IncomingInvoices (
    Id          INT IDENTITY(1,1) PRIMARY KEY,
    Number      NVARCHAR(50) NOT NULL,
    InvoiceDate DATE,
    Amount      DECIMAL(18,2),
    StoragePath NVARCHAR(260),
    Recorded    DATETIME DEFAULT GETDATE()
);

Two columns are filled by the database itself: Id (identity column) and Recorded (default value "current date"). These columns are simply left without an assignment in the task.

Step 2: Create a new profile

Create a new profile in Automatic PDF Processor with a descriptive name such as "Invoice register" and set the folder where incoming invoices arrive (e.g. C:\Documents\Incoming\Invoices).

Step 3: Create extraction rules for the values

Create one data extraction rule for each value that should be written to the database. For the invoice register, these are three rules:

Step 4: Add the "Save to database" task and set up the connection

Switch to the Tasks page and add the "Save to database" task. First, set up the database connection:

For this example, the SQL Server connection type with server name, database Accounting and Windows authentication is sufficient. Then click "Test connection" — on success, server, version and database are displayed.

Step 5: Select the table and assign columns

In the Database target section, the "Fill table" mode is already preselected. Proceed as follows:

1. Table: Click "Load tables" and select dbo.IncomingInvoices from the list.
2. "Load columns from table": The columns appear in the list with their data types. Mandatory columns are marked with *; automatically generated columns such as Id appear grayed out and remain without an assignment.
3. Assign values: Select a column, enter the desired placeholder under Value (via "Insert placeholder") and click Apply.

If the final storage location should also be recorded in the database, additionally add the "Move" task to the profile and place it before the database task. The placeholders <ParentDirectory> and <FileName> then already deliver the folder and name after the move.

Step 6: Check the preview and run a test

Click "Preview with example file": The program shows the final command with the values of one of the profile's example files — including the data type of each parameter (text, date, number or NULL). The preview does not write anything to the database, but you see exactly what will arrive during processing.

Save the profile and drop a test invoice into the monitored folder. After processing, you will find the new record in the table — with a real date in the date column and a real decimal amount in the amount column:

Id  Number         InvoiceDate  Amount   StoragePath                               Recorded
1   IN-2026-00147  2026-01-15   1293.84  C:\Documents\Archive\2026\Invoice.pdf     2026-09-02 14:31:07

Alternative: Custom SQL command

Users with SQL knowledge can select the "Custom SQL command" mode instead of the table assignment — for example for UPDATE/MERGE commands or stored procedure calls. Placeholders are written directly into the command, without quotation marks:

INSERT INTO IncomingInvoices (Number, InvoiceDate, Amount)
VALUES (<RuleId:1(InvoiceNumber)>, <RuleId:2(InvoiceDate)>, <RuleId:3(Amount)>)

The placeholders are not inserted as text but passed as typed parameters during execution. Apostrophes or special characters in the values are therefore harmless, and the command stays protected against SQL injection.

Common problems

Other step-by-step instructions

Getting Started

• Getting Started - Your first profileBeginner
  
• Understanding Data ExtractionBeginner
  
• Using Data TypesIntermediate
  
• Using Data SourcesIntermediate
  
• Placeholder System ExplainedBeginner
  

Basic Tasks

• Automatically print PDF filesBeginner
  
• Automatically rename PDF filesIntermediate
  
• Automatically move PDF filesIntermediate
  
• Automatically split PDF filesIntermediate
  
• Automatically merge PDF filesIntermediate
  
• Automatically send PDF files by emailIntermediate
  
• Automatically make PDF files searchable (OCR)Beginner
  
• Automatically save PDF attachmentsBeginner
  
• Automatically extract PDF form dataIntermediate
  
• Extract PDF dataIntermediate
  
• Save PDF data to a databaseIntermediate
  

PDF Editing

• Add watermarksIntermediate
  
• Stamp contracts automaticallyIntermediate
  
• Remove cover pages and blank pagesIntermediate
  
• Embed receipts with invoicesIntermediate
  
• Insert barcode/QR codeAdvanced
  
• Anonymize documentsIntermediate
  
• Compress PDF filesBeginner
  
• Flatten PDF pagesBeginner
  
• Auto-rotate PDF pagesBeginner
  
• Redact sensitive data in PDFsIntermediate
  

E-Invoicing & Archiving

• Create ZUGFeRD e-invoicesAdvanced
  
• PDF/A for long-term archivingIntermediate
  
• Archive invoices automaticallyIntermediate
  

Practical Examples

• Send payslips with passwordAdvanced
  
• Process delivery notes and invoicesAdvanced
  
• Sort applications automaticallyIntermediate
  
• Use file groupingAdvanced
  

Operation & Server

• Set up as a Windows serviceAdvanced