How to Extract Data from Packing Lists (Packing List PDF to Excel)
Published on February 20, 2026 by CapyParse Team
If you run a freight forwarding operation or manage warehouse receiving, you're processing packing lists every day. At 15-20 minutes per shipment spent verifying product codes, quantities, and lot numbers, it adds up fast. A mid-size operation doing 100+ shipments per week is burning a full-time employee on data entry alone. This guide shows you how to stop typing packing list data by hand.
Quick Summary
A packing list details every item in a shipment: quantities, weights, dimensions, HS codes, and packaging. Manual processing costs 15-20 minutes per shipment and introduces 1-3% error rates that cause customs delays and receiving discrepancies. CapyParse uses AI to extract all fields from packing list PDFs into Excel or CSV in seconds, with no templates and no coding required.
What Is a Packing List?
A packing list (also called a bill of parcel, unpacking note, packing slip, delivery docket, manifest, or shipping list) is a document that provides detailed information about the contents of a shipment, including the packaging, weights, and dimensions of every item inside.
Who creates them: Shippers, exporters, and manufacturers, i.e. the party physically sending the goods. The packing list is prepared alongside the commercial invoice before the shipment leaves the origin.
Who uses them: Freight forwarders (cargo booking and customs filing), customs brokers (clearance and duty calculation), consignees (receiving verification), warehouse staff (inventory intake and put-away), and insurance companies (claims documentation). Every link in the supply chain touches the packing list.
Typical volume: A freight forwarder handling 50-200 shipments per week processes 50-200 packing lists. A 3PL warehouse receiving 20+ deliveries per day verifies each one against its packing list. With 12 billion documents processed in ocean freight each year, and 90% of data extraction still happening manually, the scale of manual work is enormous.
While a packing list is not technically required by customs in all jurisdictions, its absence causes delays and inspections. In practice, customs authorities, carriers, and receivers all expect one. Shipping without a packing list is like showing up to a job interview without a resume: technically possible, but it raises questions.
Key Fields on a Packing List
Packing lists vary in layout from shipper to shipper, but they contain the same core information:
| Field | What It Is | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| Packing List Number | Unique document identifier | Links to commercial invoice and purchase order |
| Shipper Name & Address | Who sent the goods | Required for customs entry and letter of credit |
| Consignee Name & Address | Who receives the goods | Must match BOL consignee exactly |
| Notify Party | Party to notify on arrival (international shipments) | Required for ocean and air shipments |
| Item Descriptions | Specific type, brand, and model of each product | Generic descriptions cause customs delays. Must be precise |
| Quantity per Package | Number of units in each carton or pallet | Receiving staff verify against this; errors cause inventory discrepancies |
| Net Weight / Gross Weight | Weight without and with packaging, per item and total | Freight charges, customs duties, and carrier billing depend on accurate weights |
| Dimensions (L×W×H) | Size of each package | Determines container loading plan and dimensional weight charges |
| Number of Packages | Total cartons, pallets, or crates | "Box 1 of 5". Must match physical count at receiving |
| HS/HTS Codes | Harmonized System tariff classification | Determines customs duty rate; wrong code = wrong duty = customs hold |
| Country of Origin | Where goods were manufactured | Required for trade agreements, anti-dumping duties, and COO certificates |
| Marks & Numbers | Shipping marks printed on packages (barcodes, labels, handling symbols) | How receiving staff identify and sort packages on the dock |
| Container & Seal Numbers | Container ID and security seal number | Must match BOL; broken or mismatched seals trigger inspection |
| PO / Reference Numbers | Purchase order or internal reference | Links packing list to commercial invoice and buyer's receiving system |
| Special Handling | Fragile, temperature-controlled, or hazmat indicators | Determines warehouse handling procedures |
Why Manual Packing List Processing Costs You Money
If you're still processing packing lists by hand, here's what that actually costs your operation:
15-20 Minutes Per Shipment
Verifying product codes, quantities, and lot numbers against the physical goods. At 100 shipments per week, that's 25-33 hours, nearly a full-time employee doing nothing but packing list verification.
Customs Delays from Data Errors
Incorrect item counts, wrong HS codes, or weight discrepancies trigger customs holds. A single missing HS code can delay an entire container for days, costing $150-300/day in demurrage and detention.
Warehouse Receiving Discrepancies
When the packing list says 48 cartons but only 46 arrive, or the listed weight doesn't match the scale, receiving stops. Manual entry errors make it impossible to tell if the discrepancy is real or a typo.
Commercial Invoice Mismatches
The packing list and commercial invoice must agree on quantities, descriptions, and values. When they don't, because someone mistyped a quantity, customs won't release the goods until the discrepancy is resolved.
The Real Cost: A Quick Calculation
At 100 shipments per week × 15 minutes each = 25 hours/week of data entry. That's 0.6 full-time employees at roughly $40,000-55,000/year. Add demurrage from customs holds ($150-300/day per container) and the annual cost of manual receiving errors ($390,000 for a mid-size warehouse), and manual processing is far more expensive than it looks.
Packing Lists vs. Other Freight Documents
Packing lists are one of several documents that travel with a shipment. Here's how they compare:
| Document | Purpose | Created By | Key Contents | When Used |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Packing List | Details what's physically in each package | Shipper / exporter | Items, quantities, weights, dimensions, HS codes | Customs clearance, warehouse receiving, cargo verification |
| Commercial Invoice | Declares the value of goods for customs and payment | Seller / exporter | Items, quantities, unit prices, total value, payment terms | Customs duty calculation, accounts payable |
| Bill of Lading | Receipt of goods + contract of carriage | Carrier | Shipper, consignee, cargo description, container/vessel info | Proof of shipment, title transfer, freight claims |
| Proof of Delivery | Confirms goods were received | Receiver (signed at delivery) | Delivery date/time, condition, signatures | Carrier payment release, dispute resolution |
The simple version: The packing list describes what's inside. The commercial invoice describes what it's worth. The bill of lading describes how it's getting there. The proof of delivery confirms it arrived.
Step-by-Step: Extract Packing List Data with CapyParse
Here's how to go from a packing list PDF to a clean spreadsheet in under a minute:
Upload your packing list PDF
Go to CapyParse and upload your packing list. It works with digital exports from ERP and trade systems, scanned documents, and even photos taken at the dock. No account needed to try it.
AI reads and extracts every field
Gemini-powered vision AI identifies all fields: item descriptions, quantities, weights, dimensions, HS codes, marks and numbers, and more. No templates to configure. It works on any packing list layout from any shipper.
Review confidence scores
Each extracted field gets a confidence score. High-confidence fields (item codes, quantities from clean prints) pass through automatically. Low-confidence fields (handwritten marks, faded scans) get flagged for review. You verify only what needs attention.
Export to Excel or CSV
Download a clean spreadsheet with one row per line item, all fields in columns. Ready to import into your WMS, ERP, or customs filing system. No reformatting needed.
When to Use Automated Extraction
Not every operation needs automation. Here's a simple framework:
| Volume | Manual Effort | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|
| <20 packing lists/week | 5 hours/week or less | Manual is manageable. Automation is a convenience, not a necessity. |
| 20-100 packing lists/week | 5-25 hours/week | You're spending meaningful time on data entry. Automation pays for itself in the first week. |
| 100+ packing lists/week | 25+ hours/week | Manual processing requires dedicated headcount. Automation is a staffing decision: extract or hire. |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a packing list in freight shipping?
A packing list is a shipping document that itemizes the contents of a shipment. It lists each product's description, quantity, weight, dimensions, and packaging details. Freight forwarders use it for cargo booking and customs clearance. Warehouse staff use it to verify received goods. It's also known as a bill of parcel, unpacking note, or shipping list.
What is the difference between a packing list and a commercial invoice?
A packing list describes the physical contents and packaging of a shipment: what's in each box, how much it weighs, and its dimensions. A commercial invoice declares the monetary value of the goods: unit prices, totals, and payment terms. Both are required for customs clearance. The packing list is about logistics; the commercial invoice is about money. They must agree on item descriptions and quantities.
Can AI extract data from scanned packing lists?
Yes. AI-powered extraction tools use vision models to read scanned packing lists, including those photographed at the dock or scanned from paper. Accuracy is highest on clean, printed documents (95%+) and lower on handwritten annotations or faded scans. Tools with confidence scoring flag uncertain fields for human review rather than silently outputting errors.
What fields can be extracted from a packing list PDF?
Standard extractable fields include: packing list number, shipper and consignee details, item descriptions, quantities, net and gross weights, dimensions, number of packages, HS/HTS codes, country of origin, marks and numbers, container and seal numbers, PO references, and special handling instructions. The exact fields depend on the packing list format, but AI extraction handles variable layouts without requiring templates.
Need to create a packing list from scratch?
Use our free packing list generator to build professional packing lists and download them as PDF. No sign-up required.
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