Abstract: Described are methods for automatically extracting data from structured documents e.g. spreadsheets, regardless of the manner in which data is organized, and using the extracted data to generate an output table that is in a standardized format. The method can include the operations for automatically extracting data from a spreadsheet that defines rows and columns and includes a plurality of cells that are delineated by the rows and the columns, by identifying characteristics of data included in each cell of the column, determining a template type of the column based on the characteristics of the data in each selected cell of the column, and determining, from among a plurality of cells of the column and based on characteristics of the data included in the plurality of cells of the column, a representative cell that is representative of the determined template type of the column.