How to Convert a PDF to a Google Doc (and Keep the Formatting)
Published by PDFToolz · Updated · Technical references listed below
To convert a PDF to a Google Doc, upload the PDF to Google Drive on a computer, right-click it and choose Open with > Google Docs. Google reads the text with optical character recognition (OCR) and saves it as a new, editable Google Doc. Your original PDF stays in Drive.
The catch is formatting. Google says bold, italics, font sizes, font types and line breaks are likely to be kept, but lists, tables, columns and footnotes are not likely to be detected, and the file should be 2 MB or smaller. This guide covers the exact steps, what survives the conversion, how to handle scanned and large PDFs, and a better route when the layout matters, which is to convert the PDF to Word first and open the .docx in Google Docs.
How to convert a PDF to a Google Doc, step by step
These are the steps Google documents for Drive on a computer. Google's Android help page sends you to drive.google.com on a computer for this, so use a desktop browser. The same steps work for text-based PDFs, scans, and JPEG, PNG and GIF images.
- Go to drive.google.com and sign in.
- Click New > File upload and pick your PDF, or drag the PDF into the Drive window.
- When the upload finishes, right-click the PDF in your file list.
- Choose Open with > Google Docs.
- Google creates a new Google Doc with the PDF's text and opens it. Rename it if you like. It is saved to Drive automatically, next to the original PDF.
- Read the result against the PDF, especially names, numbers and anything that was in a table.
What survives the conversion and what is lost
Google's conversion is built to get the words out, not to copy the page. Google's own help page says bold, italics, font size, font type and line breaks are likely to be kept, and that lists, tables, columns, footnotes and endnotes are not likely to be detected.
In practice that means a letter or a simple report converts well, while a form, a brochure, a two-column paper or a spreadsheet-like PDF needs cleanup by hand. Line breaks are kept as they were in the PDF, so a paragraph can come out as several short lines that you have to join by hand. Google doesn't promise to keep headings, images or the page layout, such as text boxes, sidebars and exact positions, so expect them to shift, flatten into a single column or go missing.
| Element | Google Drive (Open with > Google Docs) | PDFToolz PDF to Word, then open in Docs |
|---|---|---|
| Text | Kept, read with OCR | Kept, read from the PDF's text layer |
| Bold, italic, font sizes | Likely kept | Kept |
| Paragraphs | Original line breaks kept, so paragraphs may be split | Wrapped lines joined back into paragraphs |
| Headings | Not on Google's list of what it keeps | Large titles become Heading 1, 2 or 3 |
| Images | Not on Google's list of what it keeps | Placed between paragraphs near where they sat |
| Tables | Not likely to be detected | Each row becomes a line of text |
| Two-column pages | Columns not likely to be detected | Left column read first, then the right |
| Scanned pages | Read with OCR, language detected automatically | Run OCR PDF first (English, Spanish, French or German) |
| Where the file goes | Uploaded to Google Drive | Converted in your browser, then uploaded to Drive as .docx |
Scanned PDFs, OCR and Google's limits
A scanned PDF has no real text, only pictures of pages. When you open one with Google Docs, Drive runs OCR to read the words, detects the language automatically and puts the recognized text into the new Doc. This is where Google's converter is strongest. Its list of supported languages runs to more than 200.
OCR quality depends on the scan. Google's help page sets a few requirements, and a file that misses them comes out with garbled text or nothing at all.
- The file should be 2 MB or smaller. Long or high-resolution scans often go over this, so split them into parts with Split PDF and convert each part.
- Text should be at least 10 pixels high. Scan at a normal resolution rather than shrinking pages to save space, and avoid heavy compression before OCR.
- Pages must be right-side up. Rotate sideways or upside-down pages with Rotate PDF before you upload.
- Sharp images with even lighting and clear contrast read best. Common fonts such as Arial or Times New Roman read better than decorative ones.
- Google's current help page doesn't list a page limit. If a long PDF comes out cut short, split it and convert the parts.
Keep the formatting by converting to Word first
Google Docs opens Word files directly, and a .docx already holds paragraphs, headings and images as real document structure. So for a text-based PDF where the layout matters, convert it to Word first and give Google the .docx.
PDFToolz PDF to Word runs in your browser, so the PDF is not uploaded to a server. It joins wrapped lines back into paragraphs, keeps bold, italic and font sizes, turns large titles into Word headings, reads two-column pages column by column and places the PDF's images between the paragraphs. Each PDF page starts a new page at the same paper size. It is still a text converter that rebuilds the content rather than copying the page. Tables become lines of text, and it doesn't keep exact positions, the original fonts, colors or links.
- Open PDF to Word, select your PDF and press Convert to Word.
- Press Download DOCX.
- In Google Drive, click New > File upload and pick the .docx.
- Double-click the file. It opens in Google Docs, and your changes are saved to the Word file in its original format.
- To turn it into a native Google Doc, click File > Save as Google Docs. This makes a converted copy and leaves the .docx as it is.
- If you turned on Convert uploads to Google Docs editor format in Drive settings, the .docx is converted when you upload it.
Which method to use
Pick the route by the kind of PDF you have and what you need from it.
- For a scanned PDF or a photo of a page, use Google Drive's Open with > Google Docs. Its OCR detects the language and covers far more languages than OCR PDF.
- For a text-based PDF with headings, images or two columns, use PDF to Word, then open the .docx in Google Docs.
- If you only need the words, for example to quote or translate them, PDF to Text saves a plain .txt file you can paste into any Doc.
- For a PDF that is mostly tables, neither route keeps the grid. PDF to Excel puts the tables into a spreadsheet you can open in Google Sheets, or retype a table in Docs with Insert > Table.
- For a confidential PDF, note that converting in Drive uploads it to your Google account. PDFToolz converts on your device, so only the .docx you choose to upload reaches Google.
- If the pages must look exactly like the original, don't convert at all. Keep the PDF, or turn the pages into images with PDF to JPG / PNG.
Common problems and how to fix them
Most failed conversions come down to a few causes.
- You can't find the option on your phone. Google's conversion runs at drive.google.com on a computer. On a phone, use PDF to Word in the browser and open the .docx in the Google Docs app.
- The Doc is empty or nearly empty. The file may be over 2 MB, or the scan is too small, blurry or sideways for OCR. Split or rotate it and try again.
- Every line ends with a break. Google keeps the PDF's line breaks. Use PDF to Word instead, which joins lines back into paragraphs.
- Tables turned into jumbled text. Google doesn't detect tables. Rebuild them with Insert > Table, or convert the tables with PDF to Excel.
- Text appears in the wrong order. Multi-column or heavily designed pages confuse the reading order. PDF to Word reads two-column pages left then right, but complex layouts still need checking.
- The PDF asks for a password. Remove it with Unlock PDF first. You need to know the password.
Key takeaways
- ✓To convert a PDF to a Google Doc, upload it to Google Drive on a computer, right-click it and choose Open with > Google Docs.
- ✓Google says bold, italics, font sizes and line breaks are likely kept, but lists, tables, columns and footnotes are not likely to be detected.
- ✓Google's help page asks for files of 2 MB or less, text at least 10 pixels high and pages right-side up.
- ✓For better formatting, convert the PDF with PDFToolz PDF to Word in your browser, then open the .docx in Google Docs.
- ✓For scanned PDFs, use Google's built-in OCR, which detects the language and supports more than 200. For text-based PDFs with structure, the Word route keeps more.
Tools for the job
Frequently asked questions
How do I convert a PDF to a Google Doc?
On a computer, upload the PDF to Google Drive with New > File upload, right-click it and choose Open with > Google Docs. Google creates a new, editable Google Doc with the PDF's text and keeps the original PDF in Drive.
How do I convert a PDF to Google Docs without losing formatting?
Convert the PDF to Word first, then open the .docx in Google Docs. PDFToolz PDF to Word keeps paragraphs, headings, bold, italic, font sizes and images, and runs in your browser. Google's direct conversion keeps basic text styling but is not likely to detect tables, columns or lists. No method keeps a complex layout perfectly.
Why does my PDF look messed up in Google Docs?
Google's converter keeps the text and basic styling, but not the page layout. Its help page says lists, tables, columns, footnotes and endnotes are not likely to be detected, and line breaks from the PDF are kept, so paragraphs can be split into short lines.
Can Google Docs convert a scanned PDF?
Yes. When you open a scanned PDF with Google Docs, Drive uses OCR to read the text and detects the language automatically. For good results the file should be 2 MB or smaller, with sharp, right-side-up pages and text at least 10 pixels high.
Is there a size limit for converting a PDF to a Google Doc?
Google's help page says the file should be 2 MB or smaller. If your PDF is bigger, split it into parts with Split PDF and convert each one. Compressing a scan can also shrink it, but heavy compression makes OCR less accurate.
Can I convert a PDF to a Google Doc on my phone?
Not in the Drive app. Google's Android help page says to go to drive.google.com on a computer for this. On a phone, convert the PDF to Word in your mobile browser with PDFToolz PDF to Word, then open the .docx in the Google Docs app.
Related terms
Sources and further reading
- Convert PDF and photo files to text from Google Drive Help
- Upload files and folders to Google Drive from Google Drive Help
- Work with Microsoft Office files from Google Docs Editors Help
Browse all PDF guides, look up a term in the PDF glossary, or head back to the PDFToolz toolkit.