Writing your posts in Google Docs can enhance your workflow by allowing you to create, edit, and collaborate on documents in Google Drive. However, transferring that content to WordPress can be a bit challenging.
Copying and pasting a Google Doc into WordPress often results in unwanted HTML tags, and you may lose the original formatting in the process.
In this article, we will guide you through the process of easily importing Google Drive documents into your WordPress website. This method can save you time and maintain consistency in your content’s formatting and layout.
The Benefits of Importing Google Docs into WordPress
You might find it more convenient to write your blog posts in Google Docs instead of using the WordPress post editor.
If you accept guest contributions on your WordPress site, you can ask authors to submit their articles as Google Docs, which avoids giving them direct access to the WordPress dashboard.
However, when it comes time to import the document from Google Drive to WordPress, you may encounter some issues. Copying and pasting the text from the Google Doc directly into the WordPress editor can introduce extra tags, particularly and tags.
You may encounter unwanted line breaks and lose some of the original formatting from your Google Doc. This will require you to manually review each post and correct these issues, which can be time-consuming.
That said, let’s explore how you can effortlessly import Google Docs into WordPress without encountering formatting issues or needing additional code.
Follow the quick links below to jump directly to the method you wish to use:
- Method 1: Copy and Paste (Quick and Easy)
- Method 2: Download the Google Doc as a Web Page (Imports Text and Images)
- Method 3: Use the Mammoth .docx Converter Plugin (Recommended)
- Method 4: Use Wordable (Import Google Docs with One Click)
Method 1: Copy and Paste (Quick and Easy)
If you frequently import Google Docs into WordPress, we recommend setting up a WordPress plugin mentioned in our other methods.
However, if you only need to import a single document, you can use another web tool to ensure the document is clean and ready for use.
This usually involves copying the text from your Google Doc into a third-party application or online service, which often eliminates unwanted tags and formatting errors.
You can easily copy the text from the intermediary app or online service and paste it directly into the WordPress block editor.
This method serves as a workaround rather than a permanent solution, and the outcomes can be inconsistent. There is a possibility that the intermediary may fix some errors while leaving others intact. Additionally, it might introduce its own code, leading to common WordPress issues.
On the bright side, you won’t need to install a new plugin or service. Therefore, this approach is ideal if you want to import just a few Google Docs into WordPress.
There are many services available, but we highly recommend Grammarly.
Grammarly effectively maintains the formatting from Google Docs while eliminating unwanted HTML tags. Being an online service, it is accessible from anywhere with an internet connection.
As a bonus, Grammarly highlights spelling mistakes, typos, and punctuation errors. It also offers suggestions to enhance your writing by adjusting the tone or clarifying unclear text, making it an excellent grammar tool.
This method allows you to enhance the quality of your writing before adding it to your WordPress site. Keep in mind that Grammarly does not support image files, so you will need to upload any images separately using the WordPress media library.
If you don’t have a Grammarly account yet, visit their website and click on the ‘Get Grammarly It’s Free’ button.
You can sign up for Grammarly using your existing Google, Facebook, or Apple account. Alternatively, you can enter your email address and create a password along with a username.
Once your account is created, you’ll be directed to the Grammarly dashboard. To import a Google Doc, click on ‘New.’
This action will open the Grammarly editor.
In a new tab, open the Google Doc you wish to import into WordPress and copy all the text. Then, paste this content into the Grammarly editor.
Grammarly will identify any issues in your text and provide suggestions in the right-hand menu. It’s advisable to review this feedback and refine your post before proceeding to the next step.
When you’re ready to import the Google Doc into WordPress, simply copy the text from the Grammarly editor.
Next, navigate to your WordPress dashboard and open the post or page where you wish to import the Google Doc.
Then, simply paste the content into the content editor.
Grammarly effectively removes unnecessary HTML tags while maintaining the formatting from Google Drive. However, we still advise reviewing the page’s code to ensure there are no issues.
This can be easily accomplished using the built-in code editor in Gutenberg.
To access it, click on the three-dot icon in the top-right corner of the screen and select ‘Code editor.’
You can now remove any unwanted HTML tags or errors from your post.
Once you are satisfied with the appearance of the page, click the ‘Update’ or ‘Publish’ button to make your content live.
There are alternative tools available, such as StripHTML, which can remove all code and return plain text.
That’s why we recommend using Grammarly for optimal results in preserving rich formatting.
Method 2: Download the Google Doc as a Web Page (Imports Text and Images)
While copying and pasting Google Drive documents into a tool like Grammarly is fast, it may lead to inconsistent formatting. An alternative is to download the Google Doc as a web page and then upload that file to WordPress.
This approach is generally more reliable, and you won’t need to set up an additional plugin or service.
This method will also transfer any images from the original Google Doc into your WordPress page or post, along with the text.
However, we suggest bypassing this automatic image import and instead uploading image files separately through the WordPress media library. This allows you to customize image captions and alt text for each file, making it easier to manage images throughout your WordPress site.
To download a Google Doc as a web page, open the document in your Google Drive account. Then, click on ‘File’ in the top menu, select ‘Download,’ and choose ‘Web Page.’
This will save the Google Doc as a zip file. The document will be an HTML file, and each image will be saved as a separate file.
If you are using a Mac, locate the file on your computer, then right-click or Control-click it. From the menu that appears, choose ‘Open With’ and then select ‘Google Chrome.’
If ‘Google Chrome’ is not listed as an option, click on ‘Other…’ and select Google Chrome from the popup menu.
On a Windows computer, right-click the folder and choose ‘Extract All.’ Then, right-click the .html file and select ‘Open’ with ‘Google Chrome.’
This action will open an HTML version of your Google Doc in a new tab, preserving all formatting and images. You can now copy this content.
Next, navigate to the WordPress dashboard and open the page or post where you want to insert the content.
You are now prepared to paste the Google Doc content into WordPress.
In most cases, this will maintain the formatting, but it’s wise to review the post’s code for any discrepancies. You can access the WordPress code editor using the same method described earlier.
If you wish to include any images in the page or post, you can manually add them using the WordPress media library. For detailed instructions, please refer to our guide on adding images in the WordPress block editor.
When you’re ready to publish the document on your WordPress blog, simply click the ‘Update’ or ‘Publish’ button.
Method 3: Using the Mammoth .docx Converter Plugin (Recommended)
If you want to import multiple Google Docs into WordPress, it’s highly recommended to install a dedicated plugin.
We suggest using the Mammoth .docx converter, which accurately transfers all formatting and images from a Google Doc into clean, error-free HTML code.
If your Google Doc contains images, Mammoth will automatically import them into WordPress, making it an excellent option for transferring visuals as well.
Keep in mind that Mammoth retains the original filenames of the images, so you might want to rename them before adding them to the Google Doc and proceeding with the import.
Once you’re ready, install and activate the Mammoth plugin. If you need assistance, check out our guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.
To import a document using Mammoth, first open it in your Google Drive. Then, click on ‘File’ in the toolbar.
From the dropdown menu, select ‘Download’ and then choose ‘Microsoft Word (.docx).’ You don’t need to open this document, so Microsoft Word is not required.
Google will download the file to your computer in .docx format.
In the WordPress dashboard, navigate to the page or post where you want to import the Google Doc. Below the editor, you will find a new section for the Mammoth .docx converter.
Click the ‘Choose file’ button to get started.
In the popup window, select your .docx file and click ‘Open.’
Mammoth will import all the content from your Google Doc. By default, it will show this content in ‘Visual’ view, which resembles how it will appear on your website.
To check for any code errors, simply click the ‘Raw HTML’ button.
You can now edit the HTML of the post as needed.
Once you’re satisfied with the content’s appearance, click the ‘Insert into editor’ button to add it to your page or post.
Mammoth will add the content to the main post editor. If you’re pleased with the result, click ‘Publish’ or ‘Update’ to make the content live on your website.
Method 4: Using Wordable for One-Click Google Docs Import
Are you looking to import multiple Google Docs into WordPress?
You may have a team of writers using Google Drive or be receiving posts from guest bloggers. You might even have a whole collection of Google Docs that you want to transfer to a new WordPress site.
To transfer multiple documents efficiently, consider using Wordable. This tool allows you to customize how it imports text, images, videos, and other elements from Google Docs.
Once you complete your first import, you can save your settings as a template. This feature enables you to import future Google Docs with just one click, significantly reducing your workload.
With the free Wordable plan, you can import up to 5 documents each month, allowing you to test the service before committing. If you need to import more documents, you can easily upgrade to one of the premium Wordable plans.
Link Wordable to Your WordPress Site
The simplest way to link Wordable to your WordPress site is by installing and activating the Wordable plugin. For assistance, please refer to our guide on installing a WordPress plugin.
After activation, navigate to Settings » Wordable in your WordPress dashboard.
If you already have a Wordable account, simply click ‘Click here to connect to your Wordable account.’
This will open a popup where you can enter your Wordable email address and password.
If you don’t have a Wordable account yet, click on the ‘Sign up now’ link. This will open a new browser tab where you can choose ‘Signup with Google Drive.’
Wordable requires permission to view, edit, create, delete, and download your Google Drive files.
To grant these permissions, simply check all the boxes on the ‘Wordable wants access to your Google Account’ page, then click the ‘Continue’ button.
After you create an account, Wordable will send a confirmation email to your Google address.
Open the email and click on the link that says, ‘Please confirm your account email now to get started.’
Next, navigate to the Settings » Wordable section in your WordPress dashboard and click on ‘Click here to connect to your Wordable account.’
Then, refresh your WordPress dashboard. You should see an ‘Export Your First Document’ button, indicating that WordPress is now connected to your Wordable account.
Choose a Google Drive Document or Folder
To import a document, click on the ‘Export Your First Document’ button. This will open your Wordable account in a new browser tab.
Your next step is to locate the document or folder you wish to import.
When selecting a folder, you can choose specific Google Docs to import while ignoring others, allowing for selective transfers instead of importing the entire folder.
To find a folder, open the dropdown menu next to your email address and select ‘Folders.’
Next, enter the name of the file or folder in the ‘Search’ field. Alternatively, you can paste the item’s link directly into the ‘Search’ field.
To include a document in the import queue, click on its ‘Import’ button.
After a short wait, the file will show up in the ‘Documents’ section. To add more documents, simply repeat the process outlined above.
To add a folder to the import queue, click on its ‘+ Source’ button.
You will now see all the Google Docs contained within that folder.
Next, select the specific files you wish to export from your Google Drive. Click the ‘Export’ button for each file to add it to the export queue.
Set up the Google Doc Export
Once you’re satisfied with the export queue, it’s time to set up your export. For instance, Wordable can convert YouTube links into embedded videos, optimize images, add nofollow attributes to Google Docs links, and much more.
To begin, click on the ‘Export Options’ button.
Wordable effectively imports Google Docs into WordPress, but it’s wise to review the imported content manually before publishing.
With that in mind, we suggest setting the ‘Publish Status’ to ‘Save as Draft.’
The plugin defaults to the Classic WordPress editor.
However, we recommend utilizing the modern block-based editor instead. Open the ‘Editor’ dropdown and select ‘Gutenberg.’
Important Note:If you keep this set to ‘Classic,’ Wordable will import the document into a new Classic block within the block editor, unless you disable it completely. For more details, please refer to our guide on maintaining the classic editor.
By default, Wordable performs basic cleanup, which usually removes most HTML tags and errors. However, there are numerous additional options you can customize.
This guide will highlight key settings, and you can explore additional details by hovering over each setting to view the helpful tooltip.
For longer documents with multiple headings, consider activating the ‘Table of Contents’ option. This feature generates a table of contents based on the headings in your Google Doc.
Once you activate this option, you can select which headings to include in the table of contents using the ‘Depth’ dropdown menu. Additionally, you can choose between numbered or bullet list formats with the ‘List Style’ dropdown.
If you manage an affiliate marketing site or frequently link to external pages, it’s advisable to set these links as nofollow. A nofollow link instructs search engines not to pass link authority to the linked site.
To designate all links in your Google Doc as nofollow, activate the ‘Apply nofollow Attribute to All Links’ option. You may also want to enable the ‘Open Links in New Tab’ feature to enhance user retention on your site.
If your document includes links to Instagram or YouTube content, Wordable can convert these links into embedded media.
To activate this functionality, turn on the ‘Replace Embeddable Links’ option.
If your Google Doc includes images, we suggest navigating to the ‘Images’ section. Here, you can customize how Wordable displays those images.
For instance, you can access the ‘Default Image Alignment’ dropdown to adjust how Wordable aligns images within the WordPress block editor.
Wordable can utilize the first image of the post as the featured image, which serves as the main visual for the post. Featured images typically appear alongside the title on your homepage and may also be displayed on social media platforms.
Most popular WordPress themes support featured images by default, so it’s advisable to activate the ‘Use Featured Image’ and ‘Default to the First Image’ options.
If you prefer to manually select the featured image, you can turn off the ‘Use Featured Image’ option instead.
Large images can negatively impact your website’s performance, leading to a poor user experience and potentially harming your search engine rankings. Therefore, it’s not advisable to import images from Google Drive without optimizing them first.
For optimal results, we recommend optimizing your images before incorporating them into your Google Docs. This approach allows you to manage the process effectively, ensuring that you can reduce image size without sacrificing quality.
For detailed guidance, please refer to our comprehensive tutorial on optimizing images for web performance.
If you prefer, Wordable can automatically optimize your images during the import process. To enable this feature, simply click the ‘Compress Images’ toggle.
You can select whether Wordable should use lossless or lossy compression. Lossless compression maintains image quality, while lossy compression saves more space at the cost of some quality.
There are additional settings available for you to explore, but these options should suffice for configuring the import process.
Once you’re satisfied with your adjustments, click on ‘Export Now’ to proceed.
At this stage, you have the option to save your settings as a template for future imports.
In the image below, simply click ‘One Click Export’ to apply the template and import your document.
This feature can significantly reduce the time you spend on repeated imports with the same settings.
To create a template, enter a title in the ‘Template name’ field and then click the ‘Enable One-Click Exports’ button.
If you prefer not to use templates, click on the following link: ‘I prefer to see this screen every time.’
Regardless of your selection, Wordable will initiate the export of your Google Document.
After a short wait, navigate to Posts » All Posts in your WordPress dashboard, where you will find the Google Doc saved as a new draft.
To import additional Google Drive documents into WordPress, simply repeat the process outlined above.
We hope this guide has helped you understand how to effortlessly import Google Docs into WordPress. You might also be interested in learning how to write mathematical equations in WordPress and exploring our curated list of the best Google Maps plugins for WordPress.
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