How to Upload a PDF to Google Docs

While this blog is specifically focussed on how to upload a PDF to Google Docs, we also have a tutorial on how to turn a Google Doc into a PDF.

However, if you're in the right place, keep reading to see some helpful steps for how to extract the relevant data from your PDF.

Megon Venter

B2B SaaS Content Writer

Megon is a B2B SaaS Content Writer with 7 years of experience in content strategy and execution. Her expertise lies in the creation of document management tutorials and product comparisons.

How the Formats Differ

The Google suite allows you to upload PDFs to Google Drive but it does not allow for direct uploads to Google Docs.

• Google Docs allow you to insert text
• PDFs are static and so need to have text extracted

To start with the processes below, we recommend you downloading PDF Reader Pro which has the text editing and OCR (Optical Character Recognition) tools you will need.

Get Started with PDF Reader Pro Today!

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How to Extract Data with OCR

Using Optical Character Recognition, you can extract the text from your PDF and create a new Google Doc.



Step 1: Open Your PDF

Click "Open File" or drag your document into the Home interface.



Step 2: Click on "OCR"

This will open a box where you can choose which pages to process.



Step 3: Click the Blue Button

Choose "Copy" to put the text on your clipboard.



Step 4: Open a New Google Doc

Paste your PDF text and format accordingly.



Other Options You Have

Apart from OCR, you can still get text from your PDF to upload to Google Docs in other ways, including:

• Convert your PDF to Word
• Convert your PDF to TXT
• Copy text from your PDF

Did you find this blog helpful for your workflow? We have weekly guides and tutorials on more topics just like this one, so keep checking back in.