How to Convert a Word Document to a Google Doc

To convert a Word document to a Google Doc, upload the .docx file to Google Drive, double-click it to open it in Google Docs, then click File > Save as Google Docs. Google creates a new Google Docs copy and leaves your original Word file in Drive.

You need a free Google account and a web browser. These steps are for Google Drive and Google Docs on the web, on Windows or Mac, plus the Google Drive and Google Docs apps for Android, iPhone, and iPad. Google’s help page on working with Office files in Docs, Sheets, and Slides lists the supported formats.

Convert One Word File to a Google Doc

1. Go to drive.google.com and sign in with your Google account.
2. Click New at the top left, then click File upload. Select your Word file and click Open. You can also drag the file from File Explorer or Finder into the Drive window. A progress box appears at the bottom right, and the file shows up in My Drive when it finishes.
3. Double-click the uploaded file. You can also right-click it and choose Open with > Google Docs. It opens in Google Docs with a blue .DOCX badge next to the file name. That badge means you’re still working in the Word file itself.

4. Click File > Save as Google Docs. A new tab opens with the converted document. The .DOCX badge is gone, and Drive now holds two files with the same name: the Word original and the Google Doc.

The Word file stays in Drive until you delete it. To avoid editing the wrong one later, rename the file in Google Drive or delete one of the two copies. In Drive, the Google Doc has a blue Docs icon, while the Word file shows a blue W icon.

Start From Google Docs Instead of Drive

If you already have Google Docs open, you can upload from there.

1. Go to docs.google.com.
2. Click the Open file picker icon (a folder) above your list of documents.
3. Click the Upload tab, then click the button to select a file from your device, or drag the Word file into the box.

4. When the file opens with the .DOCX badge, click File > Save as Google Docs.

The uploaded Word file lands in your Drive like any other upload, so you’ll see both copies there afterward.

Convert Every Word File You Upload

If you move a lot of Word files into Drive, you can have Drive convert them as they upload.

1. On a computer, go to drive.google.com/drive/settings, or click the gear icon at the top right of Drive and choose Settings.
2. On the General tab, check Convert uploads to Google Docs editor format.

3. Upload your Word files as usual. They arrive in Drive as Google Docs, with no .DOCX badge and no separate Word copy.

This setting can only be changed on a computer, and it only affects files you upload after turning it on. Files already in Drive still need the single-file steps above, one at a time; Google’s help doesn’t describe a way to convert a batch of existing files at once. Google explains the setting on its upload files to Google Drive page. The setting also converts Excel and PowerPoint uploads to Sheets and Slides, so turn it off again if you need those to stay in Office format.

Edit a Word File Without Converting It

You don’t have to convert a Word file to work on it. Double-click a .docx file in Drive and start typing. Google calls this Office Compatibility Mode. Your changes save back into the Word file, so it stays a .docx you can send to someone who uses Microsoft Word.

Not sure your edits went through? Read about saving a document in Google Docs to check the save status.

Which should you choose?

• Convert when the document will live in Google Docs from now on, when several people will edit it together in real time (the recommended choice for that), or when you want the full set of Google Docs tools.
• Edit without converting when you’ll hand the file back to a Word user, or when the document has to stay a .docx for a school or work system. The .DOCX badge reminds you which format you’re in.

Word count is one tool that stops working in Office Compatibility Mode, so convert first if you need to get a word count in Google Docs.

Convert a Word File on a Phone or Tablet

Android, iPhone, and iPad follow the same steps.

1. Open the Google Drive app, tap the + button, tap Upload, and choose the Word file. Skip this step if the file is already in Drive.
2. Tap the file to open it in the Google Docs app. Install Docs from the App Store or Google Play if you’re prompted.
3. Tap More (three dots) at the top right.
4. Next to Office Compatibility Mode, tap the question mark.

5. Tap Save as Google Docs. The app converts the file and opens the new Google Doc.

If the option isn’t there on your device, update the Docs app or finish the conversion on a computer with the steps above. The file is already in your Drive, so you only need to open it and click File > Save as Google Docs.

Convert a Word Attachment From Gmail

1. Open the email in Gmail on a computer.
2. Hover over the Word attachment and click Edit with Google Docs. Gmail stores a copy of the attachment in your Drive and opens it in Docs.

3. Click File > Save as Google Docs if you want a true Google Doc rather than an editable .docx copy.

To keep the attachment in Drive without opening it, hover over it and click Add to Drive instead, then convert it later from Drive.

What Doesn’t Convert Cleanly

A few Word features aren’t supported in Google Docs:

• Macros don’t carry over. You can rebuild them with Apps Script.
• Embedded charts and videos become static images.
• SmartArt becomes a Google Drawing, which you can still edit, but it won’t look identical.

Layouts can also shift. If Google Docs doesn’t have a font used in the document, it substitutes a similar one, which can change line breaks and page count. Text boxes, multi-column sections, tables, images, and exact page breaks sometimes move. After converting, scroll through the whole document and fix anything that looks off. It’s also a good time to run the Google Docs spelling and grammar check on the new copy.

If you’d rather fix typos before you upload, turn on spell check in Word and run it on the original file.

Password-Protected Word Files

When you open a password-protected .docx in Drive, Google asks for the password first. Choose Preview to read it with the password kept, or Edit to open it for editing. Editing removes the password from the file for everyone, because Google Docs files don’t support passwords. Access is then controlled by who you share the file with in Drive. This only works with .docx files, not older .doc files.

Which Files Google Docs Can Convert

Google Docs converts .docx, .doc (newer than Office 95), .docm, .dot, .dotx, .dotm, .rtf, .odt, .txt, and .html files.

PDFs work differently. To convert a PDF to a Google Doc, right-click it in Drive and choose Open with > Google Docs.

Troubleshooting

“Save as Google Docs” isn’t in the File menu

You’re probably previewing the file instead of editing it. Close the preview, then double-click the file in Drive or right-click it and choose Open with > Google Docs. If the file name has no .DOCX badge, it’s already a Google Doc and there’s nothing left to convert.

The upload fails or the file won’t open

Make sure the file opens in Word on your computer, which rules out a damaged file, and that it’s one of the supported types listed above. Files saved in Word 95 or earlier can’t be opened. Open them in Word, save them as .docx, and upload the new copy. Check your connection too, since a dropped connection can stop an upload partway.

The file is too big to convert

A Google Docs document can hold up to 1.02 million characters, and a text file converted to Google Docs format can be up to 50 MB. A very long manuscript may need to be split into parts in Word before you upload it.

The converted document looks different

Fonts and layout features are the usual cause. Select the affected text and choose a font Google Docs has, then check page breaks, tables, and text boxes. If the formatting matters more than editing in Docs, keep the file as a .docx and edit it without converting.

Frequently Asked Questions