How to Put a PDF File in Google Docs

Although PDFs might be useful in your day to day operation, it can be difficult to make changes to one especially if you don’t own the file. As a result, transferring it to a Google Doc would be a better choice. Just be aware that formatting issues may arise when you convert it. With that in mind, here’s what you need to know when putting a PDF file in Google Docs.

Upload and Open PDF with Google Docs

Google Docs has turned out to be a good alternative for Microsoft Word and many offices and individuals across the globe have moved to this new format. Even if you are unfamiliar with the process of adding documents to Google Drive, you can do it fairly easily.

Just visit Google Drive and sign in. Then, click the New button on the top left and pick “File Upload.”

On your Google Drive folder, you may opt to select your PDF file uploaded, right click, and then choose to open it with Google Docs. That’s it! However, you have to be aware that there can be formatting issues if you convert it using this method. So other methods of attaching, including, or converting can be your solution. Keep on reading to know more.

Insert a PDF as a Link in Google Docs

This next method is commonly used if you just want to attach a PDF file as a resource or material to your overall file. In this case, you may just include a link of your PDF file and attach it to your Google Docs file.

To do this, you just need to upload your PDF file to your Google Drive just like what we mentioned in the first method above.

When you see your file appear in My Drive or Recent, right-click and pick “Get Link.” After that, click “Copy Link” to place the link on your clipboard and click “Done” to close the window.

Then, head to your document in Google Docs to insert the link. Go to the place in your Google Doc where you want the PDF link. Go to Edit > Paste in the menu or right-click and choose “Paste.”

When the link appears in your document, you’ll see an option to replace it with an icon that displays the PDF name. To use the icon, press your Tab key or select the icon in the tiny pop-up window.

This option gives you quick and easy access to the PDF document. You will be able to see the chip by hovering your cursor over the icon or simply clicking it. After clicking the link in the chip, a new browser tab will open with the PDF.

Insert a PDF to Google Docs as an Image

This other method is applicable if you’d rather display the PDF in your document than include a link to it. As PDF files cannot be inserted directly into Google Docs, you’ll need to convert them to images and then insert the images. For instance, there are many ways to convert a PDF to an image. On any platform, you can use an online converter online.

Once you have your PDF converted to an image, you can simply insert it in Google Docs like any other image. Similarly, if you want to include the entire PDF, you’ll have to insert each image corresponding to a particular page.

Place your cursor in your document where you want the image. Then select Insert > Image and pick “Upload From Computer” or “Drive” depending on where you saved the images. You can then resize, edit, format, or lock the images in place.

Use FileDrop To Drag and Drop PDF to Google Docs

Attaching or inserting files to your Google Docs cells automatically is easy with the right tools. This is especially true if you need to mass upload or attach files in bulk. If you need to easily mass upload images to Google Docs you can do that with FileDrop.

This is a fairly easy method. This can be achieved by just installing the FileDrop Google Docs add-on. Once the add-on is installed, go to “Extensions”, select “FileDrop”, and start it.

A FileDrop sidebar will appear on the right side of the screen, which will be used to upload files. You may either select “choose files” or just drag and drop the PDF file that you will insert. You can now drag and drop the PDF file to the desired location in Google Docs after choosing it. It will immediately upload to your Google Drive in the FileDrop folder that is created when the add-on is installed.

Conclusion on How to Put a PDF File in Google Docs

Generally, it could take a few minutes to insert a PDF into a Google Doc, but if the PDF is helpful to you and your readers—or even necessary—it will be worth the time. If this is a regular part of your job, choosing the appropriate tools, like FileDrop, will be quite helpful. Remember that having the appropriate tools at your disposal is the key to achieving optimum productivity.