How-To

How to Convert Google Docs to HTML

By Ben Stockton

Published April 17, 2023

Need to share your Google Docs as a web page? Learn how to convert Google Docs to HTML to share your content online.

Do you want to publish your Google Docs document on a website or blog? If so, you might want to convert it to HTML first. HTML (or HyperText Markup Language) is the standard language for creating web pages and web applications.

Converting Google Docs to HTML can help you preserve the formatting and layout of your document. It can also make it easier for you to edit and customize your document for the web using HTML code. You can also use HTML tags to add features not available in Google Docs, such as CSS formatting.

In this article, we’ll show you how to convert Google Docs to HTML using different methods. We’ll also explain why you might want to do it and what are the limitations of doing so.

Why Should You Convert Google Docs to HTML?

There are several reasons why you might want to convert Google Docs to HTML:

• It allows you to publish your document on a website or blog without losing any formatting or layout.
• You can edit and customize your document using HTML code in a full-fledged text editor or a web development tool.
• Converting to HTML allows you to add features not available in Google Docs using HTML tags and CSS formatting.
• You can reduce the file size of your document by removing unnecessary elements or attributes from the HTML code.

However, there are also some drawbacks to converting a Google Docs document to HTML:

• Your document might lose some formatting or layout specific to Google Docs, such as fonts, colors, or themed styles.
• Your document might not convert properly, forcing you to manually fix errors or glitches in the HTML code.

Before you convert Google Docs to HTML, you should check the quality and compatibility of your document after the conversion. Don’t publish without editing it first—you might run into trouble!

How to Convert Google Docs to HTML

One of the easiest ways to convert Google Docs to HTML is using the built-in option to export documents as HTML.

To convert Google Docs documents to HTML:

1. Open your Google Docs document on your web browser.
2. Go to File > Download > Web Page (.html zipped) on the top menu.
   
3. When prompted, save the zip file on your computer.
4. Extract the zip file using File Explorer (Windows), Finder (Mac), or another third-party zipping tool.
5. Open the HTML file using a web browser, text editor, or web development tool.

Using the built-in export tool, you’ve successfully converted your Google Docs document to HTML. You can view the file and make further changes using a text editor or web development tool.

Once it’s ready, you can upload it to a web server to publish it to the wider world.

How to Convert Google Docs to HTML Using Add-ons

Another way to convert Google Docs to HTML is using an add-on called Docs to Markdown. This add-on lets you convert your document into Markdown or HTML format with one click.

Markdown is a lightweight markup language that uses plain text syntax for formatting text. It’s often supported by online web publishing tools, including WordPress (using plugins).

However, you can also use Docs to Markdown to convert to normal HTML, making it a good option for publishing online (whatever your use case is).

To convert a Google Docs document to HTML or Markdown using the Docs to Markdown add-on:

1. Open your Google Docs document in your web browser.
2. Go to Extensions > Add-ons > Get add-ons.
   
3. Search for Docs to Markdown and install the add-on.
4. When prompted, allow the add-on to have access to your document. You may need to refresh the document page afterward.
5. Go to Add-ons > Docs To Markdown > Convert in your Google Docs document.
   
6. Click either the Markdown or HTML options.
   

After a few seconds, the converted code will appear in the sidebar. From here, you can copy and paste it into a text editor or a web development tool.

Publishing Google Docs Documents Online

By converting your Google Docs documents to HTML, you can help publish your document on a website or blog with ease—without relying on Google Docs itself to host it.

However, converting documents this way can cause some issues with formatting, quality, and compatibility, depending on the method you use. Check your document after converting it to ensure there are no errors before you publish.

Don’t want to go for the hassle of publishing the document online yourself? You can always make your Google Docs document public, allowing other users to read or edit the file.

Want to try a different way of reading your documents? You can get Google Docs to read to you using built-in speech-to-text tools. If you’re having trouble working through a large document, you can always search through your Google Docs document to find the information you need.