In today’s guide, we’re going to explore the magic of converting a PDF file to text using OCR technology directly within Google Sheets. And the tool that makes this all possible? FileDrop.
What is FileDrop?
FileDrop is a handy add-on available for Google Sheets, Slides and Docs. Its main function is to allow you to insert files into your documents but it has a ton of other features:
- Insert PDFs, images, and other file types in cells from Drive, PC, web links
- Bulk list all files from Drive folders in Sheets
- AI – ChatGPT Integration in Docs/Sheets/Slides
- Translate Google Slides and Sheets
Installation
If you haven’t already installed FileDrop, head over to the Google Workspace marketplace and add it to your collection of Google WorkSpace tools.
Uploading a File
Once FileDrop is installed, open Google Sheets, and decide on the cell you’d like your text to appear in. Start FileDrop, and upload your desired file. This file will then be directly uploaded into your Google Drive and subsequently added to the cell you selected.
Extracting Text from the File
After your file has successfully been uploaded, you’ll notice a TXT icon. Clicking this icon activates the extraction process, and voila!
If you click insert the text from your PDF file or image will be placed directly into your cell. You also have the option to translate or just copy the text and paste it anywhere you like.
The Table option will detect tables in your PDF files and you can add the date as it is in your table to your cells in Google Sheet.
Additional Options
Fancy more customization? Navigate to the FileDrop settings. From there, you can choose to enter the extracted text line by line. This can be incredibly useful if you’re looking to break up lengthy content or differentiate headings from body text. Plus, this feature isn’t just limited to new uploads; you can also use it on files that you’ve recently uploaded or even those that have been in your Google Drive for ages.
And that’s pretty much it! A simple yet effective tool for your OCR text extraction needs in Google Sheets.
Video
Here is the video version of this OCR text extraction in Google Sheets tutorial.
Conclusion
FileDrop is a powerful add-on that can save you hours of manual text input. Whether you’re working with PDFs or images, this tool can make the content extraction process a breeze.
Give it a try, and you might just find it to be an indispensable part of your Google Sheets workflow.
