How to Make PDFs Editable with Google Docs

PDF download Download Article
Find out the best way to edit a PDF using Google Docs
PDF download Download Article

Google Docs and Google Drive are one of the most popular file-sharing platforms on the planet. Its cloud storage and sharing capabilities make it the perfect platform for sharing and collaborating. PDFs are one of the most secure file types you can use. But what if you need to make a change to a PDF that you uploaded to Google Drive or Google Docs? Can you edit a PDF in Google Docs? This wikiHow article answers all your questions and explains.

Quickly Edit a PDF in Google Docs

  1. Upload a PDF to Google Drive on a computer.
  2. Right-click the PDF in Google Drive and select Open with .
  3. Click Google Doc to convert the PDF to a Google Doc.
  4. Edit the Google Doc file.
  5. Click File > Download > PDF Document when finished.
Section 1 of 3:

Can you edit a PDF in Google Docs?

PDF download Download Article
  1. 1
    You can use Google Docs to convert a PDF to a document. Google doesn’t have a PDF editor of its own, but you can upload a PDF to Google Drive and then open it in Google Docs. This will convert the PDF into a Google Doc that you can edit. Once you are finished editing, you can download the file again in the PDF format.
    • While this technically makes it possible to edit a PDF in Google Docs, the process won't be as seamless as using a PDF editor .
  2. 2
    While you can make a PDF editable, you'll lose special formatting. When Google Docs converts a PDF to a Google Doc, it will lose much of the formatting that the PDF has. PDFs that have lots of tables, charts, diagrams, and images are especially prone to losing formatting in Google Docs, and you may spend a lot of time reformatting the text, tables, and pictures.
    • PDFs that are mostly text-based will likely convert to an editable document with minimal formatting issues.
    3. Advertisement
Section 2 of 3:

How to Edit a PDF in Google Docs

PDF download Download Article
  1. 1
    Upload a PDF to Google Drive. As long as you have a Google (Gmail) account , you can upload a PDF to Google Drive. Use the following steps to do so:
    • Open Google Drive in a web browser.
    • If prompted, sign in to your Google account.
    • Click + New in the upper-left corner.
    • Click File Upload .
    • Select your PDF.
    • Click Open .
    • When the upload is complete, you will see "1 upload complete" in the bottom-right corner of Google Drive.
  2. 2
    Right-click the PDF in Google Drive. Once your PDF is uploaded to Google Drive, locate the file. You may have to scroll down to find it. Right-click or control-click the file to display a context menu.
  3. 3
    Hover over the Open With menu. When your mouse is over this context menu item, you will see some options you can use to open the file.
  4. 4
    Click Google Docs . This will convert the PDF to a Google Doc file and open it in Google Docs for editing.
    • If the PDF contained a lot of charts, images, and special formatting, those elements may not display properly in the converted file. As a result, it may look like parts of the PDF are missing. Unfortunately, you will not be able to edit those parts in an editor like Google Docs.
  5. 5
    Edit the PDF as a Google Doc. You can make whatever changes you need to make to the document in Google Docs format. You will probably need to spend some time making changes to the formatting to make it look right.
  6. 6
    Download the Google Doc as a PDF. Once you are finished editing the PDF in Google Docs, you can download and save a new version of the PDF. You will then find the downloaded PDF file in your Downloads folder by default. Use the following steps to download the Google Doc as a PDF: [1]
    • Click File in the menu bar at the top.
    • Select the Download menu.
    • Click PDF Document (*.pdf) .
    • If prompted, click Save or OK to start the download.
    7. Advertisement
Section 3 of 3:

Try a PDF Editor for Better Results

PDF download Download Article
  1. To get the best results when editing a PDF, use a PDF editing program. Because Google Docs was not designed for PDF editing, it likely won't be the best solution for your needs. Fortunately, you can edit a PDF without altering its formatting by using programs other than Google Docs.
    • Adobe Acrobat Pro: Use Adobe Acrobat Pro , the official PDF editor from the company that created PDF files, to add, remove, and edit text and other elements. The software is not free—you will need to subscribe to use it.
      • Free trials are usually available. If you just need to edit a PDF once, you may be able to just use the free trial to make your edits and then cancel if you don't want to keep the software.
    • Paid alternatives to Acrobat: For a paid alternative that allows you to buy the software once instead of subscribing on an ongoing basis, check out Master PDF Editor , PDF-Xchange , or Nitro PDF .
    • LibreOffice Draw: This software is free and comes with LibreOffice, an alternative to Microsoft 365 (Office). You can use it to open and edit PDFs, though you may still lose some formatting (like in Google Docs).
    • Free PDF editors: Free online PDF editors like Canva's PDF editor , SmallPDF , and PDFEscape allow you to edit a limited number of PDFs in your web browser. You can usually just use these tools to sign and fill PDFs , not edit existing text.

Video

Community Q&A

Search
Add New Question
  • Question
    I have a .pdf doc in Google Drive and I want to edit it. How can I do that?
    Community Answer
    Convert that PDF file to a Word document to edit it. Copy all the content of the PDF file into a document, then save it as a new PDF for future use.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
    Yes No
    Not Helpful 40 Helpful 13
  • Question
    I edited a PDF using DocHub. How do I save the edited file in Drive? It autosaves, but it's autosaved on DocHub and not in Drive.
    Aditya.Prasad
    Community Answer
    Download the PDF as a .docx or a .pdf (docx recommended), and save it to Google Drive.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
    Yes No
    Not Helpful 0 Helpful 0
Ask a Question
200 characters left
Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.
Submit
      Advertisement

      Tips

      Submit a Tip
      All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published
      Name
      Please provide your name and last initial
      Submit
      Thanks for submitting a tip for review!
      Advertisement

      You Might Also Like

      Editing a PDF Online and Offline: Quick & Simple Methods
      Find Latitude and Longitude in Google Maps: Mobile & Desktop
      3 Ways to Electronically Sign PDFs
      How to
      Sign Up for a New Google Voice Phone Number
      How to
      Restore Google Authenticator if You Lost or Reset Your Phone
      Reverse Image Search in Google Lens: Android, iPhone, & Desktop
      2 Easy Ways to Permanently Delete (or, Hide) Your YouTube Channel
      How to
      Sign Out of Your Google Account on All Devices at Once
      How to
      Disable Google Safe Search
      How to
      Use Google Translate: Complete Beginner's Guide
      How to
      Stop Seeing Google Ads on PC or Mobile Devices
      2 Simple Ways to Unsync Google Photos
      How to
      Delete Google Photos and Keep Them on Your iPhone
      How to
      Fix the "Google Play Store Has Stopped" Error
      Advertisement

      References

      1. ↑ https://www.adobe.com/acrobat/hub/edit-a-pdf-in-google-drive.html
      2. ↑ https://support.google.com/drive/answer/176692?co=GENIE.Platform=Android&hl=en&oco=1

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      1. Sign in to https://docs.google.com .
      2. Click the Upload icon and select Upload .
      3. Click Select a file from your computer .
      4. Select the PDF and click Open .
      5. Click Open with Google Docs .
      6. Edit as needed.
      7. Click File and select Download as .
      8. Click PDF Document .

      Did this summary help you?
      In other languages
      Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 716,581 times.

      Is this article up to date?

      Advertisement