Hey there!
As a fellow content creator, I know how frustrating it can be moving your writing from Google Docs over to WordPress.
When you just copy and paste, so much ends up getting messed up – the formatting, fonts, images, links etc. It can take hours of work to fix everything in WordPress!
There‘s an easier way to transfer content without creating a headache for yourself.
In this detailed guide, I‘ll share:
- Why Google Docs to WordPress content transfers are tricky
- The common issues with copy-pasting content
- A comparison of the top tools to move docs to WordPress
- Step-by-step instructions to quickly transfer Google Docs using Wordable
- Tips to optimize your content transfer workflows
Let‘s get right into it!
Why Directly Copy-Pasting Content from Google Docs Causes Problems
Google Docs is amazing for writing, collaborating and formatting your content. But it uses completely different formatting than WordPress.
So when you directly copy from Docs and paste into the WordPress editor, you run into multiple issues:
1. Formatting Gets Messed Up
The beautifully formatted Google Doc with nice fonts, text sizes, colors etc. loses all that styling when pasted into WordPress.
Your headers, paragraphs, quotes and other elements end up using the default WordPress formatting. Any special styling basically gets wiped out!
2. Extra HTML Bloats Your Pages
Direct copy-pasting inserts a bunch of extra HTML code and elements into your WordPress content.
These can include:
- Empty
<span>tags - Repeated
<br>line break tags - Unnecessary
<strong>,<b>etc. to format text - Tons of inline CSS styling
This code bloat significantly slows down your page speed and creates headaches for visitors and search engines.
3. Images Lose Their Alignment
Perfectly aligned images in your Google Doc become misaligned when pasted into WordPress.
You have to manually enter the alignment HTML or click the alignment icons in the editor to fix each image. A total pain!
4. Images Are Not Optimized
Every image you copy-paste from Google Docs lacks optimization best practices like:
- Alt text for accessibility and SEO
- Titles so they show on hover
- Captions to go with each image
- Proper attribution if needed
Instead, you end up with unoptimized images with long URLs that hurt page speed and site visitor experience.
5. Links Lose Key Attributes
Any hyperlinks copied from Google Docs won‘t have essential attributes needed for SEO and security, including:
- Nofollow to prevent over-optimization
- Open in new tab so visitors don‘t leave your page
- Link title attributes for usability
Because of this, your site loses control over outbound links which can impact search engine rankings.
As you can see, directly copying and pasting Google Docs content into WordPress leads to a real mess!
Thankfully, there are better ways to transfer content smoothly…
How to Properly Migrate Google Docs Content into WordPress
Instead of copy-pasting, here are some smart tools and methods to move Google Docs over to WordPress flawlessly:
1. The Wordable Automated Transfer Plugin (Recommended)
Wordable is a premium WordPress plugin that automates transferring Google Docs content into new or existing posts and pages on your site.
It takes care of all the heavy lifting so you don‘t have to copy-paste anything.
Here‘s an overview of using Wordable to move Google Docs content to WordPress:
Key Advantages
- Keeps all formatting – Headings, text styles, quotes etc. are transferred perfectly
- No coding needed – Everything handled automatically behind the scenes
- Images optimized – Adds alt text, titles, captions etc.
- Handles links properly – Adds nofollow, open in new tab, etc.
- Customizable import settings – Change post data, status, tags, etc.
- Schedule & publish – Imported drafts can auto-publish on a schedule
- Works with new and existing posts – Import into new posts or update old ones
- Top-notch support – Quick live chat and email support
For most users, Wordable is the best solution to migrate Google Docs content into WordPress smoothly while saving hours of work.
It takes care of all the optimizations needed so you can focus on creating content instead of fighting with formatting issues.
2. Use the Official WordPress.com Chrome Extension
WordPress.com offers a free Google Docs Chrome extension that lets you easily save Google documents as drafts in WordPress.
How it works:
- Install extension on Chrome
- When editing a Google Doc, click the extension icon
- Log into WordPress account
- Pick site & save as draft
This preserves formatting, images etc. from Google Docs. You can then open the draft in WordPress, make tweaks and publish.
Downsides:
- Lacks SEO optimizations for links and media
- Only works for WordPress.com sites
Still, it‘s a quick way to transfer docs without copy-pasting everything.
3. Convert Google Docs to HTML using Mammoth
The Mammoth .docx converter plugin lets you convert .docx files from Google Docs into HTML to import into WordPress.
How to use it:
- Download Google Doc as .docx
- Install Mammoth plugin in WordPress
- Click Mammoth icon in editor
- Upload .docx file
- It converts to HTML
- Paste generated HTML into post
This preserves all formatting, images, headings, links etc. But you need to manually optimize media and links after importing.
4. Embed Google Drive Documents Directly
Rather than importing Docs content, you can directly embed Google documents into WordPress pages using a plugin like Google Docs Embedder:
How to embed:
- Install Google Docs Embedder
- Open post/page
- Click "Embed Google Doc" button
- Pick document to embed
- It inserts the live doc into the content
The benefit is that embedded docs stay live – updates sync automatically. But you can‘t edit content without going back to Google Docs.
5. Use the Wordable Block for Gutenberg
For the new WordPress block editor (Gutenberg), you can install the free Wordable Google Docs block.
This lets you embed Google Docs into pages with live previews:
How to use:
- Install the block
- Search for "Google Docs by Wordable"
- Enter Google Doc URL
- Doc preview loads in page
- Updating doc also updates it on site
It‘s super easy to embed docs this way. But the free block has limited features compared to the paid Wordable plugin.
Which Is the Best Method for You?
Here‘s a quick comparison to help pick the right Google Docs to WordPress solution for your needs:
| Method | Retains Formatting | SEO Optimization | Images | Links | Support | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wordable | ✅ | ✅ | Titles, Alt Text | nofollow, new tab | Email, Chat, Forum | $39/year |
| WP.com Extension | ✅ | ❌ | Docs | Free | ||
| Mammoth HTML | ✅ | ❌ | Manual | Manual | Forum | Free |
| Embed Google Drive | ✅ | ❌ | Manual | Manual | Forum | Free |
| Wordable Block | ✅ | ❌ | Manual | Manual | Forum | Free |
For most users, Wordable is the best solution as it fully optimizes content during transfer.
The only reason not to use it is if you only need to embed live Google Docs into WordPress pages. In that case, the free embed solutions may work better for your needs.
But for properly migrating Google Docs content into WordPress, Wordable saves you hours of work and headaches.
Now let‘s go through step-by-step how to use it…
A Step-by-Step Guide to Transferring Google Docs Content with Wordable
If you want the smoothest, most optimized transfer of Google Docs content into WordPress, this is how to do it with Wordable:
Step 1: Install and Activate Wordable
First, you need to install Wordable:
- In your WordPress dashboard, go to Plugins > Add New
- Search for ‘Wordable‘ and install the plugin
- Click Activate to enable it
Step 2: Connect Your Google Account
Next, you need to connect your Google account which contains the Docs you want to transfer:
- Go to Wordable > Settings
- Click on Connect Google Account
- Follow prompts to authorize Wordable
This allows Wordable to access your Google Drive to import documents.
Step 3: Select the Google Doc
Now you can pick the specific Google Doc to transfer:
- Go to Wordable > New Post to transfer into a new post
- Or open an existing post and click Transfer from Google Docs
Then select the exact Google document you want to move over to WordPress.
Step 4: Configure Import Settings
By default, Wordable will use the Google Doc‘s title and contents for your new post.
But you can customize options like:
- Post title
- Post status (draft, pending, publish)
- Excerpt
- Featured image
- Tags
- Category
- Post author
- Retain Google Doc formatting
Configure as needed for your imported post.
Step 5: Import the Google Document
Once you have selected the Google Doc and configured settings, it‘s time to transfer it into WordPress.
Simply click the Import from Google Docs button.
Wordable will work its magic in the background to:
- Import all the contents
- Retain formatting
- Clean up extra HTML
- Upload and optimize images
- Fix links
- And more!
Within seconds, you have a perfectly formatted post imported from Google Docs without messy copy-pasting.
And that‘s all it takes! Just 5 simple steps to seamlessly transfer Google documents into optimized WordPress content with Wordable.
Why Wordable Beats Other Google Docs Import Options
Compared to copy-pasting or other plugins, here‘s why Wordable is the superior solution for importing Google Docs content into WordPress:
Retains All Formatting Flawlessly
Headings, text formatting, bullet points, quotes – it all gets transferred without any issues.
No Coding or HTML Needed
The transfer happens automatically. You don‘t touch code or markup.
Images Uploaded & Optimized
Images get uploaded properly into WordPress and optimized with alt text, titles, captions etc.
Links Are Fixed Automatically
Nofollow, open in new tab, and other attributes are added to links.
Import Is Fully Customizable
Easily change the post title, status, tags, author etc. on import.
Works With New & Existing Posts
You can transfer Google Docs into both new and already published posts.
Scheduled Publishing Options
Imported drafts can be scheduled and published automatically.
Best-in-Class Customer Support
Friendly email, live chat and community support for any issues.
Regular Plugin Updates
Wordable is constantly improved and updated with new features.
Affordable Pricing
Available for just $39/year – cheap compared to hours wasted copy-pasting!
When it comes to properly transferring and optimizing Google Docs content into WordPress, no other tool comes close to Wordable.
It takes care of the entire process from start to finish so you can focus on creating great content!
Pro Tips to Enhance Your Google Docs to WordPress Workflow
Beyond using the right transfer tool like Wordable, here are some pro tips to streamline moving Google Docs content into WordPress:
1. Use WordPress Block Styles in Google Docs
To minimize formatting changes during transfer, use built-in WordPress block styles like headlines and blockquotes when writing your Google Doc.
This guide on using WordPress styles in Google Docs shows you how.
2. Add Image Captions in Google Docs
Include captions for any images in your Google Doc to have Wordable automatically import them as image captions in WordPress without extra work.
3. Use Wordable to Update Existing Posts
If you previously copy-pasted a Google Doc into WordPress, use Wordable to re-import it properly. It will fix all formatting, images, links, etc.
4. Build a WordPress Template Library
Create reusable WordPress templates with sections for titles, metadata, layouts, etc. Then use Wordable to bring in Google Doc content into those standardized templates.
5. Schedule Imported Drafts to Publish
Use Wordable‘s options to schedule Google Doc imports to publish automatically on the date and time you select.
Wrap Up
I hope this detailed guide has helped you understand why directly copying and pasting from Google Docs to WordPress is problematic and what the better options are.
To recap, the key points:
- Copy-pasting Google Docs content leads to formatting, image, link, and SEO issues
- Specialized tools like Wordable properly transfer and optimize Google Docs content
- Wordable automates the process so you don‘t have to code or copy-paste anything
- For the smoothest migration, use Wordable to bring Google Docs into WordPress effortlessly
Moving content between platforms like Google Docs and WordPress is never completely seamless. There‘s often some reformatting or cleanup needed.
But tools like Wordable get you 95% of the way there automatically.
Let me know if you have any other questions! I‘m always happy to help fellow content creators master moving documents between platforms.
The less time spent on formatting, links, images etc. means more time creating awesome content.
Here‘s to happier, more productive content creation!
