You have a Google Doc, maybe shared notes, a spec, or a draft someone sent you, and you want it in your Obsidian vault as a proper Markdown note. There are a few ways to do this, and they differ mostly in how much cleanup you are left with afterward. Here are the options from fastest to cleanest, what each one gets wrong, and what to do when the Doc keeps changing after you import it.
The fast way: native export
Google Docs can export Markdown directly:
- Open the Doc.
- Click File, then Download, then Markdown (.md).
- Move the downloaded
.mdfile into your Obsidian vault folder.
That is the quickest route and it needs no add-ons. It handles headings, emphasis, lists, and links well. The catches: tables and some structure do not round-trip cleanly, images are not pulled into your vault as attachments, comments are not carried over, and you get no control over the output style or front matter.
Cleaner conversions, compared
If the native export leaves too much cleanup, these are the common alternatives:
| Method | Handles well | Leaves you with | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| File, Download, Markdown | Headings, lists, links | Table and image cleanup | A quick one-off import |
| Docs to Markdown add-on | Headings, lists, links | Tables as HTML, fixed syntax | People already using the add-on |
| Google Doc to Markdown tool | Inline formatting, no install | Manual image handling | A clean browser conversion |
| Pandoc via .docx | High structural fidelity | Non-native styling, manual steps | Batch or scripted conversion |
The Docs to Markdown add-on is popular but outputs tables as HTML rather than Markdown table syntax, which is awkward inside a Markdown vault. Pandoc gives the best structural fidelity but the round trip through .docx leaves styling to tidy up. For a no-install conversion, the Google Doc to Markdown tool covers most content in the browser. There is a fuller walkthrough in how to convert a Google Doc to Markdown cleanly.
Handling images, tables, and front matter
A few things always need attention when a Doc lands in Obsidian:
- Images. Native export does not save images as vault attachments. Download them from the Doc separately and place them in your attachments folder, then fix the links.
- Tables. Check every table after import. This is where all the methods struggle most.
- Front matter. Obsidian works best when a note has YAML front matter for tags and metadata. No export adds this, so you add it by hand or with a template.
The catch: import is a one-time copy
Every method above produces a snapshot. It is correct the moment you export and stale the moment anyone edits the Doc again. That is fine for a document that is finished, and a problem for one that is not:
- The Doc is a shared, living document your team keeps editing.
- You want your vault to reflect the latest version without re-exporting.
- You also edit the note locally and want those edits to show up in the Doc.
In those cases you are back to exporting and re-importing by hand, and reconciling changes yourself. The conversion is easy; keeping the two copies in agreement is the actual work.
Keeping a Doc and a vault note in sync
The alternative to re-exporting is two-way sync: the Google Doc stays a real, shareable Doc that people comment in, the note stays a Markdown file in your vault, and edits flow both directions automatically.
That is what md2gd does. You keep the Doc your collaborators already use, your vault gets a live Markdown copy instead of a stale export, and you stop re-downloading the file every time it changes. If the Doc you are importing is one that keeps evolving, sync is what turns a one-time import into a note that stays current. It fits naturally alongside Obsidian, which is the better home for the writing while Google Docs stays the place for review.
FAQ
How do I convert a Google Doc to Markdown for Obsidian?
Use File, then Download, then Markdown (.md) and move the file into your vault. For cleaner output, use the Google Doc to Markdown tool or the Docs to Markdown add-on, then check tables and images.
Does Google Docs export Markdown natively?
Yes. Since 2024 you can download a Doc as a .md file directly. It handles most inline formatting but does not preserve tables reliably, does not save images as attachments, and does not carry comments.
Why do tables break when I import a Google Doc into Obsidian?
Google's export and the common add-ons do not map Doc tables to Markdown table syntax reliably; the add-on outputs HTML instead. Review and fix tables after any import.
Can I keep an Obsidian note in sync with a Google Doc?
Not with export alone, since it produces a static copy. md2gd provides two-way sync so the note and the Doc stay current with each other automatically.
The short version
For a finished document, download it as Markdown and drop it in your vault, then fix tables, images, and front matter. For a document that keeps changing, a one-time import goes stale fast, and two-way sync is what keeps your vault note and the Google Doc in agreement. Start with the free tools for the conversion itself.
