How to Edit a PDF in Google Docs
Google Docs can open and edit PDFs—with significant caveats. Here's the complete process, what to expect, and when to use better alternatives.
The Short Answer
Yes, you can edit PDFs in Google Docs. Upload your PDF to Google Drive, right-click it, select "Open with Google Docs," and edit. But Google Docs converts the PDF to a document first, which often breaks formatting.
Step-by-Step: Edit a PDF in Google Docs
Step 1: Upload to Google Drive
- Go to drive.google.com
- Click New → File Upload
- Select your PDF (or drag and drop it)
- Wait for the upload to complete
Step 2: Open with Google Docs
- Right-click the uploaded PDF
- Select Open with → Google Docs
- Wait for Google to convert the file
The PDF opens as an editable Google Doc. Your original PDF remains in Drive as a separate file.
Step 3: Make Your Edits
Edit the document like any Google Doc:
- Click text to modify it
- Change fonts, sizes, and colors
- Add or delete paragraphs
- Insert images or tables
Step 4: Export as PDF
When finished:
- Click File → Download → PDF Document
- Google Docs exports your edited document as a new PDF
The Catch: Formatting Gets Destroyed
Google Docs doesn't edit PDFs—it converts them. This conversion process mangles most formatting:
What breaks:
- Tables collapse or misalign
- Multi-column layouts become single columns
- Images shift positions
- Headers and footers disappear
- Custom fonts revert to defaults
- Line breaks change unpredictably
- Form fields become regular text
What works okay:
- Simple, single-column text documents
- Basic paragraphs without complex formatting
- Documents you plan to reformat anyway
Bottom line: If your PDF has any significant formatting, Google Docs will make a mess of it.
When Google Docs Works
Google Docs is a reasonable choice when:
- The PDF is mostly plain text
- You don't care about preserving exact formatting
- You're extracting text to repurpose elsewhere
- The document will be heavily reformatted anyway
- You need a free, quick solution for simple edits
When Google Docs Fails
Skip Google Docs when:
- The PDF has tables or columns — They'll break
- You need to preserve formatting — Not possible
- It's a scanned document — Google may not recognize the text
- You're filling out a form — Form fields don't convert
- The PDF has graphics or charts — They'll shift or disappear
- You need precise edits — Too unpredictable
Better Alternatives for PDF Editing
For Filling PDF Forms
If you need to fill out a PDF form—not edit the underlying document—use a dedicated form filler:
Adobe Acrobat Reader (Free): Fill & Sign mode lets you type in form fields and add signatures without converting the document.
Preview on Mac: Built-in markup tools handle form filling and signatures.
AutoFillPDF: AI-powered filling works on any PDF—including scans and non-fillable forms—without converting the document format.
For Editing PDF Text
If you genuinely need to edit text within a PDF:
Adobe Acrobat Pro ($): The standard for PDF editing. Edit text in place without conversion.
Foxit PDF Editor ($): Similar capabilities to Acrobat at a lower price.
Smallpdf Edit PDF: Online tool for basic text edits. Limited formatting options.
For Preserving Formatting
If formatting matters, convert to Word first:
- Use a PDF-to-Word converter (Adobe, Smallpdf, iLovePDF)
- Open the Word file in Google Docs
- Make your edits
- Export back to PDF
This preserves more formatting than direct PDF-to-Docs conversion.
Google Drive's Built-in PDF Viewer
Google Drive includes a basic PDF viewer that doesn't require conversion:
- View PDFs without opening in Docs
- Fill some forms — Tap "Fill out form" if available
- Add comments for collaboration
- Can't edit text — Only viewing and form filling
To use it, just click a PDF in Drive. For forms, look for the "Fill out form" option at the bottom.
Chrome's PDF Viewer
If you open a PDF directly in Chrome, you can:
- Annotate with pen and highlighter tools
- Add text boxes for notes
- Sign with a drawn signature
- Fill form fields if the PDF has them
You still can't edit existing text, but for form filling and annotations, it works without conversion.
Troubleshooting Google Docs PDF Editing
"The PDF looks terrible after conversion" That's expected for formatted documents. Use a proper PDF editor or convert to Word first.
"I can't see form fields" Google Docs converts form fields to regular text. Use Chrome's PDF viewer or Adobe Reader instead.
"The text is garbled or missing" The PDF may be a scan or image-based. Google Docs can't extract text from images reliably.
"My tables are all messed up" Tables rarely survive the conversion. Edit them manually or use a dedicated table tool.
"Some pages are missing" PDFs over 50 MB or with security restrictions may not convert fully.
Fill PDFs Without the Formatting Nightmare
AutoFillPDF takes a different approach: instead of converting your PDF to another format, it fills in your information directly on the original document.
No conversion means no broken formatting. Your tables stay intact. Your layout stays intact. Form fields or no form fields—it just works.
Upload any PDF—scanned, flat, or fillable—provide your information, and download the completed document with formatting preserved.
Try it free: AutoFillPDF
Related Guides
FAQs
Can I edit a PDF directly in Google Docs? Not directly. Google Docs converts the PDF to a Google Doc format, which you can then edit. This conversion often breaks formatting, especially for documents with tables, columns, or complex layouts.
Why does my PDF look different after opening in Google Docs? Google Docs converts PDFs to its own document format. This conversion doesn't preserve all formatting—fonts change, tables break, and layouts shift. It's not a bug; it's a fundamental limitation of the approach.
How do I fill out a PDF form in Google Docs? Don't use Google Docs for form filling—it converts forms to regular text. Instead, use Google Drive's built-in PDF viewer (click "Fill out form"), Chrome's PDF viewer, or Adobe Acrobat Reader.
Is there a way to edit a PDF without losing formatting? Yes. Use a dedicated PDF editor like Adobe Acrobat Pro, which edits PDFs natively without conversion. For form filling specifically, AutoFillPDF preserves your document exactly as-is.
Can Google Docs convert a scanned PDF? Sometimes. Google attempts OCR (optical character recognition) on scanned PDFs, but results vary widely. Complex layouts, handwriting, or low-quality scans typically fail.