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Numerous studies have revealed that a significant majority, precisely 65% of individuals, possess a higher retention rate when information is presented through visual mediums, such as images and PDFs. This explains the ubiquity of visual content across various platforms, ranging from social media platforms to WhatsApp groups, Reddit discussions, blogs, emails, and more. The prevalent use of images and PDFs stems from the realization that conveying messages becomes more efficient and effective by incorporating visual elements or providing comprehensive documents in PDF format, thereby eliminating the need for extensive textual exposition. While this approach suffices for sharing memes and other non-relevant materials, it becomes considerably challenging when confronted with text-intensive snapshots or PDFs in a professional setting. The arduous task of transcribing textual content from images or extracting relevant information from PDFs can significantly impede productivity and demands a considerable investment of time and effort.

Well, Google Docs and Google Drive have your back. Google has a hidden OCR tool that you can use to convert images to text in minutes. Let’s look at this Google Docs OCR tool and its use.

Furthermore, we will also explore OCR and document data extraction for business use cases, and how Nanonets can help.


Looking for OCR and data extraction from Google Drive files? Look no further! Try Nanonets today.


How to use Google Docs OCR to convert images to text?

Let’s consider you have an image and you want to extract text from the image using Google.

Step 1: Upload the image on Google Drive. Here is the image I’m uploading. I expect the output to contain “Put document collection on autopilot”.

Google Image to text with Google Docs OCR
Google Image to text with Google Docs OCR

Step 2: Right-click the image. Select Open with > Google Docs

Opening image with Google Docs
Opening image with Google Docs

Step 3: Wait for some time. A new document will open text in the image at the bottom.

P.S: To my surprise - The Google Drive OCR tool extracted the text from the email image that was present on the right! Even though the formatting wasn’t great, it did the job well.

Google Drive OCR result
Google Drive OCR result 


Can you convert text-heavy images to text with Google Drive?

Let’s try two more experiments. One with less text and the other with more text and feed them to the Google Drive OCR tool. I’ll take snapshots of text from two of our Nanonets blogs.

Let’s check out the results.

The Google Docs OCR tool extracted the entire text, but there were some formatting issues. So it’s not perfect, but if you’re ready to put in a little effort, you can make it work!

Again, it’s not perfect. While the image-to-text Google tool tries to imitate the bold sections and subheadings, it requires some post-processing.

While it may not be the perfect tool, it is better than writing the entire text yourself!

You can use Google drive OCR to convert PDF to Google Docs. Google documentation sheds some light on how you can prepare your files for using the Google image to text feature:

  • The file should be 2MB or less.
  • The text should be 10 pixels or higher.
  • The image or document should be upright. Otherwise, you can use the rotate tool.
  • The Google image to text tool works best with standard fonts like Arial or Time New Roman.

Looking for OCR and data extraction from Google Drive files? Look no further! Try Nanonets today.


Google Drive OCR for Business Use Cases


Nanonets is an AI-based OCR software that can extract text from PDFs, images, and documents with 95% accuracy in 200+ languages. In addition, with automated document workflows, Nanonets can automate every aspect of your manual document processes, like document data capture, document classification, document storage, and more. It has ready to use integrations with Google Drive, and can ingest your files from your drive to process and extract data from them, and even provides export options to automatically send the extracted data to a software / ERP / database of your choice, including populating the data in Google Sheets.

You can use pre-trained OCR models to extract data from PDFs, invoices, emails, bills, receipts, passports, and more without writing a single line of code.

There are many OCR alternatives like Power Automate and Abbyy. But, here is why Nanonets is perfect for enterprises due to following reasons:

  • Setup in <1 Day
  • Free Trial Plans
  • Pay as You go plans
  • 24x7 Support
  • Modern UI - Better than all the OCR software out there!
  • Pre-trained OCR models
  • Train Custom Model in 15 minutes
  • Professional OCR Services - Our team creates and trains your models
  • Training Support
  • Automate Accounts Payable, Customer Onboarding, Mailroom, and more.
  • Connect with 5000+ Software with API & Zapier

Looking for OCR and data extraction from Google Drive files? Look no further! Try Nanonets today.


<< Find out how to batch convert JPG to text >>

How to set up Google Drive OCR with Nanonets

Here are the steps to set up an automated import of new and incoming files in a Google Drive directory to Nanonets for data extraction. You can complete the workflow further and choose one of our export options to software / ERP / database of your choice.

  1. Sign up / login into https://app.nanonets.com.

2. Choose a pretrained model based on your document type / create your own document extractor within minutes.

3. Once you have created your model, go to the workflow section of your model.

4. Go to the import tab.

5. Select Google Drive from the "Browse all import options" modal.

6. Authenticate your Google Drive Account.

7. Choose the folder you want to import from.

8. Click on Add integration.

The integration will be added to your Google Drive account. Based on the folder you selected, all new and incoming files in that folder will be imported into Nanonets and will be processed by your model which will extract structured data from it. You can also extend the workflow by adding postprocessing, validation / approval rules, exports to software / database of your choice.


Looking for OCR and data extraction from Google Drive files? Look no further! Try Nanonets today.


How to export extracted data to Google Sheets

You can follow the below steps to set up an export to Google Sheets as part of your Nanonets workflow. All structured data extracted by Nanonets will be exported to your Google Sheets based on the extracted fields & sheets columns matching you provide.

Alternatively, you can also take a look at this demo below to set up the Google Sheets Export with your OCR Workflow.

Here are the steps -

  • Choose a pretrained model based on your document type / create your own document extractor within minutes.
  • Once you have created your model, go to the workflow section of your model.
  • Go to the export tab and select "Export to Google Sheets".
  • Sign in to your Google Account.
  • Choose your spreadsheet where you want the extracted data to get populated.
  • Map the headers/column names (which you have specified in the google sheet yourself) of the Google Sheet to the labels of the data extracted by Nanonets.
  • Choose an export trigger and test the integration using a file.
  • Click on "Add Integration" and you are good to go.

Nanonets will now export the data extracted from documents to your Google Sheets in real time!


Looking for OCR and data extraction from Google Drive files? Look no further! Try Nanonets today.


Nanonets for Google Drive OCR and Data Extraction

As businesses increasingly digitize, Nanonets' OCR and Data Extraction integration with Google Drive becomes an indispensable tool. By automatically detecting and importing new files from Google Drive, it simplifies the usually labor-intensive process of manual data extraction. Imagine the hours saved by teams that are no longer required to scrutinize documents, leaving them free to focus on more valuable tasks.

This automated system is ideal for businesses that deal with high volumes of data stored in different formats such as invoices, receipts, forms, or contracts. The AI-powered OCR technology accurately reads and extracts information, eliminating the risk of human error, which can cost companies both time and resources. Moreover, by offering customized data extraction models, Nanonets can cater to specific business needs, ensuring optimal utilization of your data assets.

In conclusion, integrating Nanonets into your Google Drive is a practical step towards increasing efficiency, reducing errors, and freeing up time for value-added tasks. Leveraging this technology is a strategic move that modern businesses should consider to stay competitive in today's fast-paced digital world. By harnessing the power of automation and AI, you can not only streamline your operations but also discover novel insights from your data, driving informed decision-making and growth.


Looking for OCR and data extraction from Google Drive files? Look no further! Try Nanonets today.