Convert Table to Text

With the Text To Table Converter Add-On, you can quickly transform tables back into neatly formatted, comma-separated text (CSV style) directly within Google Docs™, Google Slides™, and Google Sheets™.

(Quick overview of the Table to Text conversion)

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Convert a Table to Text

This process extracts the data from your selected table(s) and outputs it as plain text, with columns separated by commas and rows separated by newlines.

1. Select the Table(s) Position your cursor inside the table you wish to modify, or select the entire table explicitly. You can also select several tables.

   Selection Tips

   Google Sheets™: You must select the specific range of cells that contains the table data you want to adjust.

   (Selecting the table within the document)

2. Run the Converter Navigate through the Google Workspace™ menu: Extensions > Text To Table Converter > 🔡 ➜ 🔤 Selected Table to Text.

   (Menu path to initiate the conversion)

3. View the Result The Add-On extracts the table data and inserts it as comma-separated text directly below the original table.

   Example Resulting Text Format:

   Header 1,Header 2
   Row 1 Cell 1,Row 1 Cell 2
   Row 2 Cell 1,Row 2 Cell 2

   (The text mirrors the table structure, using commas as delimiters)

   (Comma-separated text inserted below the table)

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Handling Commas Within Your Data

If your original table cells contain commas, the Add-on follows standard CSV conventions (RFC 4180) when converting to text: it automatically encloses the entire cell content containing commas within double quotes (").

This ensures the comma isn’t misinterpreted as a column separator when you use the text later.

Example:

Consider this table where one of the “Order” cells contains a comma:

Original Table Data:

Name	Order	Notes
Emily	Latte	Oat Milk
Alex	Espresso, Double Shot	Extra hot
James	Americano	Black

When this table is converted using the Add-on, the resulting text will look like this:

Converted Text (CSV):

Name,Order,Notes
Emily,Latte,Oat Milk
Alex,"Espresso, Double Shot",Extra hot
James,Americano,Black

(Notice how the cell containing Espresso, Double Shot is enclosed in double quotes " in the output text to preserve the comma correctly.)

Converting Multiple Tables

You can select multiple tables simultaneously and convert them all at once using the same steps. The text from each table will be inserted sequentially below its respective original table.