Convert Table

Convert Table to Text

Easily convert tables into structured text (CSV format) using the Text To Table Converter Add-On in Google Docs™, Google Slides™, and Google Sheets™.

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™.

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.

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.

Run the Converter

Use either:

Sidebar: Convert & Format > Table to Text
Menu: Extensions > Text To Table Converter > Selected Table to Text

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:*

csv

First Name,Last Name,Department,E-Mail
Alice,Johnson,HR,alice.johnson@example.com
Bob,Smith,IT,bob.smith@example.com
Clara,Lee,FIN,clara.lee@example.com
David,Kim,MKT,david.kim@example.com

Resulting text shown below the original table

Changing the Delimiter: By default, the add-on uses a comma (,) to separate columns. If you need a different format (e.g., tab-separated or semicolon-separated), you can easily change the delimiter character. This is configured in the settings menu. For a step-by-step guide, see: - Language & Settings: Table To Text Options

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 "E-Mail" cells contains a comma: | First Name | Last Name | Department | E-Mail | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | Alice | Johnson | HR | alice.johnson@example.com | | Bob | Smith | IT | bob.smith@example.com | | David | Kim | MKT | david.kim@example.com, david.kim@sales.example.com | When this table is converted using the Add-On, the resulting text will look like this: *Converted Text (CSV):* ``csv First Name,Last Name,Department,E-Mail Alice,Johnson,HR,alice.johnson@example.com Bob,Smith,IT,bob.smith@example.com David,Kim,MKT,"david.kim@example.com, david.kim@sales.example.com" *(Notice how the cell containing the two email addresses 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.