Text to Table Workflows
Choose between direct insertion, reviewing a conversion in Table Editor, or starting from text, a file, or an empty table.
The best workflow depends on whether speed or review matters more. The sidebar always exposes direct insert and Table Editor; the Extensions menu follows your saved output-mode setting.
Direct insert
Use direct insert for clearly structured text when you already know the rows and columns will be correct.
- Select the source text.
- Expand Convert Table in the sidebar and click Text to Table.
- The add-on converts and inserts the result immediately.
Review in Table Editor
Use Table Editor when you want to correct cells, inspect headers, or apply formatting before insertion.
- Select the source text and expand Convert Table.
- Open the caret menu beside Text to Table and select Open in Table Editor.
- Review the grid, make any changes, and click Insert Table.
Start without selected text
Running Text to Table without a selection opens the Table Editor start screen instead of guessing what to convert.
- From Text: paste text and convert it into the editor grid.
- From File: open a local or Google Drive CSV, TSV, TXT, or XLSX file up to 5 MB.
- Empty Table: choose a row and column count and begin with a blank grid.
Where each host places a direct result
| Host | Direct-insert result |
|---|---|
| Google Docs | Inserts the table after the current selection. |
| Google Sheets | Creates a new sheet for the converted table. |
| Google Slides | Inserts a table on the current slide. |
Mixed Markdown behaves differently
A selection containing headings, lists, paragraphs, and tables can create multiple document elements rather than one editor grid. Use direct insert for that full mixed-content workflow.