Frequently Asked Questions
Find answers to common questions about installing, using, and troubleshooting the Text To Table Converter Add-On for Google Docs™, Google Slides™, and Google Sheets™.
Topics
General & Troubleshooting
I installed the Add-On, but I can’t find it in the “Extensions” menu.
This is a common issue with any new Google Workspace™ Add-On. After installing, you must refresh the browser tab where your Google Docs™, Google Slides™, or Google Sheets™ document is open.
Once refreshed, the Add-On will appear under Extensions > Text To Table Converter.
Learn more in our Getting Started Guide.
Why does the Add-On need permission to access my files? Is it safe?
The Add-On requires specific permissions to function correctly. For example, it needs to:
- Read the current document: To see the text or table you have selected.
- Modify the current document: To insert the new table or text you’ve created.
- Connect to external services: To use AI for features like PDF extraction and translation.
We are committed to your privacy and security. The Add-On only accesses the content you actively select to perform a conversion and does not store your document data. For more details, please review our Privacy Policy.
On which Google™ applications can I use the Add-On?
Text To Table Converter works seamlessly across the three core Google Workspace™ applications:
- Google Docs™
- Google Slides™
- Google Sheets™
Converting To & From Tables
How do I convert messy, unstructured text into a clean table?
Our 🔤 ➜ 🔡 Selected Text to Table feature uses AI to intelligently parse text without clear separators. Simply highlight the text (e.g., a list copied from an email) and run the function. The Add-On will analyze the content and structure it into a table for you. You can even provide custom headers to guide the AI.
Find a step-by-step example in the Convert Text to Table Guide.
How do I handle text that contains commas, like a list of addresses?
To prevent a comma within your data from being treated as a new column, enclose that data in double quotes ("). For example: "123 Main St, Anytown, USA". The 🔤 ➜ 🔡 Selected Text to Table feature recognizes this standard CSV format and will keep the quoted content in a single cell.
This is covered in the Convert Text to Table Guide.
Can I convert a table back into text (CSV format)?
Yes. Select any table in your document and use the 🔡 ➜ 🔤 Selected Table to Text function. It will generate a comma-separated text version of your table’s data and place it below the original.
Learn more in the Convert Table to Text Guide.
Does the Add-On support converting Markdown tables?
Yes, absolutely. The 🔤 ➜ 🔡 Selected Text to Table function automatically detects Markdown table syntax. This is especially useful in Google Sheets™ and Google Slides™, which lack native support for this. The Add-On also converts common inline formatting like bold, italics, and code.
See examples in the Convert Text to Table Guide.
What are the differences between this Add-On and native Markdown support in Google Workspace™?
Google Docs™ has the most extensive native Markdown support, while Google Slides™ and Google Sheets™ have very limited or no support, especially for tables. Our Add-On provides a consistent experience across all three platforms and adds support for more formatting types.
Here’s a comparison table:
| Feature | Google Docs™ Native (Paste/Auto-Correct) | Google Slides™ Native | Google Sheets™ Native | Our Add-On (Docs™) | Our Add-On (Slides™) | Our Add-On (Sheets™) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Table Recognition | Yes (Paste/Auto) | No | No | Yes (Via Add-On) | Yes (Via Add-On) | Yes (Via Add-On) |
Bold (**__/___) | Yes | Minimal¹ | Minimal¹ | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Italic (* / _) | Yes | Minimal¹ | Minimal¹ | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Bold & Italic (***) | Yes | Minimal¹ | Minimal¹ | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Strikethrough (~~) | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Inline Code (`) | Yes (Applies Font/Color) | No | No | Yes (Applies Font/Color) | Yes (Applies Font/Color) | Yes (Applies Font/Color) |
Highlight (==) | No | No | No | Yes (BG Color) | Yes (BG Color) | Yes (BG Color) |
Subscript (~) | No | No | No | Yes | Not Applied | Not Applied |
Superscript (^) | No | No | No | Yes | Not Applied | Not Applied |
Links ([...](...)) | Yes | No | No | No (Inside Cells) | No (Inside Cells) | No (Inside Cells) |
Autolinks (<...>) | Yes (Clickable) | Minimal¹ | Minimal¹ | Parsed Only | Parsed Only | Parsed Only |
Headings (# ...) | Yes (Block Level) | Yes (Block Level) | No | No (Inside Cells) | No (Inside Cells) | No (Inside Cells) |
Lists (*, 1.) | Yes (Block Level) | Yes (Block Level) | No | No (Inside Cells) | No (Inside Cells) | No (Inside Cells) |
Checkboxes ([]) | Yes (Block Level) | No | No | No (Inside Cells) | No (Inside Cells) | No (Inside Cells) |
Escaping (\* etc.) | Unclear / N/A | N/A | N/A | Yes | Yes | Yes |
¹ Minimal: Slides™/Sheets™ might perform some basic auto-corrections but lack comprehensive Markdown recognition, especially within tables or for specific syntax like strikethrough or code.
Key Takeaways:
- Table Conversion: The Add-On is the only way to convert Markdown tables in Google Slides™ and Google Sheets™.
- Extended Inline Formatting: The Add-On supports Highlight, Subscript (Docs™ only), and Superscript (Docs™ only) within table cells, which native features do not handle.
- Consistency: The Add-On provides a consistent Markdown table conversion experience across Docs™, Slides™, and Sheets™.
Formatting & Modifying Tables
How can I quickly change the appearance of my table?
We offer two powerful ways to format tables:
- Table Quick Format: Apply beautiful, pre-designed styles to your table with a single click from the sidebar.
- Format Selected Table: Open a tool to fully customize colors, borders, padding, and alignment with a live preview.
Explore both options in our Table Quick Format Guide and Format Selected Table Guide.
Can I swap the rows and columns of my table?
Yes, this is called transposing. Select your table and navigate to Extensions > Text To Table Converter > Modify Table > Transpose Table. This will instantly swap the rows and columns.
See how it works in the Transpose Table Guide.
How do I make all my columns the same width?
Select your table, then go to Extensions > Text To Table Converter > Modify Table > Distribute Column Widths Evenly. This will automatically resize all columns to be of equal width.
You can find this option in Distribute Column widths.
Advanced Features
Can I extract a table directly from a PDF file?
Yes. The 🪄 Extract Content from PDF feature allows you to upload a PDF, select a page, and use AI-powered Optical Character Recognition (OCR) to extract text and tables directly into your document.
Learn how to use this feature in the Extract Content from PDF Guide.
Does the Add-On offer translation features?
Yes. You can select any text or an entire table and use the Translate Selection to menu to instantly translate the content into dozens of supported languages.
For more details, visit the Translate Text or Tables Guide.
The AI-powered features made a mistake. What should I do?
Features like PDF extraction and unstructured text conversion rely on AI and may occasionally misinterpret complex data. We always recommend reviewing the generated output for accuracy. If you encounter a consistent issue, unchecking “Preserve basic formatting” can sometimes improve accuracy by allowing the AI to focus solely on content extraction.
When you encounter the issue that the Add-On does not correctly convert text to a table, try to specify the headers of the table by writing them above the text that you want to convert. Then select all the text and run the text to table feature again. For more details see Define Column Headers.
Privacy & Terms
Where can I find the Privacy Policy?
Your privacy is important to us. You can review our full Privacy Policy to understand what data we handle and why.
Read the Privacy Policy.
Where can I find the Terms of Service?
By using the Add-On, you agree to our Terms of Service. Please take a moment to review them.
Read the Terms of Service.
Still Have Questions?
If you couldn’t find your answer here, please visit our support page. We’re here to help!