Quickly Export OneNote to Google Docs with Efficient Methods
Can you open OneNote files in Google Docs? Well, not directly. But there are some workarounds that you can use to convert OneNote to Google Docs. Here, I will explain all the possible methods to change your OneNote files and explain the reasons why there is a need to move the data.
OneNote is a note-taking application developed by Microsoft. It is a free and versatile app that you can use to collect the information, organize and share it. The idea behind this is to replace the traditional notebook and digitally capture your ideas. It is available in Microsoft 365 plans, and all your OneNote files are saved by default in OneDrive or SharePoint.
Google Docs is Google’s core application where you create and edit documents. It is a web word processor where users can create new documents, edit, share, and collaborate on them with other people. You can also find the Docs application in Google Workspace. And all your documents are saved in Google Docs.
Both OneNote and Google Docs are completely different programs for different purposes. However, many users want to open OneNote in Google Docs. Why is that?
Reasons to Convert OneNote to Google Docs
In professional or personal work, there are several situations where a user has to transfer their OneNote notes to Google Docs. Below, I have mentioned common causes behind this.
- Google offers real-time co-editing, which allows multiple people to work on the same document at the same time. So, if you want to collaborate on your notes with other team members. Google Docs is the perfect choice.
- Google Docs runs on a web platform, which makes it easier for users to access and share it with other devices easily. Whereas OneNote is a desktop application that makes it hard for you to access your notes.
- Many organizations are rapidly adopting Google Workspace because of its simple environment. So, moving your OneNote files to Google Drive allows you to work with the same environment.
- For enterprise compliance, Google supports some standards like GDPR and CCPA. So, it is a secure solution to protect your OneNote note files.
- From a security point of view, migrating OneNote to Google Docs helps you in preventing accidental deletion and account hacking.
- One of the reasons for converting the OneNote data is to get the benefits of Google’s advanced features. because Google Docs is integrated with G Suite.
Hence, from these points, it is clear that it is more beneficial to migrate your OneNote notes to a Google account. Want to know how you can do this? Follow the methods mentioned in the upcoming section.
Manually Copy OneNote to Paste to Google Docs
As you know, you cannot directly convert OneNote to Google Docs. However, if you manually copy the notes and paste them into Google Docs. You can have your data.
- First, open the OneNote application on your computer.
- Choose the notes you want to copy. Open the note.
- Select the content you want to move. If you want to copy all the notes, select all the text.
- Press Ctrl+C or Cmd+C to copy the selected notes.
- Open Google Docs and create a new document.
- Paste the copied content into the new document.
With this, you can move your OneNote notes to Google Docs, but you will lose formatting, images, and embedded objects. Also, you can use this method on a few note files.
Convert OneNote to Google Docs by Word
There is another way to change OneNote to Google Docs by using the .docsx format. If you export the content of the OneNote file to a Word document. Then it is easy to move to Google Docs.
- In the OneNote desktop app, choose the note you want to export.
- Click on the File option and then the Export button.
- Select the scope you want to save, like Page, Section, or Notebook.
- Then, click on Word Document (.docx) format.
- Browse to a location where you want to save your file.
- Now, go to the Google Drive and click on the New option.
- Select the File Upload button. Choose the docx file that you have just stored.
- After uploading to Google Drive, right-click the file and then select the Open with option.
- Choose Google Docs to open move it to Google Docs.
Transfer OneNote Files to Google Drive by Google OCR
If you want your notes to be an uneditable archive. Then, you can export the OneNote files to PDF and then use Google Drive’s Optical Character Recognition feature to extract the file.
- Start by opening the OneNote application. Select the Notes you want to open
- Click on the File option and then the Export button.
- Select PDF format and upload it to the Google Drive.
- Now, right-click the uploaded PDF file and select the Open with option.
- Click on Google Docs. The Docs will convert your PDF file to editable text.
This is one of the methods that you can use it change your OneNote notes into Google Docs, but you will lose formatting. As you see, this issue is common in most manual solutions. But don’t worry, there is a professional way that migrate your OneNote files to Google Docs without losing formatting.
Professionally Convert OneNote to Google Docs
As I have mentioned that all OneNote notes will be stored in OneDrive. And to export it to Google Docs, you need Google Docs. The manual option will disturb the formatting issue, and it is difficult for bulk migration. In that case, experts recommend using the SysTools OneDrive to Google Drive Migration Tool. A professional utility, where you can transfer entire OneDrive files, including OneNote notes, into your Google Drive. With the help of this, you can carefully transfer your data while preserving the original formatting. Therefore, many professionals and IT experts use this software to move their important notes. If you want to know how you can migrate your note files, follow the steps below.
Steps to Change OneNote Files to Google Docs
- First of all, download and install the software on your machine.

- Choose Microsoft 364 from the source and G Suite from the destination tabs.

- Click on the Document option from Workload. Use the Date Filter to target selected data.

- Provide Microsoft 365 Admin Email and Application ID. Hit the Validate button.

- Enter G Suite Admin Email, Application ID, and Certificate File. Press the Validate button.

- To add users automatically, select Fetch Users. Or you can download a sample CSV file and submit a user mapping for manual import of the user.

- At the end, click on the Start Migration button.

To Conclude
Migrating your notes from OneNote to Google Docs can be difficult for some because there is no direct option. So, in this article, I have provided four easy and secure solutions. Manually, you can download your notes and then upload them to the Google Drive to open in Google Docs. But there can be formatting issues. So, you can use a professional solution to easily move your OneNote files into Google Docs.