Is it okay to use Google’s file viewer in a paid web app?
I’m working on a commercial web application and we want to add a feature that lets users preview various file types like PDFs and Word documents. I’ve heard about the Google Docs Viewer service, which seems perfect for this.
Does anyone know if it’s allowed to use this service (docs.google.com/viewer or docs.google.com/gview) in a paid app? Are there any legal issues or terms of service we need to be aware of?
If using Google’s viewer isn’t an option, are there any similar services from Google that we could use instead? I’d really appreciate any insights or alternatives you might have. Thanks!
hey there! as someone who’s used google’s viewer before, i’d say it’s not the best for paid apps. they don’t really support commercial use.
have you looked into open source options? there’s some cool stuff out there that won’t get you into legal trouble. might take more work but it’s safer in the long run.
whatever you choose, def read the terms carefully!
As someone who’s dealt with similar integration challenges, I’d advise caution with Google’s file viewer for a commercial app. While it’s tempting due to its functionality, it’s not designed for this purpose.
In my experience, a more robust solution is to implement your own viewer using open-source libraries. For PDFs, PDF.js is excellent and widely used. For other document types, consider libraries like mammoth.js for Word files or SheetJS for spreadsheets.
This approach gives you full control over the viewer’s functionality and appearance, and eliminates potential legal issues. It does require more development work upfront, but it’s a safer long-term strategy for a paid application. Plus, you won’t be reliant on a third-party service that could change or be discontinued without notice.
I’ve actually gone through a similar situation with a project I worked on. From my experience, using Google’s file viewer in a paid app can be a bit tricky legally. While it’s a great service, it’s not officially supported for commercial use.
We ended up looking into alternatives and found that there are some dedicated document viewing services designed for integration into web apps. One that worked well for us was PDF.js for PDFs, and we used Office Online viewers for Microsoft documents.
If you’re set on using a Google service, you might want to check out the Google Drive API. It offers more flexibility and clearer terms for commercial use. Just keep in mind you’ll need to handle user authentication and permissions.
Whatever route you choose, I’d strongly recommend reviewing the terms of service carefully and possibly consulting with a legal expert. It’s always better to be safe than sorry when it comes to integrating third-party services into a commercial product.