Hey everyone,
I’m stuck with a problem while using the Google Drive API. I’m trying to change HTML files into Google Docs, but it’s not going well. The way it handles HTML and CSS is pretty bad, which is weird. I can’t find any good info on what HTML or CSS stuff actually works with it.
It looks like it can’t deal with block elements like <div> tags. And forget about page breaks using page-break-after - it’s just not happening.
Has anyone figured out how to make Google Docs work better with HTML? I’m really hoping to find a way to add page breaks. Any tips or tricks would be awesome!
Thanks for any help you can give!
I’ve dealt with this frustration before. The Google Docs API is quite restrictive when it comes to HTML and CSS support. One approach that’s worked for me is using a library like html2gdoc. It handles a lot of the conversion nuances and supports more HTML elements than the native API. For page breaks, you might try inserting a horizontal line (
) in your HTML. Google Docs often interprets these as page breaks. It’s not a perfect solution, but it’s been reliable in my projects. Also, consider simplifying your HTML structure before conversion - stick to basic tags like
,
, etc. for better results.
I’ve wrestled with this issue too, and it’s definitely a pain point. One thing that’s helped me is using Google Apps Script instead of the Drive API directly. It gives you more control over the conversion process.
For page breaks, I’ve had some success using section breaks in the HTML (like
). It’s not perfect, but it works better than CSS page-break properties.
As for HTML/CSS support, I’ve found it’s best to stick to basic formatting and avoid complex layouts. Tables usually translate well, and you can use them for more structured content.
Lastly, if you’re dealing with a lot of conversions, consider building a custom solution using a HTML parsing library and the Google Docs API. It’s more work upfront, but gives you full control over the output.
hey alice, ive run into similar issues. google docs api is pretty limited with html/css support. one workaround i found is converting html to plain text first, then uploading. it loses formatting but preserves content. for page breaks, try using ‘\f’ character. not perfect but might help. good luck!