DocMD

Bidirectional Google Docs to Markdown conversion for Obsidian. Import Google Docs as Markdown notes and export Markdown notes as Google Docs, with full support for images, tables, formatting, and recursive link following.

Features

• Import Google Docs to Markdown -- paste one or more Google Doc URLs and convert them to .md files in your vault
• Export Markdown to Google Docs -- export notes to Google Docs in a specified Drive folder
• Image support -- images are downloaded and saved as local attachments on import, and uploaded to Google Docs on export
• Recursive link following -- optionally follow links in documents and convert all linked docs/notes in one operation, with wikilinks preserved between them
• Conflict resolution -- when importing over an existing file, review a side-by-side diff with word-level highlighting before choosing to overwrite, skip, or rename
• Optional YAML frontmatter -- add configurable frontmatter (source URL, date, tags) to imported notes, with automatic stripping on export
• Ribbon icons and context menu -- quick access from the sidebar or by right-clicking files and folders
• Formatting preservation -- headings, bold, italic, strikethrough, inline code, code blocks, blockquotes, lists (ordered/unordered with nesting), tables, horizontal rules, and links

Prerequisites

You need a Google Cloud project with OAuth credentials to connect the plugin to your Google account. This is a one-time setup:

1. Go to Google Cloud Console
2. Create a new project (or select an existing one)
3. Enable the Google Docs API and Google Drive API (search for each in the API library)
4. Go to APIs & Services > Credentials > Create Credentials > OAuth 2.0 Client IDs
5. Choose application type: Desktop app, give it a name, and click Create
6. Copy the Client ID and Client Secret
7. Go to the OAuth consent screen tab and add your Google account email as a Test user

These instructions are also available in the plugin's settings tab.

Installation

From Obsidian Community Plugins (coming soon)

Once accepted into the community plugin directory, search for "DocMD" in Obsidian's community plugin browser.

Manual Installation

1. Download main.js, manifest.json, and styles.css from the latest release
2. Create a folder called docmd in your vault's .obsidian/plugins/ directory
3. Copy the three files into that folder
4. Restart Obsidian and enable DocMD in Settings > Community Plugins

Via BRAT

1. Install the BRAT plugin
2. In BRAT settings, click Add Beta Plugin
3. Enter nsheryka/obsidianDocMD

Usage

Setting Up

1. Open DocMD settings and enter your Client ID and Client Secret
2. Click Connect Google Account
3. Sign in with your Google account in the browser window that opens
4. Click Allow when prompted for Docs and Drive access

Importing a Google Doc

1. Open the command palette (Cmd/Ctrl+P) and select Import Google Doc to Markdown
2. Paste one or more Google Doc URLs (one per line)
3. Choose an output folder in your vault
4. Optionally enable Follow links recursively to also convert linked documents
5. Click Convert

You can also right-click a folder and select Import Google Doc here.

Exporting Markdown to Google Docs

1. Right-click a .md file and select Export to Google Doc, or use the command palette
2. Enter a Google Drive folder URL (the folder where the Doc will be created)
3. Optionally enable Follow links recursively to also convert linked notes
4. Click Export

You can also right-click a folder and select Export folder to Google Docs to batch export all .md files in it.

Settings

Setting	Description	Default
Client ID	Google OAuth Client ID	(empty)
Client Secret	Google OAuth Client Secret	(empty)
Follow links recursively	Convert linked documents by default	Off
Enable YAML frontmatter	Show frontmatter options in conversion dialogs	Off
Frontmatter template	Customizable YAML template with {sourceUrl} and {date} variables	source, date, tags
Show ribbon icons	Import/export icons in the left sidebar	On
Show in context menu	Right-click options on files and folders	On

Troubleshooting

"Google hasn't verified this app" warning during sign-in: This is normal for personal OAuth projects. Click Advanced, then Go to DocMD (unsafe) to proceed. The plugin only accesses Google Docs and Drive with your explicit permission.

"Not authenticated" when running a command: Go to DocMD settings and click Connect Google Account.

Images not downloading: Check that your Google Doc's images are embedded (not linked from external URLs that require authentication).

Token expired errors: The plugin refreshes tokens automatically, but if your refresh token is revoked, disconnect and reconnect your Google account in settings.

Development

git clone https://github.com/nsheryka/obsidianDocMD.git
cd obsidianDocMD
npm install
npm run build

For development with hot rebuild:

npm run dev

To test in Obsidian, symlink the repo into your vault's plugin directory:

ln -s /path/to/obsidianDocMD /path/to/vault/.obsidian/plugins/docmd

License

MIT