“ I have a PDF document featuring text, images, tables that I want to share in Google Docs. But frustratingly, the formatting was completely destroyed when the file was opened. The images and tables disappear, the font changes and everything is out of alignment. Is there any way to edit PDF in Google Docs without losing formatting?”
The above question comes from a user in Google Docs Editors Help. And many other Google users are facing similar problems. They have a craving for the solutions or an alternative method to convert PDF to Google Docs without the loss of formatting. Rest assured! This article comes to rescue that 4 workable ways will be introduced to around the issue of formatting loss, read carefully!
Cisdem PDF Converter OCR
Free Download Windows 11/10/8/7 
Free Download macOS 10.14 or later
As we stated in the beginning, Google Docs will mess up formatting when opening a PDF and converting it to editable word format. In many trials, we have found that it is possible to retain the original formatting if the imported PDF is simple in layout and only consists of text.
Otherwise, for a complex PDF containing charts, graphics or background, the formatting is incredibly messed up.
In the case that you just need to open and edit a simple text-based PDF in Google Docs without losing formatting, take these steps.
However, one of the main reasons we use PDF format is its expertise to make a file look professional with elegant layout, format and versatility in contents. In other words, it is much likely we will need to open and edit a “complicate” PDF in Google Docs, and in the end, we will lose the formatting.
Then how to edit PDF in Google Docs without changing format? Continue reading.
Editing a PDF in Google Docs while maintaining the format can be a tricky task without the help of a dedicated program. By using Cisdem PDF Converter OCR, only 2 steps are required to complete this task.
Cisdem PDF Converter OCR is a reliable PDF converter and creator on Windows and Mac. It is designed to turn both native and scanned PDFs into Google Docs, Slides, Spreadsheet, Text, HTML, Pages, Kindle formats, images and so on. Vice versa, Google Docs, Slides and Spreadsheet can be converted back to PDF format. No matter which kind of conversion, this software strives to preserve the original layout and format accurately. Furthermore, it supports batch processing and partial conversion to improve efficiency.
Now let’s dive into the steps of using Cisdem PDF Converter OCR.
Free Download Windows 11/10/8/7 Free Download macOS 10.14 or later
Saving PDF in Docx format first is a better way to edit PDF in Google Docs without changing its format, we can use Microsoft Word or online converters as well.
You probably have installed Microsoft Office suite on your device. MS Word app allows users to open PDF directly by converting it to Word format and matching to original layout as much as possible. Although the result won’t be as good as using Cisdem, it is still worth a try.
If you haven’t installed Word app yet, you can use online free PDF converters, here we recommend Smallpdf, it can keep the original formatting to a high extent.
Smallpdf has a lot of useful tools to process PDF file, including merging, splitting, compressing, converting, signing, protecting and editing. Most of the basic features can be accessed to for free, but advanced features like OCR, batch support require Pro upgrade. However, like any other online PDF tool, processing speed is still an issue that it makes users wait a long time, especially when uploading large PDFs.
PDF and Word are two completely different file types. No matter how powerful a conversion tool is, it will inevitably incur the loss of formatting sometimes. If you want to ensure that your PDF files will never have any formatting issues, then using a professional PDF editor instead of Google Docs is the optimal choice.
Unlike Google Docs, Cisdem PDFMaster is a paid desktop application with a 14-day free trial. But its price is very affordable, $49.99 for a year. It has dozens of fabulous tools. You can use them to edit, annotate, convert, create, compress, sign, redact, encrypt and decrypt PDF files.
All the frequently-used tools are well organized on the top of interface, so you can access to your desired feature in a breeze. In the secondary menu of each tool, more specific related functions are provided. Whether you're a novice or a veteran, Cisdem PDFMaster has everything you need to edit PDF documents.
Free Download macOS 11 or later Free Download Windows 11/10/8/7
If you want to edit PDF for free, Google Docs can be one of the best choices as it’s easy and reliable to use. You can get decent results when editing PDFs that mainly consist of text and have a very simple text layout.
If your work involves PDF editing and manipulation, you can consider professional paid software such as Cisdem PDF Converter OCR or PDFMaster. Most PDF editing software tools come with versatile features and can also help with other PDF tasks.
Carolyn has always been passionate about reading and writing, so she joined Cisdem as an editor as soon as she graduated from university. She focuses on writing how-to articles about PDF editing and conversion.
Hubert Feagin
I like editing files in Google Docs, but it messes up the formatting of my PDF very often. It seems a PDF conversion is the best way to keep the format, i like your recommendations and they did work for me.