Google Docs to WordPress: Auto-Publish Blog Posts with Zapier

If you write in Google Docs and publish to WordPress, you know the pain: copy content, paste into WordPress, fix broken formatting, re-add images, adjust headers, check links...

What if moving a Google Doc to a folder automatically published it to WordPress? That's exactly what we're building.

⏱️ Time saved: 15-30 minutes per blog post × 4 posts/month = 1-2 hours/month

How This Automation Works

  1. You finish writing a post in Google Docs
  2. You move the Doc to a "Ready to Publish" folder
  3. Zapier detects the new file automatically
  4. Zapier extracts the content and converts to HTML
  5. WordPress creates a new post (draft or published)
  6. You get a notification with a link to review

You'll Need Zapier (Free Plan Works)

Zapier connects Google Drive + WordPress without code. 100 automations/month free.

Get Zapier Free →

Step-by-Step Setup (15 Minutes)

1Create Your Publish Folder

In Google Drive, create a new folder called "Ready to Publish" (or similar).

This folder is your trigger — anything you put here gets published to WordPress.

Pro tip: Create subfolders for different post types or categories if needed.

2Create a New Zap

  1. Log into Zapier and click "Create Zap"
  2. Search for "Google Drive" as your trigger app
  3. Select trigger: "New File in Folder"
  4. Connect your Google account
  5. Select your "Ready to Publish" folder
  6. Test the trigger (put a test doc in the folder first)

3Get File Content

Add a second step to extract the document content:

  1. Click "+" to add an action
  2. Search for "Google Docs"
  3. Select "Get Document Content"
  4. For Document, use the File ID from the trigger
  5. Choose "HTML" format (preserves formatting)

4Create WordPress Post

  1. Click "+" to add another action
  2. Search for "WordPress"
  3. Select "Create Post"
  4. Connect your WordPress site
  5. Map fields:
    • Title: File Name (from trigger)
    • Content: Document Content (HTML from step 3)
    • Status: "Draft" (recommended) or "Published"
    • Author: Your user ID

5Add Notification (Optional)

Get notified when a post is created:

  1. Click "+" to add another action
  2. Choose Email, Slack, or your preferred notification app
  3. Include the WordPress post URL so you can review it
⚠️ Important: I recommend setting posts to "Draft" status initially. This lets you review formatting, add featured images, and do final checks before publishing.

Formatting Tips for Best Results

To ensure your Google Docs transfer cleanly to WordPress:

  • Use built-in heading styles: Heading 1, Heading 2, Heading 3 → becomes H1, H2, H3
  • Bold and italics: Transfer perfectly
  • Bullet and numbered lists: Work great
  • Links: Preserve correctly
  • Images: Need to be hosted elsewhere (Google Drive images don't transfer well)

For Images

Two options:

  1. Add images after: Review the draft in WordPress and add images there
  2. Use hosted image URLs: In Google Docs, insert images as links to files already hosted on your WordPress media library or CDN

Stop Copy-Pasting Forever

Set this up once, save 15+ minutes every time you publish.

Build This Automation Free →

Advanced: Add Categories and Tags

You can automatically set categories based on folder structure:

  • Create subfolders: "Ready to Publish/Tutorials", "Ready to Publish/Reviews"
  • In Zapier, add a "Paths" step to check folder name
  • Set different categories based on which subfolder triggered the Zap

Or, use a naming convention: Start file names with "[Tutorial]" or "[Review]" and use Zapier's text formatter to extract and set categories.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Formatting looks weird

Make sure you're using "HTML" output from Google Docs, not "Plain Text". Also ensure your WordPress theme handles basic HTML properly.

Post title is the full file path

In the WordPress step, use Zapier's text formatter to extract just the filename without the path or extension.

Zap doesn't trigger

Make sure the file is a Google Doc (not a PDF or Word file). Also check that you're moving/copying into the folder, not creating a new file directly.

Images don't appear

Google Docs images don't transfer to WordPress directly. Either add images in WordPress after, or use externally hosted image URLs in your doc.

FAQ

Does this work with WordPress.com?

Yes, but you need a WordPress.com paid plan for Zapier integration. Self-hosted WordPress.org works on any plan.

Can I publish immediately instead of draft?

Yes, change the "Status" field in the WordPress action to "Published". But I recommend draft first until you trust the formatting.

How many posts can I auto-publish per month?

Zapier's free plan allows 100 tasks/month. Each auto-publish uses 3-4 tasks, so ~25-30 posts/month on free plan.

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