Windows 11 utility that lets you right-click Microsoft Office files and open them in the Google web equivalent
I kept running into a small but annoying workflow issue: I use Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides, but people still send me Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files. I wanted a quick way on Windows 11 to open those files in the Google web equivalent without manually uploading them to Drive first.
I put together a small open-source Python utility that does this:
- Right-click a local `.docx`, `.xlsx`, or `.pptx` file
- Choose **Open in Google Docs**
- The file uploads to your Google Drive
- Google converts it to Docs, Sheets, or Slides
- The converted file opens in your browser
It currently supports:
- `.docx`, `.doc`, `.rtf`, `.txt` to Google Docs
- `.xlsx`, `.xls`, `.xlsm`, `.csv` to Google Sheets
- `.pptx`, `.ppt` to Google Slides
It uses the Google Drive API and the narrow `drive.file` OAuth scope. You create your own Google Cloud OAuth desktop credential, so I am not distributing any credentials or tokens.
Sharing in case this helps other Google Workspace users on Windows.
A few notes:
- It does not preserve Excel VBA macros.
- Google controls the conversion quality.
- It does not delete or modify your original local file.
- You should never share your `credentials.json` or `token.json`.
- The included installer adds a right-click menu option instead of forcing Windows default file associations.
Source/download: https://github.com/drandall70-max/OpenInGoogle
It is free, open-source, and the packaged ZIP is under Releases > v1.0.0.
I’d appreciate feedback from anyone who uses Google Workspace heavily on Windows. Is this useful? Would a packaged .exe installer make it more helpful for nontechnical users?