Open GDocs

Open GDocs is a lightweight Windows script that allows you to open Google Drive shortcut files
(.gdoc, .gsheet, .gslides, .gdraw, .gform, .gscript, .gjam, .gtable) directly from File Explorer,
without installing Google Drive for Desktop or syncing through Google’s software.

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🧩 What the project does

Google Drive stores online documents as small JSON files when synced via tools like Synology Drive or rclone.
These files contain only a link to the actual document (for example, .gdoc → a Google Docs URL),
so when you double-click them, Windows just opens a text viewer.

Open GDocs reads that JSON file, extracts the "url" field, and opens it in your default browser —
as if you clicked the document directly in Google Drive.

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💡 Why this project is useful

• Lets you open Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, etc. directly from File Explorer.
• Works even when syncing Google Drive through Synology Drive, rclone, nextcloud or any third-party client.
• Requires no installation, no admin rights, and no background sync software.
• Fully portable — just a single .bat file.

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🚀 Getting started

1. Download the script

Get the file OpenGDocs.bat and place it somewhere permanent, for example: C:\Tools\OpenGDocs.bat

2. Associate file types

1. Right-click any .gdoc, .gsheet, or .gslides file.
2. Choose Open with → Choose another app → More apps → Look for another app on this PC.
3. Browse to OpenGDocs.bat.
4. Check “Always use this app” and confirm.

Now, double-clicking any Google Drive shortcut file will open it directly in your browser.

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🧰 Supported file types

Extension	Google file type
.gdoc	Docs
.gsheet	Sheets
.gslides	Slides
.gdraw	Drawings
.gform	Forms
.gscript	Apps Script
.gjam	Jamboard
.gtable	Tables

The script automatically works with all these extensions — it simply opens whatever URL is stored inside.

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🆘 Getting help

If you encounter issues or have ideas for improvement:

• Open an Issue on GitHub describing the problem.
• Or start a Discussion if you’d like to contribute enhancements or translations.

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👥 Maintainers and contributors

Maintained by Nikolai Balabanov.
Contributions, bug reports, and pull requests are welcome!
If you find this tool useful, consider giving it a ⭐️ on GitHub.

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📄 License

This project is released under the MIT License.
You are free to use, modify, and distribute it for personal or commercial purposes.