Google Docs Archivist OCR 📚

A simple Google Apps Script that connects Google Drive + Google Docs + Gemini AI to digitize vintage magazines, lists, and articles.

Features

• AI-Powered: Uses Gemini 1.5 Flash (or newer) for high-accuracy OCR.
• Format Aware: Detects tables/columns automatically and formats them as pipes (|) for easy spreadsheet conversion.
• Batch Processing: Processes entire folders of JPEGs at once.
• User Friendly: Adds a custom menu to Google Docs.

Setup

1. Open a new Google Doc.
2. Go to Extensions > Apps Script.
3. Copy the code from Code.gs in this repository and paste it into the editor.
4. Get an API Key: Go to Google AI Studio, create a free API key.
5. Paste your key into the code where it says PASTE_YOUR_API_KEY_HERE.
6. Enable Drive API: In the Apps Script editor, click "Services" (+) on the left, search for "Drive API", and add it.
7. Save and Refresh your Google Doc.

Usage

1. You will see a new menu: 🌟 Archivist Tools.
2. Click Run Image-to-Text OCR.
3. Paste the link to your Google Drive folder containing images.
4. Watch the text appear!

Best Practices & Troubleshooting

1. Naming Your Files

The script processes images in alphabetical order (A-Z) based on the filename. To ensure your pages appear in the correct order in the Google Doc, use sequential numbering with leading zeros:

• ✅ Scan_001.jpg, Scan_002.jpg, Scan_010.jpg
• ❌ Page1.jpg, Page10.jpg, Page2.jpg (Computer sorting will often put Page 10 before Page 2)

2. Handling Timeouts ("Exceeds maximum execution time")

Google Apps Script has a strict time limit (6 minutes for free accounts). If you are processing a large folder, the script will stop before finishing. This is normal.

How to fix it:

1. Simply click Run again.
2. The script has "Smart Resume" logic: it looks at your Google Doc, sees which files are already finished, and automatically skips them.
3. Repeat this process until you see the ✅ OCR Complete! message.