Export Google Docs to Obsidian Markdown, extracting inline images to attachments

export_google_docs_to_obsidian_markdown.py

import re
import base64
import argparse
import os
import sys

def export_images(md_file, update=False, folder=None):
    if not os.path.exists(md_file):
        print(f"Error: File '{md_file}' not found.")
        return

    # Determine target folder
    if folder:
        if not os.path.isdir(folder):
            print(f"Error: The folder '{folder}' does not exist.")
            print(f"To create it, run: mkdir -p \"{folder}\"")
            sys.exit(1)
        target_folder = folder
    else:
        target_folder = os.path.dirname(os.path.abspath(md_file))

    try:
        with open(md_file, 'r', encoding='utf-8') as f:
            content = f.read()
    except Exception as e:
        print(f"Error reading file: {e}")
        return

    # Pattern to match [name]: <data:image/mimetype;base64,DATA>
    pattern_def = r'^\[(?P<name>[^\]]+)\]:\s*<data:(?P<mimetype>[^;]+);base64,(?P<data>[^>]+)>'
    
    defs = list(re.finditer(pattern_def, content, flags=re.MULTILINE))
    
    if not defs:
        print("No base64 images found matching the pattern.")
        return

    replacements = {}
    exported_count = 0

    for match in defs:
        name = match.group('name')
        mimetype = match.group('mimetype')
        b64_data = match.group('data')
        
        # Determine extension from mimetype (e.g., image/png -> .png)
        extension = ""
        if '/' in mimetype:
            extension = "." + mimetype.split('/')[1]
        
        filename = f"{name}{extension}"
        file_path = os.path.join(target_folder, filename)
        
        try:
            image_data = base64.b64decode(b64_data)
            with open(file_path, 'wb') as img_file:
                img_file.write(image_data)
            print(f"Exported: {file_path}")
            exported_count += 1
            
            # The reference in the markdown file
            md_ref_path = os.path.join(folder, filename) if folder else filename
            replacements[name] = f"![[{filename}]]"
        except Exception as e:
            print(f"Error exporting {name}: {e}")

    if update and exported_count > 0:
        # 1. Remove the definition lines
        new_content = re.sub(pattern_def, "", content, flags=re.MULTILINE)
        
        # 2. Replace the placeholders ![][name] with ![[filename]]
        for name, update_str in replacements.items():
            placeholder = f"![][{name}]"
            new_content = new_content.replace(placeholder, update_str)
        
        # Clean up possible trailing whitespace from removing lines
        new_content = new_content.rstrip() + "\n"
        
        try:
            with open(md_file, 'w', encoding='utf-8') as f:
                f.write(new_content)
            print(f"Updated '{md_file}': moved image tags to their reference locations.")
        except Exception as e:
            print(f"Error writing to file: {e}")

    print(f"Done. Extracted {exported_count} images.")

if __name__ == "__main__":
    parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description="Export base64 images from a Markdown file to an Obsidian-friendly format.")
    parser.add_argument("file", help="The Markdown file to process.")
    parser.add_argument("--update", action="store_true", help="Replace placeholders and remove base64 data.")
    parser.add_argument("--folder", help="The folder to save images into. Defaults to the markdown file's location.")
    
    if len(sys.argv) == 1:
        parser.print_help()
        print()
        print("Example: python export_google_docs_to_obsidian_markdown.py --update --folder attachments markdown.md")
        sys.exit(1)
    
    args = parser.parse_args()
    export_images(args.file, args.update, args.folder)

This script transforms Google Docs exported markdown with inline images for use with Obsidian.

From your Google Docs editor, choose the menus for File / Download / Markdown (.md) to export it in markdown format. Google Docs will inline all of the images with reference links that do not work in Obsidian. This exporter will extract those inline images as individual files in a directory and update the markdown file for use in Obsidian.

If you choose to use a folder to store attachments in Obsidian (which keeps your vaults cleaner), you will need to set the folder configuration within Obsidian. The menu navigation is Settings / Files and links / Subfolder name. I set mine to "attachments", but you do you.

Run with something like:

mkdir attachments
python export_google_docs_to_obsidian_markdown.py --update --folder attachments markdown.md

If you don't specify the --update flag, the images will be exported without modifying the markdown file.