How to Export Google Drive Files in Different Formats Using gogcli

Use the gog docs export, gog sheets export, or gog slides export sub-commands with the --format flag to convert Google Workspace files to PDF, DOCX, CSV, XLSX, PPTX, or TXT, while binary files use gog drive download without format conversion.

The gogcli tool by steipete provides a command-line interface for exporting Google Drive files in various formats. Whether you need to convert Google Docs to Microsoft Word format or download Sheets as CSV, understanding how to export Drive files in different formats using gogcli streamlines your document workflow.

Understanding the gogcli Export Architecture

The export system in gogcli relies on a layered architecture that separates service-specific command handling from generic Drive export logic.

The Core Export Function

At the heart of the system is the exportViaDrive function in internal/cmd/export_via_drive.go. This function handles validation, resolves target files, determines the correct MIME type for export, and manages the download stream. It accepts an exportViaDriveOptions struct that specifies the expected MIME type, file kind label, and default format for each service.

Service-Specific Wrappers

Each Google Workspace service implements a thin wrapper command that delegates to the core exporter:

• DocsExportCmd in internal/cmd/docs.go calls exportViaDrive with document-specific options
• SheetsExportCmd in internal/cmd/sheets.go handles spreadsheet exports
• SlidesExportCmd in internal/cmd/slides.go manages presentation exports

Export Google Docs to PDF, DOCX, and TXT

Google Docs support three export formats via the --format flag. The mapping logic resides in internal/cmd/drive.go within the driveExportMimeTypeForFormat function.

To export a Google Doc to PDF (default):

gog docs export <DOC_ID> --out ~/Downloads/mydoc.pdf

To export to Microsoft Word format:

gog docs export <DOC_ID> --format docx --out ~/Downloads/mydoc.docx

To export to plain text:

gog docs export <DOC_ID> --format txt --out ~/Downloads/mydoc.txt

The system validates that the file's MIME type matches application/vnd.google-apps.document before proceeding with the export.

Export Google Sheets to CSV, XLSX, and PDF

Spreadsheets support CSV, Excel, and PDF formats. The SheetsExportCmd in internal/cmd/sheets.go passes expectedMime: "application/vnd.google-apps.spreadsheet" to the exporter.

Export to CSV:

gog sheets export <SHEET_ID> --format csv --out ~/Downloads/data.csv

Export to Excel format:

gog sheets export <SHEET_ID> --format xlsx --out ~/Downloads/data.xlsx

Export to PDF:

gog sheets export <SHEET_ID> --format pdf --out ~/Downloads/data.pdf

Export Google Slides to PPTX and PDF

Presentations support PowerPoint and PDF exports via SlidesExportCmd in internal/cmd/slides.go.

Export to PowerPoint:

gog slides export <SLIDES_ID> --format pptx --out ~/Downloads/presentation.pptx

Export to PDF:

gog slides export <SLIDES_ID> --format pdf --out ~/Downloads/presentation.pdf

Export Google Drawings to PNG and PDF

For Google Drawings, use the generic drive download command with the --format flag:

Export to PNG (default):

gog drive download <DRAWING_ID> --format png --out ~/Downloads/drawing.png

Export to PDF:

gog drive download <DRAWING_ID> --format pdf --out ~/Downloads/drawing.pdf

The drive.go file contains the driveExportMimeTypeForFormat function that maps drawing formats to image/png or application/pdf MIME types.

Download Binary Files Without Format Conversion

For non-Workspace files (ZIP, images, PDFs uploaded as binaries), use gog drive download without the --format flag:

gog drive download <FILE_ID> --out ~/Downloads/archive.zip

The downloadDriveFile function in internal/cmd/drive.go detects that the file is not a Google Workspace type (lacks the application/vnd.google-apps. prefix) and uses the Files.Get endpoint with alt=media instead of Files.Export.

Summary

• Use service-specific commands (gog docs export, gog sheets export, gog slides export) for Google Workspace files to ensure proper MIME type validation and format conversion.
• Specify formats with the --format flag; supported values include pdf, docx, txt, csv, xlsx, pptx, and png.
• Use gog drive download for Google Drawings or binary files; omit --format for non-Workspace files to stream raw bytes.
• Core implementation resides in internal/cmd/export_via_drive.go and internal/cmd/drive.go, with service wrappers in internal/cmd/docs.go, sheets.go, and slides.go.

Frequently Asked Questions

What export formats does gogcli support for Google Docs?

gogcli supports exporting Google Docs to pdf (default), docx (Microsoft Word), and txt (plain text). The driveExportMimeTypeForFormat function in internal/cmd/drive.go maps these format strings to their respective MIME types: application/pdf, application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document, and text/plain.

Can I export Google Sheets to Excel format using gogcli?

Yes. Use the command gog sheets export <ID> --format xlsx --out file.xlsx. The exporter validates that the file is a Google Spreadsheet (application/vnd.google-apps.spreadsheet) and maps the xlsx format to application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet before calling the Drive API export endpoint.

How does gogcli handle binary file downloads differently from Google Workspace exports?

For binary files (non-Google Workspace files), gogcli uses the Files.Get endpoint with alt=media to stream raw bytes directly. For Google Workspace files (Docs, Sheets, Slides, Drawings), it uses the Files.Export endpoint with a specific MIME type derived from the --format flag. This logic is implemented in the downloadDriveFile function within internal/cmd/drive.go.

Where is the core export logic implemented in the gogcli source code?

The core export logic resides in internal/cmd/export_via_drive.go, specifically the exportViaDrive function (lines 26-122). This function handles ID normalization, path expansion, file resolution, MIME type validation, and delegates to downloadDriveFile in internal/cmd/drive.go for the actual HTTP request. Service-specific wrappers like DocsExportCmd, SheetsExportCmd, and SlidesExportCmd live in their respective files (docs.go, sheets.go, slides.go) and configure the options passed to the core exporter.

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