DocsFlow

Create live links between Google Docs documents and InDesign stories for seamless, on-going edits

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Using DocsFlow, you can create “live” links to Google Docs documents and sheets, by placing story content directly from your Google Docs contents online. No more downloading .rtf files or copy/pasting “dead” copy from Google Docs.
DocsFlow marries the collaborative editing power of Google Docs to the layout and production power of InDesign to supercharge your editorial and production workflows, as well as adding whole new workflow possibilities.
When your authors & editors make changes in a live-linked document, and you update the link, DocsFlow “magic-merges” in their changes, with no loss of work on either side — particularly all your hard-won styling and editing.
Now you can overlap production with ongoing and last-minute author/editor changes, shrinking time-to-publication dramatically.

DocsFlow was voted #8 in the 10 most valuable plugins for InDesign, and has been rock-solid in production use since 2011 at thousands of sites around the world — including the institutions above. Also see the glowing feedback from industry gurus.
A trial takes (literally) 2 minutes to start and costs nothing—we guarantee you’ll be delighted.
Read on for the full story, or use the top-of-page menu to jump directly to the relevant page section.

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The DocsFlow story

Go “live” & online with DocsFlow

With DocsFlow, you place online Google Docs documents (including tables and graphics) and spreadsheets as InDesign story contents, just like normal text or spreadsheet files. (You can also place by dragging and dropping files from Google Drive.)

More importantly, DocsFlow maintains a “live” dynamic link, so it can intelligently merge Google Docs changes into the InDesign story contents on each link update, rather than just replacing the story. The DocsFlow link is two-way with documents (not sheets), so you can push your InDesign story changes back to Google Docs documents.

Now you can format, layout, and edit in InDesign, while your authors and editors continue creating and editing story content together in real time using Google Docs documents, all without ever losing work. Your authors and editors are no longer “frozen out” once layout begins.

Your new online editorial system

Using DocsFlow means you need no special resources to build, maintain or learn a new online editorial system, by simply using Google Docs. It means zero cost per editorial seat—again, just Google Docs. It means no limits to how many people are collaborating online, or to how many documents you use in your workflow.

It also means no learning curve on the design side, since DocsFlow builds on the native InDesign story linking and story updating machinery you’re already using for graphics.

Your Google Docs-based authors and editors don’t need to learn anything or change any work habits. You simply link directly to their working documents.

And getting started couldn’t be easier: just install the plugin, and start placing documents with File > DocsFlow > Place from Google Docs.

Magic merge-update

If DocsFlow’s first breakthrough is to make it possible to link to Google Docs directly from InDesign, DocsFlow’s second breakthrough is deep merge technology that enables you to edit both the InDesign story and the Google Docs document independently, without losing work on either side.

When the Google Docs document is edited, DocsFlow will notice fairly quickly, and ask InDesign to change the link’s status to “modified,” which shows up in the Links panel (a yellow alert icon, as shown here). When you’re ready, you can update the story from Google Docs using the normal link-update invocations, such as a double-click on the icon.

As the link update starts, DocsFlow kicks in. Instead of letting InDesign replace the linked story wholesale, it applies a complex algorithm behind the scenes to merge the changes made to the external document since the last update into the current InDesign story contents (and to detect any conflicts). We call this the “magic merge-update,” since it seems like magic the first times you see it working. It’s this magic that saves you from endless error-prone manual merging.

After each update, if you open the story editor with change marks showing, you can see who changed what, and how those changes fit in (or not) with the local story edits. DocsFlow also leaves InDesign notes at each point of conflict to let you know you may need to resolve something.

Two-way with documents

DocsFlow adds two major features to give you a fully two-way workflow.

You can push updates from any InDesign story back to its linked Google Docs document using DocsFlow > Update Linked Google Docs Document. This way, you can keep your collaborators working with the latest InDesign content. And using the same magical 3-way merge technology used for an import merge, DocsFlow merges your InDesign changes into the Google Docs content on update; further, while doing so, it does its best to keep your Google Docs formatting intact, to minimize jarring styling changes.

Additionally, you can export original InDesign story content to create a new Google Docs document, using DocsFlow > Export to Google Docs.

So, for example, you could assign a newly created story to be fleshed out or further edited by exporting it to Google Docs, and from there, sharing it with your authors or editors.

As they make additions and changes to the exported document, you can pull them in with a normal DocsFlow story update, usually with just a double-click.

One-way with sheets

DocsFlow also works with Google Docs spreadsheets. You can place a spreadsheet, then format columns/rows or individual cells, etc. in InDesign.

Later, if you or someone else makes changes to the original spreadsheet, including moving around rows or columns, DocsFlow will figure out what changed, and merge in the changes without losing the formatting and edits you’ve made in InDesign.

DocsFlow doesn’t support two-way workflow with spreadsheets, given the near impossibility of maintaining the spreadsheet metadata in InDesign. But we call it a “one and a half-way workflow,” since you can work on both sides simultaneously.

Works with Google Drive

If you use the Google Drive file system extension in macOS or Windows to access your documents and spreadsheets, you can place any Google Drive file by simply dragging and dropping it from the Finder or Windows Explorer into InDesign. DocsFlow will intercept the drag and drop and treat it like a Place from Google Docs.

This gives you the benefit of system folder navigation in your Drive files when placing, if you have a lot of documents or folders (which would otherwise be challenging to navigate or find via the normal DocsFlow place dialog), or if you’re just more comfortable working with system-level folders and files.

New workflows

With its dynamic online linking and merge-updating, DocsFlow enables powerful new workflows.

Instead of the usual file-based editorial workflow patterns where people throw Word files over the wall (though see our WordsFlow product for help in that case), you can now have authors and editors maintaining their story content in Google Docs, live-linked to the corresponding InDesign stories.

When the content maintainers make changes to the story content online, the production folks can merge-update via the DocsFlow links to bring in the changes at the appropriate time. That way, authors and editors can work in parallel with production layout and formatting, giving you a virtual “time machine.”

For examples, think of a newspaper or magazine on deadline dealing with fast-breaking story updates, or, more long-term, a corporate or educational publication with multiple departments updating their respective sections regularly, or a quarterly financial prospectus assembling reports from various departments.

Conflicts

Generally, if there are conflicts with content and formatting, the InDesign side “wins” for formatting, and the external document side “wins” for content.

But if there are real conflicts in content (e.g., both sides changing the same word or phrase), DocsFlow will leave InDesign story Notes at each conflict point, which you can review after an update and decide how to handle.

Importantly, right after you update a DocsFlow link, you can open the InDesign Story Editor to see what changed on both sides: the changes you’ve made since the document was placed or last updated, and the changes the author/editor made in the document. (Including any conflict notes.)

DocsFlow vs InCopy?

DocsFlow is not competing directly with Adobe’s InCopy. The Google Docs user can’t “edit to fit,” seeing the layout-critical formatting, line breaks, overset copy, etc., that the InCopy user sees by design. Rather, DocsFlow works best when the bulk of the editing will be done on the Google Docs side, with minor edits and all page formatting and layout happening on the InDesign side.

DocsFlow’s main advantage is that everyone can see and edit the original copy in real time on Google Docs, at no cost per user. And, in most cases, authors are better off writing with a focus on content rather than eventual layout and formatting.

Also, see WordsFlow vs InCopy for an in-depth look at WordsFlow’s advantages vs InCopy, most of which apply to DocsFlow as well.

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What the experts say

A review of DocsFlow appeared in the June/July 2012 issue of InDesign Magazine. We wrote a summary of the review that might be helpful to understanding DocsFlow’s unique approach, but their bottom line is:

DocsFlow is one of those plug-ins that can literally be life-changing in how much it improves your workflow, especially when you work with documents written or edited by a number of people. It’s certainly no replacement for the power of Adobe InCopy, but it’s more than enough for many (and perhaps most) InDesign users.

The DocsFlow 3.0 update is reviewed thoroughly and fairly in the May 2020 issue of InDesign Magazine, and they give it a 4.5-star rating.

Issue 137 of InDesign Magazine published a rundown of the ten most valuable plugins for InDesign, compiled from a survey of their board of experts. DocsFlow is #8 (and WordsFlow #4). Their pull quote:

I think DocsFlow is a miracle plug-in. I’ve used it for many client projects for years because it’s rock solid and it turns me into a rock star in my client’s eyes. “What? We can still have all our users editing all these Google Docs remotely and we’ll have no problems updating the publication with our changes? What a relief!“

Laurie Ruhlin published a great overview of WordsFlow for the Adobe blog: InDesign editorial + production magic with WordsFlow. Her summary, which includes DocsFlow, since it works pretty much the same as WordsFlow:

So there you have it. WordsFlow and DocsFlow (for Google Docs) allow my client to retain content control throughout the production process. They can use the program they feel comfortable in to make edits, and best of all, I “allow” them to do much of the tedious editing. I simply update or relink the Word file using WordsFlow, and instantly, those client changes are incorporated into my InDesign document. WordsFlow has greatly simplified my workflow and allowed me to keep my designer hat on, the one I love to wear!

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What users say

Here’s a sampling of the feedback we’ve received from DocsFlow users over the years. See DocsFlow testimonials for a whole page at a time.

(You can scroll through the testimonials in place using the previous/next page arrows below. Click the title of any longer testimonial ending in “…” to see the rest.)

“Continue to be a HUGE fan”

Continue to be a HUGE fan of this product [DocsFlow] & hope all is well with you as we close 2024. —Kate M.
“I’ve wanted to use it since college”

We loved it, we used it on our work account permanently. […] I’ve wanted to use [DocsFlow] since college and I’m glad it’s still around for publications! —Mike H.
“thanks once again for an excellent product”

[P]lease accept our thanks once again for an excellent product [DocsFlow] that really makes our news room run smoothly. Much appreciated. —Michael M.
“Fabulous product. I am back in action!”

Thank you for developing this excellent solution, which I have used for several years. […] Fabulous product [DocsFlow]. I am back in action! —Dan V.
“I love DocsFlow, it makes my life so much easier”

Thank you so much for all your help—I love DocsFlow, it makes my life so much easier (my clients have a lot of copy changes). Thanks again for a great…

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Try DocsFlow

Starting a trial is painless, taking only a few minutes, and giving you full-featured operation for 15 days at no cost. (Contact us if you need longer for a full evaluation.)

DocsFlow 3.18.1 for InDesign 2026	⤓ macOS	⤓ Windows
DocsFlow 3.18.1 for InDesign 2025	⤓ macOS	⤓ Windows
DocsFlow 3.18.1 for InDesign 2024	⤓ macOS	⤓ Windows

To download, find your InDesign major version and then your operating system above, and click the appropriate link.
Once downloaded, quit InDesign if running, double-click the downloaded installer to install the plugin, then re-start InDesign. DocsFlow’s menu will be available at that point as a sub-menu of the File menu.

Then, to explore what DocsFlow can do, try the following.

Use File > DocsFlow > Place from Google Docs… to select a document or sheet to place and link. Choose Request Trial when prompted for a license.
Make some styling changes to the InDesign story, and perhaps some content edits, then make some edits to the external Google Docs document or sheet.
Then, double-click the linked story’s yellow “link changed” warning icon in the Links panel to merge-update the external changes.
Examine the resulting story, and see how changes on both sides are integrated by DocsFlow, and how any styling set in InDesign is maintained even if the contents are changed externally.
Open the Story Editor to see exactly who changed what and where.
Open the story Notes panel to see if there are any update-conflict notes left by DocsFlow.

Congratulations, you already know enough to start your long and productive journey with DocsFlow! When you need to know more, you can learn the details in the documentation.

We strongly encourage you to try out the software in your real-world environment before purchasing. Your just-installed and trial-activated DocsFlow plugin is a fully-functional version that will operate in trial mode for 15 days.

Also note that you can purchase a license at any point during the trial, and continue Using DocsFlow without re-installing: once purchased, simply choose File > DocsFlow > About > License and enter your new license information, then OK your way out.

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Buy DocsFlow licenses

You can purchase subscription licenses—or just learn your localized cost should you purchase—via our online store. Prices start at 99 USD for 1 user / 6 months.

Buy LicenseS

After a successful purchase, you will be shown a page with your new license(s), and will also receive an email with the same information. You should save a copy of this license information somewhere safe, because you’ll never be shown a full license again in the user interface (to protect you from casual piracy).

When prompted for a license on first use of the software (or when your trial has expired), copy and paste the license you received from the email or web page into the prompt, and enter your name, optional affiliation and email.

See our sales page for complete information about managing licenses, users, renewals, etc.

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Install or update DocsFlow

If you’re looking to install DocsFlow for a trial, see the trial instructions above.

The installer downloads below are the most up-to-date versions of DocsFlow. Use them in any non-trial situation—when you need either a fresh installation under a new or existing license or an update to the latest version for an existing licensed installation.

DocsFlow 3.18.1 for InDesign 2026	⤓ macOS	⤓ Windows
DocsFlow 3.18.1 for InDesign 2025	⤓ macOS	⤓ Windows
DocsFlow 3.18.1 for InDesign 2024	⤓ macOS	⤓ Windows

To download, find your InDesign major version and then your operating system above, and click the appropriate link.
Once downloaded, quit InDesign if running, double-click the downloaded installer to install the plugin, then re-start InDesign. DocsFlow’s menu will be available at that point as a sub-menu of the File menu.
On first use, if you haven’t already activated the license, you’ll be prompted to enter your license.
If you’re waiting for your license to be purchased by someone, select Request Trial for the interim. Once you receive your license, open the plugin’s About > License dialog, enter that new license and verify your name, optional affiliation and email, then OK your way out.
You can get going with DocsFlow very easily—see Getting Started in the user guide.

To use DocsFlow under older, unsupported versions of InDesign, or under the current InCopy versions, see all the DocsFlow installers.

For a reverse chronological release history, see all the DocsFlow news.

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Learn DocsFlow

DocsFlow has a full user guide, which we encourage you to dig into for all the details.

While DocsFlow is very easy to start using with just a basic understanding, it has a lot of powerful abilities that we cover in the guide—like style mapping, resolving conflicts, re-linking, and so forth.

Training

Anne-Marie Concepción of Seneca Design has released a course InDesign: Remote Workflows with InCopy, Word, and Google Docs on LinkedIn Learning, which includes two chapters respectively on getting started with WordsFlow and DocsFlow.

You know a collaborative workflow can benefit your editing and design teams, but how do you set it up inexpensively and effectively? In this course, instructor Anne-Marie Concepción walks you through a number of free solutions that allow mixed-platform designers, writers, and editors to work concurrently on a single publication, whether they’re on-site or remote. […] Anne-Marie also covers in-depth solutions that allow publishing teams to link Microsoft Word [WordsFlow] and Google Docs [DocsFlow] to live InDesign layouts, allowing for concurrent design and editorial development.

The good news is that, even if you don’t have a LinkedIn Learning (originally lynda.com) account, the link above gives you a free 30-day trial, which should be more than adequate to take advantage of this course. Note that you can skip directly to the DocsFlow chapter for training, though you’d be wise to view the earlier chapters for a cornucopia of collaborative workflow knowledge.

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Get DocsFlow help

When you run into problems, please follow these directions.

First, make sure you’re running the very latest version of the plugin—the current versions are found in the Install or update section above. If not, please install the latest version and try again (you’ll have to restart InDesign)—many issues are solved at this point.
Second, check the Troubleshooting section of the user guide.
If those don’t help, then start a support ticket using File > DocsFlow > Contact Support, which fires up your default email application with critical information we’ll need to be of any help.
Write a concise summary of the problem in that email, including the steps to reproduce.
Normally, we’ll have to see your InDesign document, so zip up the document in question and attach it to the email you’re composing. This doesn’t necessarily have to happen at the first submission, so don’t send yet if you’re not sure. (We’ve been handling confidential customer information for 35 years without a single problem, so you can rest assured your data is in good hands.)
Send the email (which goes to support@emsoftware.com).
Also share the relevant linked Google Docs document or sheet read-only with support@emsoftware.com, so we can access it enough to diagnose any problems.

If you have a sales-related or license-related question, first see sales & license information, and if that doesn’t help, send a normal email to sales@emsoftware.com.

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Follow DocsFlow news

(You can scroll through the news items in place using the previous/next page arrows below. Click the title of any news item to view the content.)

November 25, 2025

Release: DocsFlow 3.18.1 for InDesign 2024-2026

This patch makes the Keep Suggestions import option work more predictably.
October 30, 2025

Release: DocsFlow 3.18 for InDesign 2024-2026

This release adds support for InDesign 2026.
October 6, 2025

Release: DocsFlow 3.17.2 for InDesign 2023-2025

This patch fixes unexpected “Edits have been made…” warnings given by 3.17.1 release.
September 18, 2025

Release: DocsFlow 3.17.1 for InDesign 2023-2025

This patch includes fixes for saving presets and updating links.
July 28, 2025

Release: DocsFlow 3.17 for InDesign 2023-2025

This release mainly improves merge behavior with tables.