Google Docs: Read document as text — MCP tool
Google Docs MCP tool: Returns the document as compact readable blocks with edit-ready indexes.
Technical name: read_document_text
What task it solves
I want to read a document's content as plain text.
Returns the document as compact readable blocks with edit-ready indexes.
When to use it
The default reading tool: use it before summarizing, quoting or editing a document. Every paragraph comes with its start/end indexes — exactly the coordinates that insert_text, replace_range, delete_range and the style tools take — plus heading styles, bullet flags and table cell text.
What to provide
document_id— required.tab_id— optional. Limit the output to one tab (ids fromlist_tabs).
What it returns
Per tab: an array of blocks — paragraphs (text, start, end, heading style, bullet) and tables (rows, columns, cells[row][column] plain text). Inline images appear as [image:<objectId>] placeholders.
What changes in Google Docs
Nothing — the tool reads Google Docs data and does not change it.
Example request
Read the launch plan document and summarize the open questions section.
Errors and limitations
Indexes go stale after ANY edit — re-read between mutations. Footnotes, headers and footers are not part of the body blocks; fetch them via get_document.
Access also depends on token permissions, quotas, and upstream API limits.
Related MCP tools
- Get document structure —
get_document - Export a document —
export_document - Replace a text range —
replace_range
Technical details
- Impact: read-only
- Group: Documents and Markdown
- Description source:
read_document_textregistration insrc/tools/documents.ts - Full technical reference
- All MCP capabilities