Insert personnalized images in your generated Google Docs

Using images in your merged google docs leads to better retention and engagement with your audience. To achieve our goal, we're going to use Google Sheets' built-in function called image().

Set up Images

ⓘ Info: Supported image formats are PNG, GIF, and JPEG.
Images may be stored in Google Drive or externally (personal blogs, forums, commercial photo sites, ...).

1. Create 2 new columns in your datasource. In our example, we labeled the headers as ImageURL and Images. Where:

  • ImageURL - URL where your images are uploaded or stored (column D).

  • Images - this contains the image() function that will reference your image’s URL column (column E).

2. Click cell E2 then type in =IMAGE(D2). Where D2 - is the cell of your image’s URL.

3. Copy the image() formula to the relevant rows.

4. Insert the {{image merge tag}} in your Google Docs.

💡 Tip: On Adjusting the size of your image in Google Docs.

Place your {{image merge tag}} inside a table. The image will automatically occupy the available vertical height while maintaining its aspect ratio. This method is recommended (but not mandatory).

💡 Tip: Having a hard time getting your Google Drive image URLs?
Use Folgo to easily generate and retrieve your image IDs in Google Drive.

Once your image IDs are generated by Folgo:

1. Enter this formula in cell D2 (under Column D - ImageURL) https://drive.google.com/uc?id=

2. Then add your image ID at the end 1abcWdefgFhiVYgWi5GUjklmn7kXeI-YZ (modified for demo).
Your full image URL should look similar to this:
https://drive.google.com/uc?id=1abcWdefgFhiVYgWi5GUjklmn7kXeI-YZ

3. Repeat steps 1 & 2 to the relevant cells under Column D.

ⓘ Info: Use the Concatenate() function to automate your image-link generation.

You will immediately know that the URL you entered is correct
when you see an in-cell image generated by Google Sheets (cell E2).

Set up QR Codes

1. Create 2 new columns in your datasource. In our example, we labeled the headers as ImageURL and Images. Where:

  • ImageURL - URL where your images are uploaded or stored (column D).

  • Images - this contains the image() function that will reference your image’s URL column (column E).

2. Click cell E2 then enter

https://chart.googleapis.com/chart?chs=200x200&cht=qr&chl=FirstName%20LastName%20kris@gmail.com

Where:

3. Repeat steps 1 & 2 to the relevant cells under Column E.

ⓘ Info: Use the Concatenate() function to automate your image-link generation.

4. Insert the {{image merge tag}} in your Google Docs

ⓘ Info: {{Image merge tags}} can be placed anywhere in your document (body, header, or footer). Just remember that since QR codes are generated as images, they will have Google Docs’ default padding, wrapping, and position. Adjust these properties as needed.

⚠️ Note: Using an ArrayFormula() to generate the images for all rows is currently not supported.
In the meantime, only the manual row-by-row entry of the image() function will work.