Import files into Goodnotes

Goodnotes allows you to import different types of files that you can mark up and annotate. You can import files from within the app, from an external app, or by using drag and drop.

Supported formats

• PDF
• Image (.jpg, .png)
• Word (.doc, .docx) and PowerPoint (.ppt, .pptx) (iPadOS/iOS only) (*)
• Goodnotes document (.goodnotes)
• Goodnotes backup (.goodnotes.zip). See Back up and restore your library manually.
• Comma- or Tab-Separated Values file (.csv, .tsv). The app can import a file in this format to create a study set. See Study with Study Sets.

(*) Goodnotes can handle these formats directly, but the internal conversion to PDF may not preserve the original layout perfectly. Importing PDF versions of these files can avoid this issue and give you better results.

Import file(s) as new document(s)

From within the app

1. Tap the New... icon (large plus icon) in the Documents tab of the Library View > Import.

2. Select the file(s) and tap Open.

From an external app

1. In Goodnotes, open the library view.

2. Switch to the other app, then do either of the following:

   • To import one file, tap to open it.
   • To import multiple files, select them from the list of files (if supported by the external app, indicated by the presence of a Select icon).

3. Tap Share (or Open In..., Send a copy, or the like) in that app.

4. Choose Open in Goodnotes.

5. Choose Import as New Document.

Via Drag & Drop

Using a multitasking feature called Split View, you can import files from other apps into Goodnotes with ease. This feature lets you have two apps open next to each other and drag files from one to the other. Below, we’ll show you how to import files from the Files app using the Drag & Drop method, but you can use the same steps for other apps as well.

1. Open Goodnotes and the Files app in Split View.
2. In Goodnotes, open the folder that you want to contain the new document(s).
3. In the Files app, open the folder that contains the file(s) you want to import to Goodnotes, then do either of the following:

   • To import one file, simply long-press the file for half a second, then drag it to the Goodnotes window.

   • To import multiple files, select them from the list of files, then drag the selection to the Goodnotes window.

Import files into an existing document

With Goodnotes, you can import files as new documents and then merge them to an existing one, or you can combine both steps in one. This can save you some time and hassle.

From within the app

1. In Goodnotes, open the destination document and go to the page before/after which you want the new file(s) to be added.

2. Tap the Add Page icon.

3. Tap Import, select one or more files and tap Open.

From an external app

1. In Goodnotes, open the destination document and go to the page before/after which you want the new file(s) to be added.

2. Switch to the other app, then do either of the following:

   • To import one file, tap to open it.
   • To import multiple files, select them from the list of files (if supported by the external app, indicated by the presence of a Select icon).

3. Tap Share (or Open In..., Send a copy, or the like) in that app.

4. Choose Open in Goodnotes.

5. Tap Import to Current Document.

Via Drag & Drop

1. In Goodnotes, open the existing document that you want to import the file(s) to.
2. Tap the four-square icon near the top-left corner to enter the Thumbnail View.
3. In the Files app, open the folder that contains the file(s) you want to import to Goodnotes, then do either of the following:
   • To import one file, simply long-press the file for half a second, then drag it to the Goodnotes window to the desired position in the document.
   • To import multiple files, select them from the list of files, then drag the selection to the Goodnotes window to the desired position in the document.

Import a folder of files from the Files app

1. Compress that folder into a .zip file.
2. Import that .zip file to Goodnotes.

Import notes from another note-taking app

Migrating your notes from one app to another can be tricky, because each app uses its own unique native format. But there is a way around this: most note-taking apps let you export your notes as PDFs, which you can then import into Goodnotes. The downside is that you can’t edit the notes anymore, but at least you don’t have to redo everything!

See also: Importing files from a computer into Goodnotes 6