Google Keep Extractor

Parse JSON files from Google Keep export and convert them to Markdown files or PDFs. Attachments and images are preserved.

Getting Started

You can download your Google Keep backup file by visiting:

https://takeout.google.com/takeout/custom/keep

You can export data to a .zip or .tgz archive which has the following structure:

└── Takeout
    ├── Keep
    │   ├── JSON & HTML files, and attachments
    └── archive_browser.html

Installation

1. Copy the Takeout folder into the root of this repo.

2. Set up a virtual environment (recommended):

   # Create a virtual environment
   python -m venv venv
   
   # Activate the virtual environment
   # On Windows:
   venv\Scripts\activate
   # On macOS/Linux:
   source venv/bin/activate

3. Install required packages:

   pip install reportlab

Usage

Run the script with your preferred export format:

# Export to Markdown only (default)
python google_keep_extractor.py

# Export to PDF only
python google_keep_extractor.py --format pdf

# Export to both Markdown and PDF
python google_keep_extractor.py --format both

Python 3.8 or later is required.

After running the script, files are created in the export directory with the following structure:

export/
├── markdown/
│   ├── attachments/
│   │   └── ... (your attachments)
│   └── ... (your markdown files)
└── pdf/
    └── ... (your PDF files)

Main Features

• Exports to Markdown and/or PDF formats
• Preserves timestamps in filenames
• Includes attachments
• Preserves Keep's Labels
• Maintains checklist formatting
• Handles pinned and archived notes
• Cross-platform compatible (Windows, macOS, Linux)
• Safely handles special characters in filenames

Requirements

• Python 3.8+
• ReportLab (for PDF export)

Notes

• Trashed notes are skipped during export
• Special characters in note titles are sanitized for safe filenames
• Pinned and archived notes are marked in the title
• Very long filenames are automatically truncated to avoid filesystem issues
• Progress information is displayed during export

Troubleshooting

If you encounter any issues:

1. Make sure the Takeout folder is in the same directory as the script
2. Check that you have the required Python version (3.8+)
3. Ensure ReportLab is installed correctly
4. For PDF export issues, make sure your attachments are accessible