Google Doc Formatting Guide

Detailed Formatting Guide

1. Song Separation

Each song should be separated by a page break (Ctrl+Enter on PC, Cmd+Enter on Mac). This creates a visual separation that our parser can detect.

To verify your songs are separated properly:

• Turn on non-printing characters:
  • Mac: View → Show → Non-printing characters (or Cmd+Shift+P)
  • PC: View → Show → Non-printing characters (or Ctrl+Shift+P)
• Look for this after each song: -------- Page break --------¶

2. Song Title Format

The first line of each page should contain only the song title. Avoid adding:

• Chords (G, D7, C, etc.)
• Metadata (Chords by, Author, etc.)
• Extra text or descriptions

3. Consistent Styling

Use the same formatting for all song titles:

• Same font family (Arial, Courier, etc.)
• Same font size (12pt, 18pt, etc.)
• Same font weight (normal, bold)

4. Content Structure

After the title paragraph, you can add:

• Lyrics
• Chord charts
• Notes and instructions
• Any other song-related content

5. Common Issues & Solutions

Problem: Songs not being detected

Solution: Ensure each song starts with a page break and has a clear title in the first paragraph.

Problem: Too many sections skipped

Solution: Remove empty paragraphs or whitespace between songs. Each section should have actual content.

Problem: Song titles include extra text

Solution: Keep titles clean - just the song name, nothing else.

6. Example Structure

[Page Break]
Song Title (first paragraph)
[Content continues...]

[Page Break]
Next Song Title (first paragraph)
[Content continues...]
    

7. Testing Your Format

After formatting your Google Doc:

1. Save the document
2. Make sure it's publicly accessible
3. Try importing it
4. Check the summary panel for section counts
5. If sections are skipped, review the formatting