January 24, 2020

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How to download preview pages of Google Books

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Last Updated: October 2023

Find out how to download preview pages of Google Books site, then save them and also edit the text to your own requirement.

Like books in the Amazon site, the free preview pages of books in Google Books site also cannot be downloaded.

But for those "Full View" or labeled as "Read" under the book titles, they can be downloaded directly from Google Books site.

I have explained in this post "How to download full view books in Google Books".

Some of you might want to adapt the content of the book for personal use, and preferably want to rewrite or edit it to your requirement.

As I have just mentioned all Google books preview pages cannot be download directly.

You can still copy the preview pages text by taking a screenshot it page by page.

But it is laborious and bothersome.

There is a workable way to download all the Google books preview pages.

You use the free software called "Google Books Downloader Lite".

This original tutorial was written way back in the year 2015.

At that time, I used "Google Books Downloader version 2.6".

When I updated this post in 2017, I reinstalled the latest "Google Books Downloader version 2.7".

It was still working perfectly fine.

But then when I updated this tutorial again, I found that all the versions of "Google Books Downloader" are NOT working any more.

When I tried to install back the older version 2.5 & 2.6, I was warned of harmful programs or the file has being blocked it may be harmful.

Google Books Downloader Runtime Error

When I tried to install the latest version 2.7, I encountered  this remarks:

"Runtime Error (at 8:217) Format result longer than 4096 characters."

runtime error 8:217

For those who still want to use this "Google Books Downloader", there is still a workable way.

There is another free online tool called "Google Books Downloader Lite".

This tool is similar to Google Books Downloader, except it doesn't has the option of "Resolution" and the "Output Format" is set for PNG files only.

But it works just as good as the full version.

All you need to do is to download and save its .exe file in to your computer, without having to install it.

So each time when you want to use it, you go to where you have saved its .exe file, and click on it.

How To Download Preview Pages From Google Books Site

Now, let me show you how to download it, configure it and how to use it to copy Google books preview pages with Google Books Downloader Lite.

The last STEP #4 is for those who want to edit the downloaded preview pages. 

STEP #1: Download Google Books Downloader Lite

Download "Google Books Downloader Lite 1.0"

Click on the green color box on the top right hand corner.

download Google books preview pages

It will open a new page, and followed closely with a pop-up box.

install Google Books Downloader Lite

Click the "Save File" button.

Another box pops up, to let you select where you want to download it.

Choose where you like to save "google_books_downloader_lite-1.0-installer_f6aL-G1.exeoogleBookDownloder.exe" file.

Click the "Save" button.

STEP #2: Install Google Books Downloader Lite

Go to where you have saved "google_books_downloader_lite-1.0-installer_f6aL-G1.exe" and double click on it.

Google Books Downloader Lite Installation

A box pops up.

configure Google Books Downloader Lite

Click the "Run" button.

From there you just follow the instruction to install the Google Books Downloader Lite onto your computer.

Then you would find this "google_books_downloader_lite-1.0-installer.exe" where you saved it.

Google Books Downloader Lite Preview Pages

Double click this to launch the Google Books Downloader Lite.

download book preview pages from Google Books site

As you can from the interface, the first option is "Google Book URL".

This is where you paste the book URL taken Google Books site.

The second one is "Output Folder".

This is where you want to save your downloaded Google book preview pages.

By default, it is set as "Desktop".

If you want to change to another location in your computer, click on the "small box with three dots" above the "Download" button.

download free preview pages from Google Books site

A box pops up and from there you can make your selection, as to where you like to save the downloaded PNG file.

configure Google Books Downloader Lite

Then click the "OK" button.

Ignore the "FULL VERSION" button. 

STEP #3: How To Download Google Books Preview Pages

Now let me show you how to download books preview pages from Google Books site with "Google Books Downloader Lite".

Go to Google Books site.

Type in the book title in the empty space provided and click on the magnifying glass icon or press the "Enter" key.

how to download Google book preview pages

Make sure the the book which you like to download must has the word "Preview" under the book title.

Google Books With Preview Pages

If it doesn't have the word "Preview" or it has just the word "Snippet view", then it means you CANNOT download the preview pages from this particular book.

In other words, you can only download the preview pages, if the book featured in Google Books, has the word "Preview".

Right click on the word "Preview" or the book title.

A context menu pops up, click on "Copy link address".

Save Google Books Preview In PNG

Paste the book URL onto the space below "Google Book URL:"

Google Books Downloader Lite

Then click the "Download" button.

You can see the green color gradually filling up the horizontal bar above the words "FULL VERSION".

download free book preview pages from Google Books website

Once it has finished downloading, a small box pops up with the word "Done".

Click "OK".

You can close the "Google Books Downloader Lite" interface by clicking on the "X" icon.

Now you should find the just completed download book folder with a random name at the place where you have set to save in your computer.

how to use Google Books Downloader Lite

You can change the random name to other name of your own choice.

To view all the preview pages, double click on the folder.

Now you can read all the images of preview pages of that particular book in PNG format.

NOTE: At this point, all these preview pages CANNOT be edited, as they are actually images in png format.

STEP #4: Edit Download Preview Pages

This step is for those who want to edit the text from these preview pages.

You need to convert them to PDF or Word format to be editable.

You can do it with the free online OCR software.

OCR stands for "Optical Character Recognition".

Here is how you do it.

Go to the free online OCR tool.

First you select the language to be used and for the "Output formats", choose "Microsoft Word (docx)".

edit PNG file with OCR tool

Now you upload your file by clicking on the blue button "Select file...".

A box pops up, and you locate your folder (with files of downloaded book preview pages).

Click it, and then click the "Open" button.

how to convert PNG file to editable word

Now you can see all the downloaded preview pages in PNG format.

Click the one which you would like to edit.

Next click "Open" button.

It goes back to the OCR site.

Then click on the blue color "CONVERT" button.

convert PNG file into word online

The buttons shows: "waiting"...."processing"...and then back to "CONVERT".

You can see the text from the downloaded file below "Download Output File".

convert PNG file to word online free

Move your mouse cursor over the text and click on it. It is just like the normal Word format.

Now you can edit the text from the book which you have downloaded from Google Books site. 

After you've edited the test, you save the document by clicking on the "Download Output File".

convert PNG to Word docx

A box pops up and you click the "OK" button.

convert PNG to word docx online

Another box pops up and choose where you want to save the edited document in your computer or an external drive.

That's all.


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