A narrow, safety-first document merge alternative
DocForge is an independent Google Sheets add-on for a simple document merge: one Google Docs template, a copied spreadsheet, explicit field mapping, one exact source-row preview, and one verified Docs or PDF output before a batch.
Not a drop-in replacement: Autocrat supports mature job configuration and workflow patterns. DocForge does not claim parity with every trigger, sharing, conditional, naming, email, or multi-template feature.
Quick fit check
| Need | Migration fit |
|---|---|
| One Google Docs template populated from Sheet columns | Good copied-sheet test candidate. |
| Generate one Google Doc or PDF and inspect it first | Good fit: one-row preview and one-output proof are the gate. |
| Many conditional templates or complex routing | Do not migrate yet. |
| Automated sharing, advanced attachment delivery, or enterprise document management | Outside this migration slice. |
| Legal approval, contract lifecycle, or signature workflow | Not a DocForge use case. |
Copied-sheet migration test
- Copy the original spreadsheet and duplicate one simple Google Docs template.
- Use synthetic or non-sensitive data in the copied sheet.
- Select the copied template and scan every
{{merge field}}. - Map each field to one Sheet column; fix missing, duplicate, or blank headers.
- Run Preflight and inspect the exact values for one selected source row.
- Generate one Google Doc or PDF and open it.
- Confirm field values, file name, output type, long-text layout, and destination before any batch.
Why the one-output gate matters
A successful configuration save does not prove a document merge. The useful result is an output file that contains the expected values and layout. If a field is unmapped, a source header is duplicated, or a selected row is blank, the workflow should stop before creating a batch of incorrect files.