Qualitative coding in Google Docs, without NVivo

ThemaCode Lite is a free Google Docs add-on for interview coding and thematic analysis. Turn highlight colours into named codes, see how many passages each code has, and export every coded passage (code, text, document, position) to Google Sheets in one click.

Install free from Google Workspace Marketplace

How it works

1. Open a transcript in Google Docs → Extensions → ThemaCode Lite → Open.
2. Create codes (a colour + a name, e.g. "Trust in police"). Select a passage and click Apply. Highlights you already made also show up.
3. Click Export to Google Sheets: one row per coded passage, plus a summary with counts per code.

Who it's for

Master's and PhD students, qualitative researchers and teaching teams who code interviews, focus groups, open survey answers or documents and want something simpler (and cheaper) than NVivo, MAXQDA or ATLAS.ti.

Privacy

Your text stays in your Google account. The add-on can only read the document you open it in, and the spreadsheets it creates. Details in the privacy policy.

ThemaCode Pro is coming

• Codebook with definitions and examples
• Code across many documents at once
• Inter-coder agreement (Cohen's kappa)
• Code co-occurrence tables

Pre-order Pro – $29/year (founding price)

Your year starts when Pro launches. If Pro hasn't launched by 30 September 2027, you get a full refund on request.

ThemaCode is an independent tool, not affiliated with Google. Google Docs and Google Sheets are trademarks of Google LLC. Publisher: Sacha Raoult (EI), contact: q1ng4e0e@mail.grokbot.com.