Google Docs

Information on How to Use Google Docs

• How to use Google Docs
• Docs cheat sheet
• Change page setup of a Google Doc
• Switching to Docs from Microsoft Word

How to use Google Docs

Google Docs is an online word processor that lets you create and format documents and work with other people. See our top five tips for Google Docs.

Step 1: Create a document

To create a new document:

1. On your computer, open the Docs home screen at docs.google.com.
2. In the top left, under "Start a new document," click New.

You can also create new documents from the URL docs.google.com/create.

Step 2: Edit and format

To edit a document:

1. On your computer, open a document in Google Docs.
2. To select a word, double-click it or use your cursor to select the text you want to change.
3. Start editing.
4. To undo or redo an action, at the top, click Undo  or Redo .

Note: To edit a document on a touchscreen device, like a Pixel Book, double-tap the document to start typing.

You can add and edit text, paragraphs, spacing, and more in a document.

• Format paragraphs or font
• Add a title, heading, or table of contents

 Step 3: Share & work with others

You can share files and folders with people and choose whether they can view, edit, or comment on them.

Docs cheat sheet

1. Edit and add styles to your text. 

 

2. Work with different versions and copies of your document.

Make a copy: Create a duplicate of your document.

Download as: Download your document in other formats, such as Microsoft^® Word^® or Adobe^® PDF.

Email as attachment: Send a copy of the document to people. You can change the format.

Version history: See all the changes you and others have made to the document or revert to earlier versions.

Publish to the web: Publish a copy of your document as a webpage, or embed your document in a website.

 

3. Enhance your document by adding features.

Image: Insert an image from your computer, the web, Drive, and more.

Table: Select the number of columns and rows to create a table.

Drawing: Create pictures, flowcharts, diagrams, and more.

Link: Add a link to a webpage or a header or bookmark in your document.

Chart: Add different types of charts, or add a chart from Sheets.

Bookmark: Add shortcuts to specific places within your document.

Table of contents: Create an autogenerated table of contents that links to each heading (where you’ve applied heading styles).

 

4. Click Share to share your document and then choose what collaborators can do. They’ll also receive an email notification.

	Share or unshare	Edit content directly	Suggest edits	Add comments
Can edit	✔	✔	✔	✔
Can comment			✔	✔
Can view

 

5. Collaborate with your team in real time.

Change page setup of a Google Doc

1. On your computer, open a document in Google Docs.
2. In the toolbar, click File  Page setup.
3. Go to the setting you want to change:
   • Orientation
   • Paper size
   • Page color
   • Margins
4. Make your changes.
5. Click OK.
6. Optional: To make new documents open with the settings you chose, click Set as default.

 

Switching to Docs from Microsoft Word

In Word...	In Docs...
Share your document using Microsoft® SharePoint® or OneDrive®	Share your document from Docs From a document, click Share. Under People, enter the email address of the person or group you want to share with. Click Edit  and choose the access level. Click Send.   For more details, see Get started with Docs.  Share your document with Word users From a document, click File > Email as attachment. Under Attach as, choose the format (Word, PDF, etc.). Enter the email address, subject, and message. Click Send.   For more details, see Work with Microsoft Office files.
Collaborate in real-time in Word Online	Collaborate in real-time in Docs When you share a document, depending on their access, collaborators can edit documents, add comments, and assign tasks. To track changes, at the top right, click the Down arrow . From the menu, set the mode to Suggesting. To add and assign a comment: Select the text you want to comment on. Click Add comment . To assign a comment to someone, enter + and the person’s email. Enter your comment, then click Comment.
Access version history in SharePoint or OneDrive	Access version history in Docs Select FileVersion historySee version history. Click a time stamp to see a previous version of the file. (Optional) Do any of the following: To make a previous version the active version, at the top, click Restore this version. To name a previous version, click More Name this version. To make a copy of a previous version, click More Make a copy. For more details, read See changes to your Drive files and folders.
Track changes in a document	Make suggestions and comments Make suggestions in a document In the top corner, make sure you’re in Suggesting mode, which may also appear as . To suggest an edit, simply begin typing where you think the edit should be made in the document. Your suggestions appear in a new color, and text you mark to delete or replace is crossed out (but not actually deleted until the document owner approves the suggestion). The document’s owner will receive an email with your suggestions. When they click any suggestion, they can Accept  or Reject  it. Add and assign comments in a document In Docs, Sheets, or Slides, select the text you'd like to comment on. Click Add comment . Enter your comment in the box. (Optional) To direct your task or comment to a specific person, enter a plus sign (+) followed by their email address. You can add as many people as you want. Each person will get an email with your comment and a link to the file. (Optional) To assign the comment to a specific person, check the Assign to box. Click Comment or Assign.
Open a Word document	Open a Word document In Drive, double-click a Word file. A preview of your file opens. At the top, click Open with Google Docs. Any changes you make are saved to the original Microsoft Office file. For more details, see Work with Microsoft Office files.
Access a document offline in OneDrive	Access a document offline in Drive Install the Google Docs Offline extension. In Drive, click Settings Settings. In the Offline section, check the Create, open and edit your recent Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides files on this device while offline box. Click Done. Right-click a file and turn on Available offline. To learn how to access files offline from your desktop or mobile, see Access stored Drive files without the internet.
Save a document automatically in SharePoint or OneDrive or turn on AutoRecover	Save a document automatically in Drive Your document saves automatically in Drive as you work, so you don’t need to click Save.
Insert pictures in your document	Add images to your document You can drag and drop images from your computer into your document. Or, click InsertImage and choose an image from Google Drive, Google Photos, the web, and more. For more details, see Add and edit images.
Add an Excel chart to your document	Add a Sheets chart to your document In Sheets, select the chart you want to copy. At the top right, click More Copy chart. In Docs, right-clickPaste.  Click Paste. For more details, see Insert and edit charts.