Content Creation, formatting, and Tools

In your browser, type doc.new into the search bar.

Typing doc.new into browser to create a new Doc.

This will open a new Google doc in your browser.
 Opened new Google Doc.

  1. In your Chrome browser, navigate to the Docs homepage and click the three-dot icon at the top right next to your profile picture. Click on Save & share then click Create shortcut.
    Creating a new shortcut in a browser.
  2. Name your shortcut and click Create.
    Naming a newly created shortcut.

  3. Choose whether you want to pin the Docs button to your taskbar.
    Choosing to pin Docs button to a taskbar.

  4. Your shortcut can be located on your Desktop.
    Shortcut link on Windows Desktop.

From within any Google Workspace product, type Ctrl+ (for Windows, Cmd+/ for Mac), and the shortcut menu will reveal every keyboard shortcut available.
A List of keyboard shortcuts for Docs.

Alternatively, you can click Help in the menu, and then click Keyboard shortcuts.
Finding the keyboard shortcuts menu in the toolbar menu,

Highlight a word then type Ctrl+Shift+Y (or with a Mac, Cmd+Shift+Y) to open the Google Dictionary to quickly check definitions.

Navigate to this Building Blocks and Smart Chips guide to learn how to use these resources to automate repetitive tasks and connect your document to key information (locations, files, people, tasks, dropdown menus, and more).

Building blocks can be used to draft emails, calendar invites, and meeting notes. Type @email draft, @calendar event draft, or @meeting notes to quickly add these building blocks to your Doc. You can also create custom building blocks to quickly insert bios and signatures.

Highlight the text you want to link then enter 

For Windows: Ctrl+K

For Mac: Cmd+K

Alternatively, you can also right-click and select Insert Link.
Inserting a link after right-clicking the dropdown menu.

Click the counter-clockwise clock icon at the top right of your Doc to view the revision history (You can also hover on this icon to see when the last edit was made.)
Clicking on the revision history icon.

From here, scroll through edits and versions, make copies of specific versions or rename them, and revert to earlier versions of your document. Check Show changes to see visual representations of what has changed.

Showing the changes made in the revision history.

To compare two documents: 

  1. Open one version, then click Compare documents.
    Comparing documents by combing versions.
  2. Click on My Drive to search for the Doc you want to use for a comparison.
    Finding documents for comparison in MyDrive.

  3. Select the Doc and then click Open.
    Select documents from MyDrive to Compare.

  4. Next, click Compare.
    Compare Docs by clicking compare.

  5. Once your comparison is ready, click Open.
    Confirmation that comparison is ready.

  6. Google will open a new Doc called “Comparison of” followed by the name of your two comparison Docs. This Doc will give you a visual view of the changes made from the first Doc to the second, along with comments outlining original elements vs the changes. 
    New document that shows the comparisons between both versions of Doc.

Collaboration

See the Confluence guide, Saving a Document as a PDF.

To send a Doc as an email rather than an attachment:

  1. Open the Doc, click File, Email, Email Draft.
    Emailing a file directly from your Google Docs.

  2. Enter a username or email to send to, then check the box that says Don’t Attach. Include content in the email. Click Send.
    Setting whether to attach as an email or sent the entire Doc as the email.

If you want to share your Google Doc with more than 100 people, the easiest thing to do is publish it and share the URL.

In the Doc you want to share, click File, Share, and then Publish to the web.
Publishing a Doc to the web for large audience viewing.

When there is more than one person in a Doc, users can collaborate through the Doc Chat.

  1. Click the Show Chat icon at the top right of the Doc.
    Opening the chat box by clicking the show chat icon.

  2. Send messages to the Doc Chat by typing in the chat box.
    Sending a chat in Docs.

Users can add comments to a Doc, which can be viewed by all collaborators by clicking the comment icon at the top right of the Doc and then clicking the add a comment button. 
Clicking the comments icon to open the comments panel.


Adding a comment to a Doc.

Additionally, users can add new comments by clicking Insert in the top menu bar, and then clicking Comment. Comments are located in the location where the cursor rests when the comment is made.
Adding a comment by right-clicking your text and inserting a comment.

Rather than directly editing a Doc, users can opt to suggest edits to other collaborators.

  1. Turn on suggesting mode by clicking the Editing drop-down menu at the top right of the Doc and selecting Suggesting.
    Switching your Doc to suggesting mode.

  2. Any changes made to the Doc will show up as suggestions in Comments.How to reply to, resolve, or dismiss suggestions,.

  3. The owner of the file will get an email about your suggestions and can decide whether to keep them. Changes can be accepted by the editor by clicking the checkmark next to the suggested comment.
    How to accept suggestions by clicking on the check mark.,

Resources 

Docs Quick Start Guide - What you can do with Docs

Switching from Microsoft Word to Google Docs - Learn the differences between Microsoft Word and Google Docs as well as best practices for collaboration.

Tips to Format and Customize Documents - Learn how to create and use templates, add and edit images, create an outline, and more.

Google Docs Cheat Sheet - provides quick references on how to edit text; add images, tables, and links; copy, email, or version your document; and share and collaborate.

Tips to edit and collaborate on files will show you how to use shortcuts to create new files, use text-to-voice, track file updates, and comments, and get notifications about changes in your files.

Tips for Strong Proposals can show you how to use templates, quickly add citations, track drafts, and add visuals.

The following Google Help Center Articles and Guides provide resources for troubleshooting common issues in Google Docs and Workspace products:

Errors while Editing Google Docs, Sheets, & Slides

Trouble Opening Google Files or Folders

Trouble Editing Files


For more help with Google Workspace products, you can also search the Google Help Center