15 Google Docs Tricks Everyone Should Know
Throughout my academic and professional career, Google Docs has been one of my faithful allies. Not only does Google Docs provide access to all your documents anywhere, but it’s also incredibly versatile and functional. I’ve been using it for over 15 years to manage virtually my entire life.
I’ve never encountered anything I couldn’t accomplish with Google Docs —from signing a contract to seamlessly collaborating with large groups of colleagues. However, there are other, smaller word processor tricks you might not even know about, whether you’re a student or not.
Tips for using Google Docs for writing essays and taking notes
A significant portion of schoolwork is devoted to writing—from essays to memos and notes. Here are a few techniques that will serve you best when you’re focused on work or jotting down information in class.
Change capitalization formatting
You can easily change the capitalization of any text in your document by selecting it and choosing “Format” and then “Text .” At the bottom of the menu, you’ll see “Capsules,” and when you hover over it, you’ll see three options: “Lowercase,” “Uppercase,” and “Capital Caps.” If you’ve accidentally typed all caps, or need to create a heading but don’t want to rewrite what you already have, this little-known quick fix will save you a ton of time.
Paste without formatting
If there’s one thing that annoys me about Google Docs, it’s that pasting without formatting isn’t a default. When I copy something into my document, the last thing I want is for the text to be in a different font or huge. If you’ve used Google Docs for even a little while, you know that it relies heavily on keyboard shortcuts, so you can’t always right-click (or whatever your trackpad is configured to right-click or bring up the menu) and click “Paste Without Formatting.” You just have to learn another keyboard shortcut: Cd + Shift + V on a Mac and Ctrl + Shift + V on a PC. This simply adds the Shift key to the two buttons you already press to paste, saving you a ton of hassle.
Use voice input to create notes
Simplify class note-taking by selecting “Voice Typing” from the “Tools” menu. Once you click the microphone icon that appears, everything your computer’s microphone records will be added to the document. The document isn’t perfect , but it’s editable, so let it record everything your instructor says, then edit it later to match your lecture.
Strategically edit your notes, which you can do right in Google Docs. Here are my favorite note-taking formats . If you took notes by hand in class, be sure to digitize them and add them to the main Google Docs document.
Use the integrated dictionary for articles
You can use Google Docs’ built-in dictionary in your document by going to “Tools” in the top menu and clicking “Dictionary.” You can even highlight a word in your document and press Command + Shift + Y to look it up instantly. The dictionary appears in the sidebar of the screen, so you don’t have to leave the document to Google the word you need. Perhaps best of all, the bottom of the panel displays synonyms you can add to your document to expand your vocabulary, which is helpful when writing essays. (Another dictionary tip: add all technical terms to your “personal dictionary” to prevent spell check from right-clicking and adding them. This is also great for those with unusual last names.)
Use Find and Replace to quickly edit your essay
In Google Docs, you can find and replace text by pressing Command + F. The standard search bar appears in the upper-right corner of the window, but if you click the three-dot menu, you’ll see not only “Find” but also “Replace.” If you repeatedly misspell someone’s name or use a word too often, you can quickly replace it. You can even perform a complete “Replace All” replacement or cycle through instances to decide whether you want to replace just a few.
Create a table of contents without much effort
Insert a table of contents from the Insert menu if you need to organize a long document. This only works when formatting section headings: select them, choose the Format button from the menu, hover over Paragraph Styles , and select Heading. The result is a beautiful table of contents that automatically updates. If information from page two ends up on page three after you insert a paragraph of text above it, the table of contents will update automatically, eliminating the need for manual editing. You can also quickly jump to a specific section of the document by clicking on the headings in the table of contents.
Google Docs Hacks for Group Projects
Version history will save lost document drafts and deleted notes.
You can find older versions of a document by clicking “Version History” in the “File” menu. I didn’t know this for a long time, thinking that since Google Docs updated automatically, all my changes would remain intact. I’m wrong! I’m writing this in Google Docs right now, and in the 45 minutes I’ve been working on it, the program has saved two different versions. This will come in handy if someone deletes something important or makes major structural changes.
Compare also documents
A similar feature called “Compare Documents” is ideal for combining data from multiple people or working on different drafts. Click “Tools” and select “Compare Documents.” A pop-up window will prompt you to upload a document to compare (for example, an old draft or someone else’s version of the work) and enter your name so you can identify who made the changes. If you’re uploading a partner’s work to compare with yours, enter their name. After you upload the document, Google Docs will highlight any differences and indicate who made those changes.
Enable line numbers for long documents or group projects
If you’re working with a group of people in a shared Google Doc, turn on line numbers so everyone can quickly reference each other. This feature simply adds small numbers to the left side of the document. This is especially useful if you’re editing something long, like a dissertation, as it helps you keep track of where information appears in the document. It’s much easier to tell a project partner that a problem needs to be addressed on page two, line seven, than to try to describe which sentence requires attention. To turn on line numbers, click Tools > Line Numbers . In the line numbers sidebar, select Show Line Numbers .
Force collaborators to work on copies rather than the Google Doc itself.
I’ve encountered this several times while working on teacher assignments: I’ll open a link in Google Docs, usually containing project instructions, only to find that the document isn’t editable. So I have to click “Create a copy” to have the document regenerated in my Docs. Teachers do this so they can easily distribute a worksheet so all students can complete it without affecting the original version they all have access to. It works well in this case, but it can also be useful if you need group members to complete independent work and don’t want everyone entering data into the main document at the same time. Click “Share” in the upper-right corner of the document, change the link settings to “Anyone with the link,” and select “Editor” from the drop-down menu next to it. Then copy the link and paste it into the app you want to share. Before sending, edit the end of the link by replacing the word “edit” and everything after it with “template/preview.”
Use smart chips and building blocks
A new Smart Chips feature is available, allowing you to add interactive elements like dates, tags, files, and calendar events directly into your document. Just type “@,” as if you were tagging someone on Instagram, and a list of tagging options appears. You can use it to tag group members so they jump to a specific part of the document, provide links to source materials, or add deadlines that are visible to everyone. An additional Building Blocks feature lets you add ready-made templates using Smart Chips. For example, you can find meeting notes or project trackers. Try typing “@project roadmap” or “@meeting notes.”
Google Docs Hacks for Everything Else
You can (and definitely do) use Google Docs for more than just essay writing. Here are some of the most convenient tasks I’ve been able to accomplish with Google Docs, though these typically require multiple programs if you’re using other software.
Take advantage of Google Keep
Finally, don’t forget about Google Keep , a note-taking app that integrates seamlessly with Google Docs. I use Google Keep for a variety of things, like shopping lists and sudden genius ideas, but it’s also great for taking notes in class. Tap the yellow light bulb icon in the upper-right corner when in a document to open Keep’s sidebar, which lets you drag and drop notes and ideas directly into the document. There are plenty of note-taking apps out there, but if you use Google Docs frequently, I highly recommend trying Keep’s integration with Docs.
Create editable PDFs with Google Docs (free)
You can convert PDFs into editable text documents by uploading them to Google Drive and then selecting “Google Docs” from the “Open with…” menu. I didn’t know about this feature until a few months ago, when my Adobe subscription expired and I was categorically reluctant to pay for it again, as I only needed to edit one document. There may be some formatting issues, but in most cases, Google Docs seamlessly converts PDFs to editable text, so making changes before saving as a PDF is a breeze.
Sign documents for free.
Sign documents by adding “scribbles” in Google Docs. Word extensions seem too complicated to me, and online document editors too expensive, so before I realized I could do it right in Google Docs for free, I was printing out all those documents, signing them with a pen, and uploading the photos wherever I could. Humiliating. I once famously used the drawing tool in the Instagram story editor to sign a contract. More than humiliating, albeit innovative.
To sign in Google Docs, select “Insert,” then “Drawing,” then “New.” A drawing box will appear. Simply select the ” Select a line” menu item and click “Sketch.” Now draw your signature in the box, click “Save,” and it will be inserted directly into the document.
Create tasks in Google Docs to stay focused
You can also add “tasks” to your text to help you stay on track. This is useful if you’re working in a group or just need to complete a large task within a specific deadline. Entering @task in your document will open a dialog box where you can name the task, delegate it to someone (even yourself), and set a due date to get reminders. It’s helpful to add a blank page at the beginning or end of your document and add all your tasks there. Google Docs also adds a small checkbox next to all tasks so you can mark them off as you complete them.