Google Docs

All About Google Drive

What is Google Drive?

Google Drive is a free service from Google that allows you to store files online and
access them anywhere using the cloud. Google Drive also gives you access to free web-
based applications for creating documents, spreadsheets, presentations, and more.

Why use Google Drive?

Google Drive is one of the most popular cloud storage services available today. If you've
never used a cloud-based storage service like Google Drive before, take a moment to
consider the advantages of keeping your files online. Because files can be accessed
from any computer with an Internet connection, Drive eliminates the need to email or
save a file to a USB drive. And because Drive allows you to share files, working with
others becomes much easier.

Creating files on Google Drive

Google Drive doesn't just store your files; it also allows you to create, share, and
manage documents with its own productivity apps. If you've ever used a suite like
Microsoft Office, some things about Google Drive's apps might seem familiar. For
instance, the types of files you can work with are similar to files that can be created with
various Microsoft Office programs.

Below are the types of files you can create and share on Google Drive:

▶︎ Documents: For composing letters, flyers, essays, and other text-based

files (similar to Microsoft Word documents)

▶︎ Spreadsheets: For storing and organizing information (similar to

Microsoft Excel workbooks)

▶︎ Presentations: For creating slideshows (similar to Microsoft PowerPoint

presentations)

▶︎ Forms: For collecting and organizing data

▶︎ Drawings: For creating simple vector graphics or diagrams

 Challenge!
Answer the following questions. You can write down your answers or just think about
them.

1 What type of files do you use on a daily basis? On a weekly basis?

2 Where are you when you access these files? What devices do you access
them with?

3 Can you think of any files you'd like to sync across multiple devices?

4 Of these files, could you use Google Drive to store them?

5 Think of a few situations when you might need to collaborate on a file with
others.

Lesson 2: Getting Started with Google Drive

Getting started with Google Drive

Want to get started with Google Drive? Watch the video below to learn how.

Google Drive: Getting Started

Creating a Google account
In order to use Google Drive, you will need a Google account. Google accounts are free,
and signing up for one is fairly simple. In order to create a Google account, you'll need to
enter some information, including your name, birth date, and location. Creating a
Google account will automatically create a Gmail email address and a Google+ profile.

If you have a Gmail address, you already have a Google account, so you
won't need to create an account—you can simply sign in to Drive using your
Gmail information.

To create a Google account:

1 Go to www.google.com. Locate and select the Sign in button in the top-
right corner of the page.

2 Click Create an account.

3 The sign-up form will appear. Follow the directions and enter the required
information.
4 Next enter your phone number. Google will send a verification code to your
phone that you will use to complete the sign up process.

5 Enter the verification code sent to your phone and click Verify.
6 The personal information page will appear. Follow the directions and enter
your information, including your birth date and gender.

7 Review Google's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, then click I agree.
 8 Your account will be created.

Just like with any online service, it's important to choose a strong
password—in other words, one that's difficult for someone to guess. For
more information, check out our Password Tips lesson.

Accessing Google Drive

Once you've set up your Google account, you can access Google Drive by going to
http://drive.google.com in your web browser.

You can also navigate to Google Drive from any Google page (such as Gmail
or Google search) by selecting the grid icon near the top-right corner, then
clicking Drive.
The Google Drive interface
Your Google Drive may be empty right now, but as you begin to upload and create files
you'll need to know how to view, manage, and organize them in the interface.

Click the buttons in the interactive below to become familiar with the
Google Drive interface.
Google Drive for mobile devices
Available for both iOS and Android, the Google Drive mobile app allows you to view
and upload files to Google Drive using your mobile device.
 Google also has separate mobile apps for creating and editing documents,
spreadsheets, and presentations. To learn more, check out Google's blog
post on New mobile apps for Docs, Sheets, and Slides.

Google Drive for desktop

If you prefer to work on the desktop, you can download the Google Drive desktop app
to your computer. Available for Windows and OS X, this app makes it a bit easier to
upload your existing files and work offline. Once it's installed, you'll see a new Google
Drive folder on your computer. Any files you move into this folder will automatically be
uploaded to your Google Drive.

Challenge!
1 Visit www.google.com to sign up for a Google account if you don't already
have one.

2 Open Google Drive.

3 Notice on the left side how much of your storage is used and how much is
available.
 4 Try clicking some of the menu options, like Shared with Me and Google
Photos.

Lesson 3: Creating Google Docs

Creating new files

Google Drive gives you access to a suite of tools that allows you to create and edit a
variety of files, including documents, spreadsheets, and presentations. There are five
types of files you can create on Google Drive:

▶︎ Documents: For composing letters, flyers, essays, and other text-based

files (similar to Microsoft Word documents)

▶︎ Spreadsheets: For storing and organizing information (similar to

Microsoft Excel workbooks)

▶︎ Presentations: For creating slideshows (similar to Microsoft PowerPoint

presentations)

▶︎ Forms: For collecting and organizing data

▶︎ Drawings: For creating simple vector graphics or diagrams

The process for creating new files is the same for all file types. Watch the video below to
learn more.

Google Drive: Creating Files

To create a new file:
1 From Google Drive, locate and select the New button, then choose the type
of file you want to create. In our example, we'll select Google Docs to create
a new document.

2 Your new file will appear in a new tab on your browser. Locate and select
Untitled document in the upper-left corner.

3 The Rename dialog box will appear. Type a name for your file, then click
OK.

4 Your file will be renamed. You can access the file at any time from your
Google Drive, where it will be saved automatically. Simply double-click to
open the file again.
 You may notice that there is no Save button for your files. This is because
Google Drive uses autosave, which automatically and immediately saves
your files as you edit them.

Using templates
A template is a pre-designed file you can use to quickly create new documents.
Templates often include custom formatting and designs, so they can save you a lot of
time and effort when starting a new project. Most templates are designed to help you
create specific types of files. For instance, you could use a template to quickly create a
resume or newsletter.
You can find a wide selection of templates in the Google Drive Template Gallery.
Unfortunately, we've found that many of these templates aren't very well designed, and
it's often difficult to find specific templates within the gallery. For this reason, we
recommend using templates made by Google, which tend to be of higher quality than
user-submitted templates.

To use an official Google template:

1 Navigate to the template gallery.

2 When you've found a template you want to use, click the template to select
it.
3 A new file will be created with the selected template. You can then
customize the file with your own information.

Challenge!
1 Make sure you're signed in to Google, and open the Google Drive Template
Gallery.

2 Find a template and select Use this template.

3 Rename the file.

4 Try going back to your Google Drive to see that your new file has been
added.

5 If you're on a desktop computer, add a file from your computer to your

Google Drive.
 Lesson 4: Uploading Files to Google Drive

Uploading and syncing files

Google Drive makes it easy to store and access your files online in the cloud, allowing
you to access them from any computer with an Internet connection. If you upload files
from compatible programs like Microsoft Word or Excel, you can even edit them in
Google Drive. Watch the video below to learn how to upload files to Google Drive.

Google Drive: Uploading Files

Uploading files to Google Drive

Google Drive gives you 15 gigabytes (15GB) of free storage space to upload files from
your computer and store them in the cloud. There are two main types of files you can
store on your Google Drive:

▶︎ Files you can edit, like Microsoft Office files, PDFs, and other text-based
files

▶︎ Files you cannot edit, like music, videos, compressed archives (.zip files),
and most other files

Once you upload a file—no matter what type of file it is—you'll be able to manage,
organize, share, and access it from anywhere. And because the files on Google Drive are
synced across your devices, you'll always see the most recent version of a file.

You can also preview many different file types, even if you don't have the software
required for that file on your computer. For example, you can use Google Drive to
preview a Photoshop file, even if Photoshop is not installed on your current computer.
Converting files to Google Drive formats
If you are uploading files you plan to edit online, you will need to convert them to
Google Drive format. Converting allows you to edit a file and collaborate with others
easily. Only certain file types—like Microsoft Office files and PDF documents—can be
converted to Google Drive formats.

Unfortunately, this conversion isn't always perfect. Depending on the level of

formatting used in the original document, the converted document could turn out
looking quite different, as shown in the example below.

Conversion changes aren't always just cosmetic—you may even lose

information from the original file. You should always review a file that's
been converted before sharing it with others. Remember, you always have
the option to store your files in their original file format if you'd prefer not
to edit files online.

Uploading files and folders

It's easy to upload files from your computer to Google Drive. If you're using the Google
Chrome web browser, you can even upload entire folders.

To upload a file:
1 From Google Drive, locate and select the New button, then select File
upload.

2 Locate and select the file(s) you want to upload, then click Open.
3 The file(s) will be uploaded to your Google Drive.

Depending on your browser and operating system, you may be able to

upload files by clicking and dragging a file from your computer into your
Google Drive.
To upload a folder:
Note: This feature is only available if you're accessing Google Drive through Google
Chrome.

1 Click the New button, then select Folder upload.

2 Locate and select the folder you want to upload, then click OK.

3 The folder and the files within it will be uploaded to your Google Drive.
Converting files to Google Docs
format
When you upload certain types of files—such as Microsoft Office files or PDF documents
—you'll only be able to view those files. If you want to edit these types of files in Google
Drive, you'll need to convert them to Google Docs format.

To convert a file:
1 Locate and double-click the file you want to edit.

2 A preview of the file will appear. Select Open at the top of the screen.

3 The file will be converted to a Google document and appear in a new tab.

4 If you go back to your Google Drive, you'll see that there are now two copies
of the file: the original file and the new version in Google Docs format.
 You can set Google Drive to convert your files automatically when you
upload them. Click the gear icon, select Settings, then check the box next
to Convert uploads.

Challenge!
1 Open Google Drive and upload a Microsoft Office file. If you don't have an
Office file on your computer, you can download a copy of our example.

2 Convert your file to a Google document.

3 If you used our example file, your screen should look something like this:
 Lesson 5: Managing Your Files

Managing your files

After you've been using Google Drive for a while, you might find yourself having a
difficult time keeping track of all of your files. Fortunately, Drive offers several features to
help you manage and organize them. Watch the video below to learn more.

Google Drive: Managing Files

Searching for files

Searching lets you look for specific files using words contained within the file or file
name. To do this, locate the search bar, then enter the word or file name you're looking
for. A list of suggested searches and files will appear as you type. Simply click a file to
open it directly from the search results. You can also press the Enter key to see a full list
of search results.

Sorting files
By default, your files are already sorted from newest to oldest. However, you can apply
other sorts to put your files in a different order. To sort by name, click the Name button
just above the list of files. To sort by date, click the Last modified button, then choose
the desired sort option.

To apply a filter:
Filters let you hide unimportant files and focus only on the ones you're interested in. For
example, if you were looking for a presentation, you could use a filter to narrow down
your visible files so you would only see presentations.

1 Locate and select the Search options arrow in the search bar.
2 Choose the filter you want to use. In our example, we'll set a filter for file
type.

3 Choose the desired filter. In our example, we'll select Text documents.

4 Click the Search button or press the Enter key to apply the filter.
 5 Only files that match the filter will appear.

To clear a filter, select the text in search bar, then press the Backspace or
Delete key.

Organizing your files

Once you start adding files to Google Drive, you can use folders to help organize and
group them. Folders in Google Drive work just like the folders on your computer.

To create a folder:
1 From Google Drive, click the New button, then select Folder from the drop-
down menu.
 2 A dialog box will appear. Enter a name for your folder, then click Create.

3 Your folder will appear on the left below My Drive. You may need to click
the drop-down arrow to see your folders.

To move files into folders:

1 Click and drag the file to the desired folder.
2 The file will appear in the selected folder.

To add multiple files to the same folder, press and hold the Ctrl key (or
Command on a Mac), then click to select each desired file. When you're
ready, click and drag the files to the desired folder.
To delete a file:
Deleting a file from your Google Drive is similar to deleting a file from your computer.
You will have to move the file to the Trash folder and then delete it permanently, just
like you would delete a file from the Trash or Recycle Bin on your computer.

1 Select the file you want to delete, then click the Remove button to move
the file to the Trash folder.

2 Select Trash in the left navigation pane.

 3 The Trash folder will appear. Click Trash near the top of the screen, then
select Empty Trash. The files will be permanently deleted.

To preview a file:
Previewing files is a great way to make sure you're opening the right version of a file or
to take a quick look at files without opening them.

1 Select the file you want to preview, then click the Preview button.

2 A preview of the file will appear.

Right-clicking
Right-clicking allows you to access the full list of actions for any file. Most of the actions
listed here are accessible in other places on Google Drive, but it serves as a great
shortcut.

Practice with a project

Ready for an additional challenge? The following resource from Google will help you
practice organizing and sharing files:

Applied Digital Skills: Organize Files in Drive: In this lesson, you'll learn
how to use Google Drive to store, access, and share files such as
documents, presentations, forms, and photos in one central place. The
lesson takes 45-90 minutes to complete.
Challenge!
1 Open our example file. Make sure you're signed in to Google, then click File
> Make a copy. For now, do not rename the copy.

2 Open Google Drive, create a folder, and name it Practice Documents.

3 Locate our example file in your drive.

4 Add our example file to the folder you created in step 2.

5 Open the folder and preview the example file.

6 Close the preview.

7 When you're finished, your screen should look something like this:

Lesson 6: Converting and Printing Docs

Downloading and printing files from

Google Drive
Once you've created a file, it will be accessible whenever you sign in to Google Drive.
However, there may be times when you want to download or print a file for offline
access.
To download a file:
1 Locate and right-click the file you want to download, then select
Download.

2 The file will be downloaded to your computer.

To choose a file format:

By default, Google Drive will choose the most common file format whenever you
download a file. For example, if you download a Google Document, it will automatically
be saved as a .docx file, which is used by Microsoft Word and most other word
processors. However, there may be times when you want to choose a different format,
such as PDF.

1 Double-click the desired file to open it.

2 The file will appear in a new tab. Select File > Download as, then choose
the desired file type. In this example, we'll choose PDF Document (.pdf).
 3 The file will be downloaded to your computer in the desired file type.

To print a file:
1 Double-click the desired file to open it.

2 Select File > Print.

3 The Print dialog box will appear, along with a preview of your file on the
right. Choose the desired options, then click Print.

Note that these options will vary depending on the type of file you're
printing. For example, you'll have different options for printing a
spreadsheet than you would for printing a presentation.

Challenge!
1 Open our example file. Make sure you're signed in to Google, then click File
> Make a copy.

2 Download the file as a PDF.

 3 If your device is connected to a printer, try printing the file.

Lesson 7: Getting Started with Your Document

Introduction
When working with a word processing application like Google Docs, it's important to be
comfortable with the document interface and to know how to perform basic tasks. In
this lesson, you'll get to know the interface and learn how to configure the document
page.

Watch the video below to learn how to navigate the Google Docs interface
and set up your first document.

Google Docs: Getting Started

The Google Docs interface

The Google Docs interface includes the toolbar at the top of the screen, as well as the
document itself. It allows you to type and modify text, in addition to sharing a
document with others.

Click the buttons in the interactive below to learn about the Google Docs
interface.
Page setup options
When you first create a Google document, you may want to change page setup options
like page orientation, margins, or paper size, depending on the type of document you
are creating. You can access these options by clicking Page setup in the File menu.

In the Page setup dialog, you can customize several options:

▶︎ Page orientation is whether your page is oriented in portrait or landscape
format. Landscape format means the page is oriented horizontally, while
portrait format means it is oriented vertically.

▶︎ Page margins are the gaps between the body of the document and the
edge of the page.
▶︎ Paper size lets you change the dimensions of the page. This is particularly
useful if you are printing the document on a custom paper size.

▶︎ Page color is the background color of the document. This may be useful as
a decorative option if you plan on publishing your document on the Web.
Challenge!
1 Open Google Docs, and create a new blank file.

2 Change the document title from Untitled Document to Practice

Document.

3 Change the page orientation to landscape.

4 Change all of the margin sizes to 0.5" (1.25 cm).

5 Change the page color to a light blue.

6 When you're finished, your document should look something like this:
 Lesson 8: Text Basics

Introduction
If you are familiar with word processing software such as Microsoft Word, you will find
working with text in Google Docs to be a similar experience. If you are new to word
processing, working with text in Google Docs is fairly easy to learn. Over the next few
pages, we will show you the basics of working with text.

Watch the video below to learn more about working with text in Google
Docs.
Google Docs: Text Basics

To insert text:
1 Locate the insertion point, which is a blinking vertical line. In a blank
document, this will be near the top-left corner of the page. If the document
already has text, you can click in different parts of the document to move
the insertion point.

2 When you begin typing, the text will appear next to the insertion point.

To select text:
Before you can move or format text, you'll need to select it. To do this, click and drag
your mouse over the text, then release the mouse. A highlighted box will appear over
the selected text.

To delete text:
There are several ways to delete—or remove—text:
 ▶︎ To delete text to the left of the insertion point, press the Backspace key on
your keyboard.

▶︎ To delete text to the right of the insertion point, press the Delete key on
your keyboard.

▶︎ Select the text you want to remove, then press the Delete key.

If you select text and start typing, the selected text will automatically be
deleted and replaced with the new text.

Copying, cutting, and pasting text

You may find that sometimes it's easier to copy and paste text that repeats often in your
document. Other times, there may be text you want to move from one area of the
document to another, in which case you'll need to cut and paste or drag and drop the
text.

The copy, cut, and paste commands are found in the Edit menu. Google Docs also uses
keyboard shortcuts—or a combination of keys—to perform a variety of commands.
We'll talk more about these shortcuts below.

To copy and paste text:

1 Select the text you want to copy.
 2 Press Ctrl+C (Windows) or Command+C (Mac) on your keyboard to copy
the text.

3 Place your insertion point where you want the text to appear.

4 Press Ctrl+V (Windows) or Command+V (Mac) on your keyboard to paste

the text. The text will appear.

To cut and paste text:

1 Select the text you want to copy.

2 Press Ctrl+X (Windows) or Command+X (Mac) on your keyboard to cut the

text.

3 Place your insertion point where you want the text to appear.

4 Press Ctrl+V (Windows) or Command+V (Mac) on your keyboard to paste

the text. The text will appear.
To drag and drop text:
1 Select the text you want to move to another place in the document.

2 Click and drag the text to the location where you want it to appear. The
cursor will have an insertion point under it to indicate you're moving text.

3 Release the mouse button, and the text will move to the new location.

To insert special characters:

Google Docs offers a large collection of special characters. They are useful when writing
equations, and they can serve as decorative accents as well.

1 Place the insertion point where you want to insert a special character.

2 Click Insert, then select Special characters.

3 The Insert Special Characters dialog box will appear.

4 Use the drop-down arrows above the character grid to browse groups of
symbols. In our example, we are browsing for musical symbols to add to
our document.
 5 Click the desired symbol to insert it into your document.

6 The symbol will appear in your document.

Spell check and suggested spelling

By default, Google Docs will automatically check for misspelled words and make
suggested spellings. Words with spelling suggestions are underlined in red.
To use suggested spelling:
1 Right-click an underlined word. A drop-down menu with suggested
spellings for the misspelled word will appear. Select the correct spelling
from the list.

2 The correct spelling will appear in place of the misspelled word in the
document.

Occasionally, Google Docs will suggest spellings for a word it does not
recognize, like the name of a person or a company. If you are certain of the
spelling, you can add the word to the dictionary. Once you add a word to
the dictionary, Google Docs will keep the spelling of the word.

Using find and replace

When you're working with longer documents, it can be difficult and time-consuming to
locate a specific word or phrase within the document. Google Docs can automatically
search your document using the find feature, and it even allows you to change words or
phrases using the replace feature.

To find text:
1 Click Edit, then select Find and replace.

2 The Find and replace dialog box will appear.

3 Type the text you want to find in the Find field. The number of times the
word appears in the text will appear in the Find field, and each appearance
will be highlighted throughout the document.

4 If the word appears more than once, you can click the Prev and Next
arrows to jump to the next appearance. When the word is selected, the
highlight will darken and pulsate briefly.
 5 Click X to close the dialog box.

To replace text:
1 Click Edit, then select Find and replace. The Find and replace dialog box
will appear.

2 Type the text you want to find in the Find field. Type the text you want to
replace it with in the Replace with field.

3 Click Next or Prev and then Replace to replace text. If you want to replace
all occurrences of the text within the document, click Replace all.
Challenge!
1 Open our example file. Make sure you're signed in to Google, then click File
> Make a copy.

2 Delete the last sentence of the third paragraph of the letter. Hint: The
sentence begins with At the close of the evening.

3 Use cut and paste or drag and drop to move the second paragraph of the
letter below the third. Hint: The second paragraph starts with As you may
know.

4 Insert the symbol ® next to the word iPads. Hint: You can find this symbol
under the Miscellaneous category.

5 Use Find and Replace to replace all occurrences of the word donation with
gift.

6 Run a spell check to make sure all words are spelled correctly. Ignore the
word Alliope.

7 When you're finished, your document should look something like this:
 Lesson 9: Formatting Text and Adding Hyperlinks

Introduction
To create and design quality documents, you need to know how to format text. In
addition to making your document more appealing, formatted text can draw a reader's
attention to specific parts of the document and help communicate your message.

In this lesson, you'll learn how to format the font, size, and color, as well as how to
highlight text. In addition, you'll learn how to use the bold, italic, and underline
shortcut buttons, as well as how to add a hyperlink.

Watch the video below to learn more about formatting text.

Google Docs: Formatting Text

The Toolbar Shortcut menu

Google Docs offers a variety of text formatting options you can use to modify the look
and feel of your document. These options are located in the Toolbar Shortcut menu. In
the following lesson, you'll learn how these options can help enhance your document's
appearance.

To change the font:

1 Select the text you want to modify.

2 Click the Font drop-down arrow on the toolbar. A font menu appears. The
name of each font has been formatted to look like the style it describes.
3 Select the font you want to use. In our example, we'll hover over Roboto
and select Normal font.

4 The selected text will change to the new font.

If you don't see the font you're looking for—or if you would like more fonts
to choose from—Google Docs allows you to add additional fonts to the Font
drop-down menu. Click More fonts from the Font drop-down menu to open
the Fonts dialog box.
To change font size:
1 Select the text you want to modify.

2 Click the Font size box from the toolbar. A drop-down menu of font sizes
appears.

3 Select the font size you want to use. In our example, we'll change the font
size to 24 to make it larger.
 4 The text will change to the new font size.

To change text color:

1 Select the text you want to modify.

2 Click the Text color command from the toolbar. A drop-down menu of text
colors appears.
 3 Select the circle of the text color you want to use. In our example, we'll
choose blue.

4 The text will change to the new color.

To use the bold, italic, and underline buttons:

1 Select the text you want to modify.

2 Click the bold (B), italic (I), or underline (U) button from the shortcut
toolbar.
To change text alignment:
There are four alignment buttons in Google Docs that you can choose from the Align
drop-down menu.

▶︎ Left align: Aligns all selected text to the left margin

▶︎ Center align: Aligns text an equal distance from the left and right margins

▶︎ Right align: Aligns all selected text to the right margin

▶︎ Justify: Text is equal on both sides and lines up equally to the right and left
margins; many newspapers and magazines use full justification

1 Select the text you want to align.

2 Click the desired alignment button.

 3 The text will realign.

Line and paragraph spacing

In Google Docs, line spacing is measured in lines. For example, when text is double
spaced, the line spacing is two lines high. You can reduce the line spacing to fit more
lines on the page, or you can increase it to improve readability.

To format line spacing:

1 Select the text you want to format.

2 Click the Line spacing button, then select the desired line spacing option
from the drop-down menu. You can also click Custom spacing to fine-tune
the spacing.
 3 The line spacing will adjust in the document.

Paragraph spacing
Just as you can format spacing between lines in your document, you can choose spacing
options between each paragraph. Typically, extra spaces are added between
paragraphs, headings, or subheadings. Extra spacing between paragraphs is another
way to help to make a document easier to read.

To format paragraph spacing:

1 Select the text you want to format.

2 Click the Line spacing button.

3 Select Add space before paragraph or Add space after paragraph from
the drop-down menu. You can also click Custom spacing to fine-tune the
spacing.
 4 The paragraph spacing will adjust in the document.

To remove paragraph spacing, click the line spacing button, then select
Remove space before paragraph or Remove space after paragraph.

Hyperlinks
A hyperlink is a link to a web address (or URL). If you want to include a web address in
your Google document, you can format it as a hyperlink for someone to click. The
hyperlink will then open the webpage in a new browser window.

To insert a hyperlink:
Hyperlinks have two basic parts: the address (URL) of the webpage and the display
text. For example, the address could be http://www.apple.com/ipad and the display
text could be Apple iPad. When you're creating a hyperlink in Google Docs, you'll be
able to choose both the address and the display text.

1 Select the text you want to make a hyperlink.

2 Click the Insert link button, or right-click the selected text and click Link.

3 The Edit Link dialog box will appear. In the Text field, the selected text will
appear. You can modify this text if you want.

4 Type the address you want to link to in the Link field. Google Docs may
automatically fill in this field if the text you've selected looks like a URL.

5 Click Apply. The text you selected will now be a hyperlink.

6 Click the link to view the URL.

If you want to change or remove the hyperlink, click the link and select
Change or Remove from the options that appear below the hyperlink.

Challenge!
1 Open our example file. Make sure you're signed in to Google, then click File
> Make a copy.

2 Select the first two lines of text and center align them.

3 Select the text that starts with 2 bed 1.5 bath and ends with Won't last!
Available June 1. Then change the line spacing to 1.5.

4 Select the words For Rent and change the font to something of your
choosing.

5 With For Rent still selected, change the font size to 30 pt and bold the text.

6 Select the words ABOUT VILLA PIÑA and change the font color to green.

7 Scroll to the bottom of the page, select the web address in the last line, and
change it to a hyperlink.

8 When you're finished, your document should look something like this:
 Lesson 10: Using Indents and Tabs

Introduction
A great way to draw attention to important areas within your document is to add an
indent or tab. There are several ways you can indent text in Google Docs; however, it's
important to use these tools appropriately and indent correctly each time. This can
save time and make the editing process go smoothly.

In this lesson, you'll learn how to create tabs and indents using tab stops and the Ruler.
You'll also learn how to adjust indents using the Increase indent and Decrease indent
buttons.
 Watch the video to learn how to add indents and tab stops in Google Docs.

Google Docs: Indents and Tabs

Indenting text
In many types of documents, you may want to indent only the first line of each
paragraph. This helps to visually separate paragraphs from one another.

To indent using the Tab key:

A quick and common way to indent is to use the Tab key. This will create a first-line
indent of a half-inch.

1 Place the insertion point at the very beginning of the paragraph you want
to indent.
 2 Press the Tab key on the keyboard. The text in the first line will move to
the right by a half-inch.

To indent using the Indent shortcut buttons:

If you want to indent all lines in a paragraph, you can use the Increase indent and
Decrease indent shortcut buttons.

1 Select the text you want to indent.

2 Click the Increase indent shortcut button to increase the indent by

increments of a half-inch.
 3 All lines of the paragraph will indent.

4 Click the Decrease indent shortcut button to decrease the indent by

increments of a half-inch.

You can also click Format from the toolbar. Then, hover over Align &
indent to locate the Increase indent and Decrease indent commands.

Customizing indents
You can use the three indent markers and the Ruler to create custom indents that are
larger or smaller than the Tab key's default half-inch indent. When you move the indent
markers, the Ruler provides a blue guide line to help you see where the indent will
appear.
 ▶︎ First Line Indent marker: Adjusts the first-line indent of a paragraph

▶︎ Left Indent marker: Moves in unison with the First Line Indent marker to
indent all lines in the paragraph

▶︎ Right Indent marker: Increases or decreases the right indent by moving all
lines of the paragraph from the right margin

To customize indents with the Ruler:

1 Place the insertion point anywhere in the text or paragraph you want to
indent (you can select one or more paragraphs).

2 Click and drag the desired indent marker. As the marker moves, the blue
guide line extends from the Ruler.
 3 Release the mouse at the desired location. The text will indent.

To indent the paragraph on the right side, click and drag the Right Indent
marker.

Using tab stops

Using tab stops gives you more control over the placement of text. By default, each time
you press the Tab key on the keyboard the insertion point will move a half-inch to the
right. By adding tab stops to the Ruler, you can change the size of the tabs, and you can
apply more than one tab stop to a single line. For example, on a resume you can left-
align important dates by adding a left tab stop.
There are three types of tab stops in Google Docs.

▶︎ Left tab stop: Left aligns text at the tab stop

▶︎ Center tab stop: Centers text around the tab stop

▶︎ Right tab stop: Right aligns text at the tab stop

Pressing the Tab key can either add a tab or create a first-line indent,
depending on the location of the insertion point. Generally, if the insertion
point is at the beginning of an existing paragraph it will create a first-line
indent; otherwise, it will create a tab.

To add tab stops:

1 Select the paragraph or paragraphs where you want to add tab stops. If you
don't select any paragraphs, the tab stops will apply to the current
paragraph and any new paragraphs you type below it.

2 Click the location on the Ruler where you want your text to appear. A drop-
down menu of tab stop selections will appear.

3 Select the desired tab stop. You can add as many tab stops as you want.
4 Place the insertion point at the location where you want to add the tab.

5 Press the Tab key on the keyboard. The text will jump to the location of the
next tab stop.

To remove the tab stop, click and drag it off of the Ruler.

Challenge!
1 Open our example file. Make sure you're signed in to Google, then click File
> Make a copy.

2 Scroll to page 2, then select the paragraph underneath the word Summary.

3 Press the Tab key to indent the entire paragraph.

4 When you're finished, the paragraph should look something like this:
 5 Scroll to page 3 and select the text in the Education section.

6 Drag the left indent marker somewhere past the 0.5" (1.25 cm) mark.

7 Select the text in the Skills section and format it as a bulleted list.

8 With the list still selected, drag the left indent marker to the 1" (2.5 cm)
mark.

9 When you're finished, page 3 should look something like this:

Lesson 11: Headers, Footers, and Page Breaks

Introduction
You can modify the layout of your document by utilizing the header and footer sections
and inserting page breaks. Headers and footers usually contain additional information
like page number, date, document name, and footnotes. Page breaks and horizontal
lines create separation in the text and can increase readability.
 In this lesson, you'll learn how to insert and edit headers, footers, and footnotes, and
you'll also learn how to insert page breaks and horizontal lines.

Headers, footers, page numbers, and

more
Watch the video below for a detailed look at headers, footers, page
numbers, and more.

Google Docs: Headers and Footers

Headers and footers

The header is a section of the document that appears in the top margin, while the
footer is a section of the document that appears in the bottom margin. Text entered in
the header or footer will appear on each page of the document.
To insert a header or footer:
1 Click Insert, then hover over Headers & footers. From the drop-down
menu, you can select either Header or Footer.

2 Depending on your selection, the insertion point will relocate to either the
top or bottom margin of the page.
 3 Type the desired text. When you're finished, press the Esc key on your
keyboard to close the header or footer.

After you close the header or footer, it will still be visible, but it will be
locked. To edit it again, just click anywhere on the header or footer, and it
will become unlocked.

Formatting text in a header or footer

To format text in headers and footers, you can use many of the same formatting options
that are available to format text in the body of your document. You can align the text,
modify the font style and size, and add bolding, italics, and underlining. Visit our
lesson on Formatting Text and Adding Hyperlinks to learn more about the formatting
options available in Google Docs.

To add page numbers to a header or footer:

Google Docs can automatically label each page with a page number and place it in a
header or footer. If you want to display the word Page as part of the page number, you
will need to type Page at the desired location in the header.
1 Select the document's header or footer.

2 Place the insertion point where you want the page number to appear. Type
the word Page if you want.

3 Click Insert and hover the mouse over Page numbers, then select Top of
page or Bottom of page.

4 The page number will appear.

To display the page count:
Google Docs can also automatically display the page count—or how many pages your
document has—in the header or footer. If you want to add the page count next to the
page number, you will need to type the word "of" after the page number.

1 Place the insertion point after the page number, then type of.

2 Click Insert, then hover over Page numbers. From the drop-down menu,
select Page count.
 3 The page count will appear in the document after the page number.

Page breaks
Page breaks allow you to have more control over the layout of your document. You
might use a page break if you're writing a paper that has a title page or a bibliography
to ensure it starts on a new page.
To insert a page break:
1 Place the insertion point at the location where you want the page break to
appear.

2 Click Insert, then hover over Break. From the drop-down menu, select
Page break.

3 The page break will appear in the document.

 To remove a page break, place the insertion point below the break and
press the Backspace key on your keyboard. You may need to press the key
several times to delete the break.

Working with footnotes

A footnote provides additional information on the text it refers to. It could include
information for how to learn more about the topic, or it could include a citation (a
reference to published work) for a quote used in the text. Footnotes are commonly used
in research reports and academic writing. For more information about adding footnotes,
visit our lesson on Adding Citations.

To add footnotes:
1 Place the insertion point after the text the footnote will refer to.
2 Click Insert, then select Footnote from the drop-down menu.

3 Google Docs will place a superscript number in the body of the document,
as well as at the bottom of the page. The insertion point will now be at the
bottom of the page.

4 Type the text you want to display as additional information.

5 When you're done, press the Esc key on your keyboard to return to the body
of the document.

Horizontal lines
Horizontal lines separate text into sections. The addition of a few thoughtfully placed
horizontal lines can make your document more visually appealing and easier to read.

To add a horizontal line:

1 Place the insertion point at the location where you want the horizontal line
to appear.

2 Click Insert, then select Horizontal line from the drop-down menu.

3 The horizontal line will appear in the document.

To remove a horizontal line, double-click the line to select it, then press the
Backspace or Delete key on your keyboard.

Challenge!
1 Open our example file. Make sure you're signed in to Google, then click File
> Make a copy.

2 Insert a header. On the first line, type First Edition; on the second line, type
November 2020.

3 Right-align the text you just entered and bold the words First Edition.

4 In the footer, insert a page number and right-align it.

5 In the footnote, select the hyperlink and use the cut feature to remove it.

6 Select the text ASPCA, Pet Statistics, format it as a hyperlink, and paste
the web address you cut in the previous step.

7 When you're finished, the first page of your document should look
something like this:
 Lesson 12: Working with Tables

Introduction
A table is a grid of cells arranged into rows and columns. Tables can be customized and
are useful for various tasks, like presenting text information and numerical data.

In this lesson, you'll learn how to create a blank table, modify an existing table, and
edit table properties.

Inserting and modifying tables

Watch the video below to learn how to work with tables in Google Docs.

Google Docs: Working with Tables

To insert a table:
1 Place the insertion point at the location where you want to insert a table.

2 Click Insert and hover the mouse over Table. A grid of squares appears.
3 Drag the mouse over the grid of squares to select the number of columns
and rows in the table.

4 Click the mouse, and the table appears in the document. The insertion
point will now be in the top-left cell.

To delete the table, right-click anywhere on the table and select Delete
table from the menu that appears.
To add an additional row:
1 Right-click in a row adjacent to the location where you want to add a row,
then select Insert row above or Insert row below from the menu that
appears.

2 The new row appears in the table.

To add an additional column:

1 Right-click in a column adjacent to the location where you want the new
column to appear, then select Insert column left or Insert column right
from the menu that appears.
 2 The new column appears in the table.

To delete a row or column:

▶︎ Right-click the mouse in the row or column you want to delete, then select
Delete row or Delete column from the menu that appears.

Editing table properties

In Google Docs, you can make modifications to an existing table by adjusting the table
properties like cell dimensions, alignment, border size, and color.

To modify cell dimensions:

You can modify the dimensions of cells by adjusting their border lines.
 1 Hover over the border line you want to modify. The cursor will change into
a double arrow.

2 Click and drag the border line. A blue guide line will appear to help you see
the new length and width of the cell.

3 Release the mouse at the desired location. The cell dimensions will change.

You can also enter exact cell dimensions using the Table Properties dialog
box. Right-click the cell you want to modify, then select Table properties
from the menu that appears.

To modify horizontal cell alignment:

You can modify the horizontal alignment of a cell so its contents are aligned to the left,
center, or right side of the cell. In Google Docs, horizontal cell alignment is changed by
selecting one of the four alignment buttons in the shortcut toolbar.

1 Select the cell or cells you want to align.

2 Click the desired alignment button from the four options in the shortcut
toolbar.

3 The text will realign.

To modify vertical cell alignment:

Vertical cell alignment refers to aligning the contents of a cell to the top, middle, or
bottom area of a cell. In Google Docs, you can change the vertical alignment of a cell by
modifying the Cell vertical alignment in the Table properties dialog box.

1 Select the cell or cells you want to align.

2 Right-click and select Table properties from the menu that appears.
3 The Table Properties dialog box appears. Click the Cell vertical alignment
box.

4 Select the desired alignment.

5 Click OK. The text will realign.

To modify border size:
1 Right-click anywhere in the table. Select Table properties from the menu
that appears.

2 The Table Properties dialog box will appear. Click the Table border size
drop-down arrow, then select the desired size.

3 Click OK. The new border size will appear in the document.

To change cell background color:

1 Select the cell or cells you want to modify.

2 Right-click and select Table properties from the menu that appears.

3 The Table Properties dialog box will appear. Click the Cell background
color drop-down arrow, then select the desired color.
 4 Click OK. The new color will be applied to the cells.

To modify border color:

1 Right-click anywhere in the table. Select Table properties from the menu
that appears.

2 The Table Properties dialog box will appear. Click the Table border color
drop-down arrow, then select the desired color.
3 Click OK. The new border color will be applied to the table.

Challenge!
1 Open our example file. Make sure you're signed in to Google, then click File
> Make a copy.

2 Insert a row at the bottom of the table, and type your name into the first
column.

3 Delete the column with the Monday header.

4 Select the cells containing Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and

Saturday, and change the background color to light blue.

5 Select all of the cells. Change the horizontal cell alignment to center and
the vertical cell alignment to middle.

6 Make the first row's height larger.

7 When you're finished, your document should look something like this:
 Lesson 13: Inserting Images

Introduction
Adding images to your document can make it more visually appealing. Google Docs
uses Google Search to find and provide images for you to choose from, so it's likely you'll
find one that matches your needs. If you have a picture of your own that you want to
use, you can upload an image.

In this lesson, you'll learn how to upload, search for, and insert images. You'll also
learn how to edit the size and position of an image.

Watch the video below to learn more about inserting images.

Google Docs: Working With Images

To upload an image:
 1 Place the insertion point in the document where you want to insert the
image.

2 Click Insert > Image > Upload from computer.

3 Select the image you'd like to use and then click Open.

Searching for images

When you search for an image in Google Docs, it's important to know that almost all of
the images Google finds will belong to someone else. Google tries to filter the results to
only show free Creative Commons images, but it is important to go to the source of an
image to check the copyright license. For more information on how to use images found
on the Internet, read our lesson on Copyright and Fair Use.

To search for an image:

1 Place the insertion point in the document where you want to insert the
image.

2 Click Insert > Image > Search the web.

3 A search pane will appear on the right side of the window. Type the desired
search term, then press Enter.

4 Review the search results. Select the desired image, then click Insert.

5 The image will appear in the document.

To delete an image, select it and press the Backspace or Delete key on

your keyboard.

Other options for inserting images

Google Docs offers several additional options for inserting images. If you have the URL of
an image or collection of images stored in online albums or in your Google Drive, you
can easily access and insert these pictures as well. Always remember to check the
copyright license of an image before placing it in your document.

▶︎ By URL: This option is useful if you have the URL of a particular image.
When the URL is entered correctly, a preview of the image will appear. Click
Select to insert the image into your document.

▶︎ Your photos: Selecting Photos gives you access to your Google account
profile images. If you use Google Photos to organize your photos, any
albums you have created there will also be visible in the dialog box. Click an
album to open it and select an image.

▶︎ Google Drive: If you have images stored in your Google Drive account,
clicking Google Drive will give you access to these images. You have the
option of sorting pictures to show all of the images in your Google Drive,
only those shared with you, or only your most recently uploaded images.
Editing images
Sometimes when you insert an image or a picture from a file, you may find that you will
need to change the position of the image or resize it to make it look well placed in your
document.

To edit the position of an image:

You may notice that it is difficult to change the position of the image to another location
in the document. This is because of the text wrapping settings on the image. You'll need
to change the text wrapping setting if you want to move the image freely, or if you just
want the text to wrap around the image in a more natural way. The positioning options
are:

▶︎ In line: This option aligns the image with the text. The image will move with
the text if additional text is added or deleted. However, this option gives
you less freedom to move the image where you want.

▶︎ Wrap text: This option causes the text to wrap around the image. Use this
option if you want to move the image to another location in the document.

▶︎ Break text: This option is like text wrapping, but the image will act as a
break—meaning text will only appear above and below the image, not to
the left or right.
1 Select the image you want to change the position of. The three positioning
options appear below the image.

2 Select Wrap text. Hover the mouse over the image, and the cursor will
change into directional arrows. Click and drag the image to the desired
location.

3 Release the mouse, and the image will move to the selected position. The
text wraps around the image.
To edit the size of an image:
1 Select the image you want to resize. Resizing handles appear around the
image.

2 Click and drag one of the corner sizing handles. The image will change size
while keeping the same proportions. If you want to stretch it horizontally or
vertically, you can use the side sizing handles.
Challenge!
1 Open our example file. Make sure you're signed in to Google, then click File
> Make a copy.

2 Delete the picture of the grill on the right side of the page.

3 Insert another image by searching the word fireworks in the Search the
web field. Choose a firework picture you like.

4 Change the image's alignment to wrap text.

5 Drag the picture to the right side of the document and resize the image to
fit on the page next to the text.

6 When you're finished, your document should look something like this:
 Lesson 14: Inserting Text Boxes and Shapes

Introduction
Google Docs has a drawing tool that's designed for inserting text boxes and shapes
into your document. Although they're not necessary for every document, text boxes and
shapes can be used to set important details apart from the rest of your document or to
organize information. For example, rectangles, lines, and arrows can be used together to
create a flow chart.

In this lesson, you'll learn the drawing tool's commands and how to insert a drawing or
text box into your document. You'll also learn how to format and change the order of
text boxes and shapes.

Watch the video below to learn more about inserting text boxes and shapes
in Google Docs.
Google Docs: Text Boxes and Shapes

About the drawing tool

When you're ready to add a text box or shape to your document, you'll work with the
drawing tool. It offers a variety of shapes, arrows, callouts, and line styles that are easily
customized for your needs. For example, you can create a diagram using shapes and add
text to each shape to highlight important information. The drawing tool opens as a
dialog box in your document, and this is where you'll create, format, and edit text
boxes and shapes using the drawing tool's commands.

Click the buttons in the interactive below to become familiar with the
drawing tool's commands.
Google Docs has a standalone version of the drawing application. This
version has more features than the Documents Drawing app, including the
ability to upload your own images as part of the drawing. If you want more
features, you can use the standalone version to create your drawing. Then
you can download the drawing as an image to your Google Drive and
insert it into your document.
Adding shapes
You can add a variety of shapes to your document, including arrows, callouts, squares,
stars, and flowchart shapes. Shapes are customizable, so you can add text and change
the background color and line width. You may find shapes useful for creating diagrams
and flow charts, and they can add visual appeal to your document as well.

To insert a shape:
1 Click Insert; then, hover over Drawing and select New from the drop-down
menu.
2 The Drawing dialog box will appear.

3 Select a drawing command. Hover the mouse over a style, then select the
desired shape.

4 Click and drag in the drawing area to create the shape to the desired size.

5 Release the mouse. The shape appears.

 6 If you want, you can add more shapes. When you have completed the
drawing, click Save & Close to insert it into your document.

7 The drawing will appear in the document.

8 If you want to resize the shape, click and drag a resizing handle to the
desired size.

To delete a shape from your document, select it and press the Backspace
or Delete key on your keyboard.

To reopen the drawing tool to edit the shape, select the desired shape and
click Edit from the options that appear below the drawing.

Adding text boxes

You may want to insert a text box into your document to draw attention to specific text
or to have the ability to easily move text around within your document. Text boxes are
similar to shapes. You can apply many of the same formatting options, like changing the
background color and line style.

To insert a text box:

1 Click Insert, then select Drawing from the drop-down menu. The Drawing
dialog box will appear.

2 Click the Text box command.

3 Click and drag in the drawing area to create the text box.

4 Release the mouse, and a text box will appear. Enter the desired text in the
text box.

5 When you are satisfied, click Save & Close. The text box will appear in your
document.
Customizing text boxes and shapes
The drawing tool has a variety of line and shape tools you can use to format your text
box or shape. You can also modify the size and color of the font inside the text box or
shape, as well as the colors of the background and lines.

To format a text box or shape:

1 With the drawing tool open, select the desired text box or shape.

2 Click the desired formatting command to modify the text box or shape.
 3 The shape will appear formatted.

To add or edit the text inside of a text box or shape, double-click it to open
the text editing box.

To change the order of text boxes or shapes:

If one shape overlaps another, you may need to change the ordering so the correct
shape appears in front. You can bring a shape to the front or send it to the back. If you
have several overlapping objects, you may need to use the Bring forward or Send
backward options to achieve the correct ordering.

1 In the Drawing dialog box, right-click the desired text box or shape. Hover
the mouse over Order, then select an ordering option.
2 The order will appear changed in the drawing.

Challenge!
1 Open Google Docs and create a new blank file.

2 Open the drawing tool and create a heart shape.

3 Double-click inside the heart and type your name.

4 Change the text alignment to center.

5 Change the fill color to a color of your choice.

 6 Insert a Curved Up Ribbon shape from the callouts section so it stretches
across the heart.

7 Change the fill color of the ribbon to a color of your choice.

8 Change the order of the ribbon shape so it is behind the heart.

9 Save and close the drawing tool.

10 When you're finished, your drawing should look something like this:

Lesson 15: Text Styles

Text styles
Working with large documents can be challenging, but adding styles to your text makes
it easier to create documents that look great and are easy to navigate.

In this lesson, you'll learn how to add styles to your document and how to make
formatting changes that affect the whole document all at once.

Watch the video below to learn more about text styles in Google Docs.
Google Docs: Working With Style(s)

Switching between text styles

By default, anything you type in a Google Doc is styled as Normal text.

To switch styles, place the insertion point in the paragraph that you want to change.
Click the Styles menu and choose the style that you want.
Repeat this step as you move through your document. Think about the structure of your
document as you choose headings. For example, it makes sense to style the title as
Title, the primary headings as Heading 1, and sub-headings as Heading 2.

Changing the appearance of text styles

Once you have styles applied to your text, you can make formatting changes that affect
your whole document all at once.

Select a portion of text in the style that you want to update. In our example, we are going
to update our Heading 1 Style.
Make as many formatting changes as you want to the text. You can change the font,
size, color, and more.

Once you are happy with the text's appearance, click the Styles menu, hover over
Heading 1, and click Update 'Heading 1' To Match.

The appearance of all of the Heading 1 text in the document will update.
You can use this method to update the appearance of other Styles in your document,
including Normal text.

Saving default styles

If you create a set of styles that you really like, you can set them to be the default for any
new documents that you create.

Click the Styles menu, hover over Options, and click Save as my default styles.
Seeing the structure of your document
Styles are useful not just to change the appearance of your document, but also to give
your document structure.

To see the structure, click the Show Document Outline icon on the left side of the page.

If you don't have this option, click View, and make sure that there is a checkmark next
to Show Document Outline.
The Document Outline shows all of the titles and headings in your document. Click one
of the headings, and Google Docs will move to that place in your document.

Lesson 16: Adding More Fonts

Adding more fonts

Choosing the right font will improve whatever project you are working on. By default,
Google Docs includes a few dozen fonts, but you can actually choose from hundreds
more!

Watch the video below to learn about adding fonts in Google Docs.
Google Docs: Adding Fonts

To add new fonts:

1 In the toolbar, open the Font menu and click More fonts at the top. This
will open a new window with hundreds of available fonts.

2 Optional: Use the search and filtering options at the top of the window to
narrow your search. In our example, we are filtering to only show display
fonts.

3 Click a font to add it. It will appear under My Fonts on the right side of the
window. You can add as many fonts as you want.
 4 When you're done adding fonts, click OK. The fonts will be added to the
Font menu.

To learn more about typography and how to choose the right font, take a
look at our lesson on typography.

To change the font:

1 Click and drag to select a portion of text.

2 Open the Fonts menu. The newly chosen fonts are now included in the list.
 3 Some fonts allow you to choose a variant. To do this, hover over the arrow
next to the font's name and select the desired variant.

Lesson 17: Installing Add-ons

Installing add-ons
Learning how to install and use add-ons allows you to do even more with Google Docs.
Like the name implies, add-ons literally add features on to Google Docs. There are add-
ons that can help you create bibliographies, forms, equations, diagrams, and more.

Watch the video below to learn how to install add-ons.

Google Docs: Installing Add-ons

Add-on performance and security

Since add-ons are made by third party content creators, you should use caution when
installing them. Google cannot guarantee that all add-ons are safe, secure, or reliable.
It's a good idea to read some of the reviews to see whether other users have had a good
experience with the add-on. You might also want to research the publisher and read the
add-on's privacy policy before installing the add-on.

As part of the installation process, you have grant the add-on certain permissions, for
example the ability to view and manage all of the files in your Google Drive. If you're not
comfortable granting these permissions, you should not install the add-on. You should
be especially careful if your Google Account contains sensitive information.

To install an add-on:
1 In the toolbar, go to Add-ons > Get add-ons.
2 Optional: If you know what you're looking for, you can enter a keyword into
the search bar at the top of the page.

3 Click an add-on to learn more about it. It's best to use add-ons with high
ratings.

4 A window appears with more information about the add-on. If you decide
you trust the add-on and want to use it, click Install.

5 A series of popups will appear. Follow the onscreen instructions to install

the add-on.
 6 Congratulations! The add-on is now installed. Another dialog box may
appear that shows you how to use the add-on. When you're ready,
click Next.

7 Some add-ons ask you to create an account or subscribe to a paid plan. In

our example, we are just going to click Done.

To use an add-on:
This example uses the add-on Icons for Slides & Docs. If you are using a different add-
on, a few features may look similar, but most will be very different.

1 In the toolbar, go to the Add-ons menu and hover over the name of the
add-on. A submenu will appear with one or more options. In this example,
we'll click Start.
 2 The add-on opens in a new window or pane. In our example, we can use the
pane to search for icons, customize them, and add them to the document.
Depending on the add-on, you may have different options.

To remove an add-on:
1 In the toolbar, go to Add-ons > Manage add-ons.

2 Click the add-on that you want to uninstall.

 3 Click Uninstall.

4 Confirm your choice by clicking Uninstall App.

Add-ons can be extremely helpful, but remember to always do research and be careful
when choosing which add-ons to install.

Lesson 18: Sharing and Collaborating

Sharing and collaborating on files

 Google Drive makes sharing your files simple. It also allows multiple people to edit the
same file, allowing for real-time collaboration. Watch the video below to learn more
about these features.

Google Drive: Sharing and Collaborating

Sharing files
Whenever you share a file from your Google Drive, you can let others view and even edit
that same file. While you can share any file stored on your Google Drive, it's important to
note that you can only use the collaboration features for files created within your Drive.

Let's look at the example of Olenna, an art teacher who uses her Google Drive to
organize letters, lesson plans, and more. Olenna's files include:

▶︎ Files she keeps private, like her spreadsheet with classroom expenses

▶︎ Files she lets others edit, like the lesson-planning documents she creates
with her co-teacher

▶︎ Files she shares publicly and doesn't let others edit, like the newsletters
and announcements she shares with her students and their parents

▶︎ Files others share with her, including ones she can edit, like her co-
teacher's supply inventory; and ones she can't, like a schedule sent to her
by the principal

As you can tell, no single sharing setting would be right for all of Olenna's files. The
settings you choose for each of your shared files will probably depend on why you're
sharing it in the first place.

When you share a file with a limited group of people, your collaborators must sign in
with a Google account to view or edit the file. However, when you share with a larger
group or make the file public, your collaborators will not need a Google account to
access the file.

To share a file with a limited group of people:

1 Locate and select the file you want to share, then click the Share button.

2 A dialog box will appear. In the People box, type the email addresses of the
people you'd like to share the file with. If you want, you can add a message
that will be emailed to the people you share the file with.

3 Click Send. Your file will be shared.

For more control over your files, you can click the drop-down arrow to
decide whether people can edit, comment on, or simply view the file.
Sharing with a link
You can easily share a file with a larger group of people by providing a link to any file in
your Google Drive. A link is basically a URL or web address for any file you want to share.
This can be especially helpful for files that would be too large to send as an email
attachment, like music or video files. You can also share a file by posting the link to a
public webpage. Anyone who clicks the link will be redirected to the file.

To share a link:
1 Locate and select the file you want to share, then click the Share button.
 2 A dialog box will appear. Click Get shareable link.

3 A link to the file will be copied to your web clipboard. You can then paste
the link in an email message or on the Web to share the file. When you're
finished, click Done.

Files shared with you

People can also choose to share files with you. These files will appear in your Shared
with Me folder. However, if you'd prefer to access a file from your Google Drive without
switching to this view, you can move it. To do this, navigate to your Shared with Me
folder, hover the mouse over the desired file, then select Add to My Drive.
Collaboration tools
Whenever you share a file in a Google Drive format, you'll have the option to allow your
co-editors to change and edit the file. Google Drive offers several tools that enhance
collaboration by making it easier to communicate with your co-editors and to see which
changes have been made and by whom.

Click the buttons in the interactive below to learn about the collaboration
features in Google Drive.
Suggesting mode
Google Drive also has a feature called Suggesting mode, which is similar to the Track
Changes feature in Microsoft Office. This allows each collaborator to make changes,
while giving the other collaborators a chance to review the changes before making them
permanent. This page has more information about how to make suggested edits and
accept or reject other people's changes.

Challenge!
1 Open our example file. Make sure you're signed in to Google, then click File
> Make a copy.

2 Change to suggesting mode.

3 Select the first three lines of the letter and center align them.

4 Select the name Melissa Vaughn and add a comment that says Double
check the spelling.

5 When you're finished, your document should look something like this:

6 Optional: Try sharing your document with someone.

Lesson 19: Adding and Replying to Comments

 Adding and replying to comments
Comments are one of the features that allow you to collaborate in Google Docs. In this
lesson, you'll learn how to create and reply to comments, tag collaborators, and more.

Watch the video below to learn how to work with comments.

Google Docs: Adding and Replying to Comments

Creating a new comment

Anyone with editor or commenter access to the Google Doc can create a comment.

There are several ways to add a comment, but the easiest way is to select the text that
you want to comment on, then click the button that appears on the right side of the
screen.

The comment box opens, and you can type your message.
If you want to make sure that a specific person sees your comment, you can tag them. To
tag someone, type the @ symbol and start typing their email address. Then select them
from your list of contacts.

If you tag someone who doesn't already have access to the document,
Google will ask you to share the document with them before posting your
comment.

When you tag someone, you have the option to assign the comment to them. Assigning
a comment to someone means that they will be responsible for marking it as complete.

When you're finished typing your comment, click Comment.

Replying to comments
Once a comment is added, anyone with commenter or editor access to the document
will able able to see it and leave a response.

To reply to a comment, click it to select it.

Then, type your reply. When you're done, click Reply.

Editing and linking to comments
If you made a mistake while typing a comment, you can click the three dots in the top-
right corner to either Edit or Delete your comment. Note that deleting a comment this
way is permanent.

If you click the three dots next to the first comment in a thread, you have the option
to link to this comment.

A dialog box opens that lets you copy the link so that you can share it with someone
else. This is useful in long documents with lots of comments, as the link points directly
to the relevant part of the document and even opens the comment thread.
Comment history
When you or your co-authors resolve the issue being discussed, click the checkmark to
close the discussion.

The comment will disappear, but you can continue to access it in the Comment History.
You can open the Comment History by clicking the comment icon next to the share
button in the top-right corner.

The Comment History window shows active and resolved comments. If you need to re-
open a comment thread, click Re-open.
You can also change your email notification settings from within the Comment History
window. Click Notifications at the top of the window, then make your selection. By
default, document owners receive notifications for every comment, but everyone else
only receives notifications when they are mentioned directly.

Comments are a powerful tool in Google Docs, and using them will help you collaborate
more effectively on your next project.

Lesson 20: Using Suggestion Mode to Track Changes

Using Suggestion mode to track

changes
When multiple people are working on a document, it's helpful to see how the document
changes and grows over time. Google Docs lets you track any edits that are made,
comment on them, and decide whether they should be added to the document. Google
Docs calls this feature Suggestion mode, but it's very similar to the Track Changes
feature in Microsoft Word.

Watch the video below to learn how to track changes in Google Docs.
Google Docs: How to Track Changes

Tracking changes in Google Docs

To track changes in Google Docs, you have to switch from Editing mode to Suggestion
mode. Click the pencil icon underneath the Share button, and choose Suggesting from
the drop-down menu.

While in Suggestion mode, any text that you add is highlighted and any text you
delete is crossed out. To the right, a suggestion box appears with every change. This
gives other users a chance to review changes before they're made permanent.
Reviewing changes
You can also see changes suggested by other people. If you have a question about a
particular change, you can leave a comment in the suggestion box. Click the suggestion
box, click the text field, write a response, and click Reply.

To approve a change, click the checkmark. It will then become part of the document. To
reject a change, click the X, and the suggestion will disappear.

To leave Suggestion Mode, click Suggesting in the top-right corner and select Editing.
While in editing mode, you can still accept, reject, or comment on suggestions, but
you can't create any new ones.

Tracking changes on your mobile device

Suggestion mode is also available in the mobile version of Google Docs. While viewing a
document, tape the More icon.

Turn on Suggest changes.

Now you can track changes just like in the web browser version.

To review a suggestion, tap on it to select it. You can accept, reject, or leave a comment
on any suggested change.
 Lesson 21: Version History

Version history
Google Docs saves every change made to your document through a feature
called version history. In this lesson, you'll learn how to use version history to restore
your document to the exact moment you desire, copy specific sections, and determine
who made certain changes.

Watch the video below to learn how to use version history.

Google Docs: Version History

Accessing version history

There are two ways to access version history.

▶︎ Go to File > Version history > See version history.

▶︎ Click the save notice at the top of the document.

Browsing different versions
On the right side of the screen, previous versions of the document are saved in
chronological order. Browse different versions until you find what you're looking for.
Versions are often grouped together, and you can click the drop-down arrow to expand
the group.

Underneath each version, you can see who made the changes. Click a version to review
it.

As you review previous versions, you can toggle the Show changes option to make it
easier to see differences between the versions.
Naming versions
If you want to keep track of a specific draft, you can name a version. Click the dots next
to the version that you want to name and select Name this version.

Naming a version makes it much easier to find. You can even filter to only show named
versions.

Restoring versions
To restore an earlier version, click Restore this version at the top.

Next, confirm your choice. Keep in mind that restoring a version means that you will lose
any changes that have been made since then. You should only restore a version as a last
resort.

Copying specific sections

If you only want to bring back part of an older version, you can copy and paste that
specific text. Highlight a section, right-click, and choose Copy.

Click the arrow in the top-left corner to close version history. You can then paste the
copied text into the document.
Seeing new changes
When you open a Google Doc, if someone has made changes since you last saw the
document, the See New Changes notification will appear. Click the notification to
review the changes.

You can review the changes in a new window. When you return to the document, the See
New Changes notification will be gone.

Lesson 22: Email a Doc as an Attachment

 Email a doc as an attachment
Google Docs has a feature that allows you to quickly and easily send a copy of your
document to anyone with an email address.

Watch the video below to learn how to use the feature.

Google Docs: Email a Doc as an Attachment

To email a doc directly from Google Docs:

1 Click File > Email as attachment.

2 From here, you're essentially sending an email from the Gmail account that
you are signed in as. You can enter a recipient's email address, create a
 subject line, and write a message.

3 Click the drop-down menu in the bottom-left to choose the file type for your
attachment.

4 Optional: If you want the document to be included within the body of the
email instead of as an attachment, select the Don't attach checkbox. This
may help if the recipient can't open certain files.

5 When your email is ready, click Send.

You don't need to share the document with anyone or change the permissions in order
to use this feature. It only sends a static copy of your document to the recipient. This
means that they will not have access to the Google Doc itself.

Integrating with Gmail

It's worth noting that when you send your document with Google Docs, the email it
generates will not appear in the sent messages of your Gmail, nor will Google Docs keep
a record of the email.

However, if the recipient responds to your email, their response will appear in your
Gmail, just like a regular email.

Lesson 23: Changing Ownership of a Doc

Changing ownership of a doc

 When you own a Google Doc, you have total control over user permissions, and you can
delete the doc whenever you please. In this lesson, you'll learn how to transfer
ownership and those responsibilities onto someone else.

Watch the video below to learn about transferring ownership.

Google Docs: Changing Ownership of a Doc

How to transfer ownership of a doc:

1 Open a Google Doc that you are the owner of, then click the Share button.

2 You'll see a list of everyone you've shared the document with. You can also
use the Add people and groups field to share the document with someone
else. For more info, go to our Sharing and Collaborating lesson.
3 Click the drop-down arrow next to the person who you want to make the
new owner and select Make Owner.

4 Click Yes to confirm this permanent change.

5 That person immediately becomes the owner of the document. Your

permission will change to Editor, unless the new owner changes it to
something else. Also, you will no longer be able to delete the document.
 This feature does have a few restrictions. For instance, you cannot transfer ownership
from the mobile app. Also, if your Google Account is through your work or school, you
cannot transfer ownership with anyone outside of that organization.

Lesson 24: Using the Activity Dashboard

Using the Activity dashboard

When you share your Google Doc with others, you may want to keep track of who’s seen
it. The Activity dashboard can show you who has viewed your document, when they
viewed it, and more.

Watch the video below to learn more about viewing activity in Google Docs.

Google Docs: Viewing Activity

Accessing the Activity dashboard

The Activity dashboard isn’t available to everyone. To use it, your Google account must
be part of an organization, like a business or school.

You also need permission to edit the document, and you must use the web browser
version of Google Docs. For more info, go to our Sharing and Collaborating lesson.

To find the Activity dashboard, click the jagged arrow icon in the top-right corner of a
document.

Viewing Activity
We’re going to focus mainly on the Viewers tab, but you can find stats and other info by
going to these tabs on the left.
If someone has been invited to view or edit the document, the Viewers tab will tell you
the last time they opened it.

You can also click All Viewers to see everyone from your organization who has viewed
the document, whether they were invited or clicked a shareable link.

Limitations
 This feature is helpful in monitoring changes to your document. However, it does have
limitations:

▶︎ Only viewers with Google accounts will appear.

▶︎ If users outside of your organization click a shareable link, they will not be
listed.

Users can also hide their viewing activity via options in the Privacy settings tab.
Although it isn’t perfect, hopefully the Activity dashboard can tell you what you want to
know.

Lesson 25: Using Google Docs on a Mobile Device

Using Google Docs on a mobile

device
In addition to the Google Docs web-based application, there's a mobile app available for
both iOS and Android. It's easy to use and can be downloaded on most mobile devices.

To learn more about the Google Docs mobile app, watch the video below.

Using Google Docs on a Mobile Device

What is the Google Docs app?

The Google Docs app allows you to view and edit all of your Google docs on the go.
Every change you make to your docs through the app will also show up in the browser
version of Google Docs. You can even use the app to save and make changes to your
docs when you're offline. Review our lesson on Using Google Docs Offline to learn how.

The app vs. the browser

The Google Docs app contains almost all of the same features as the web-based version,
but there are some key differences between the two.

▶︎ The mobile app lacks certain features, including the Ruler, shapes, headers
and footers, and Suggesting mode.

▶︎ The Google Docs app allows you to view and edit your files, but if you want
to create folders and organize them you'll need to download the Google
Drive app as well. The Google Drive app is available for both iOS and
Android.

▶︎ Depending on the mobile device you're using, your document may look
different than it does on your computer. For example, here's a Word
document as seen on a mobile device:
Here's the same Word document as seen on a computer:

Because of these differences, it may be difficult to create a complex document from

scratch on the Google Docs app. However, it's still a great tool for viewing your
documents and doing some quick editing.

How to use Google Docs:

The Google Docs app's interface is easy to use and navigate. Click the links in the
interactive below to learn some of its key features.

More

Tapping this icon opens a

menu with a variety of
options, including sharing,
exporting, print preview,
word count, and searching.

Lesson 26: Using Google Docs Offline

Using Google Docs offline

Google Docs is a great tool for creating and sharing documents online. It also has a
useful feature that allows you to edit documents while you're offline. This can be helpful
if you're planning on using your laptop, tablet, or smartphone somewhere without
Internet access. Any changes you make to your documents while offline will be stored
and applied to your files the next time you connect to the Internet. There are two
methods you can use to work offline, and both are covered in this lesson.
 Watch the video below to learn how to view and edit documents while
offline.

Google Docs: Editing Docs Offline

Before you set up the offline features, you will need to be connected to the Internet.

To use Google Docs offline on your computer:

1 For this method, you will need to use Google Chrome as your web browser.
Go to drive.google.com, click the gear in the upper-right corner, then click
Settings.

2 In the Settings menu, check the box in the Offline section. This will give you
the ability to turn on the offline feature for any of your Google Drive files.

3 Open Google Docs and locate the document you want to edit offline. Click
the button with the three vertical dots, then click the switch next to where it
reads Available offline.
To use Google Docs offline on your mobile device:
You can also easily make your documents available offline using your mobile device. For
this method, you will need to have the Google Docs app downloaded onto your mobile
device. It's available for both iOS and Android.

1 Open the Google Docs app, and locate the file you want to edit offline. Tap
the three dots.
2 Tap Make available offline from the menu. The app will inform you when
it's done making the document available offline.
 Unavailable features while offline
While viewing and editing your documents without an Internet connection, there are a
few functions and features that won't be available.

▶︎ You won't be able to see edits online users are making to your documents.

▶︎ You can't share your documents with others until you reconnect to the
Internet.

▶︎ The spell check feature, adding images, and any add-ons you may have
installed will no longer be available.

Lesson 27: Voice Typing

Voice typing
With Google Docs, using the keyboard isn’t your only option to add text. You can also
just talk and have Google Docs transcribe the words for you. You can use this feature to
transcribe meetings and audio recordings, or simply when you want to write faster than
you can type.

Watch the video below to learn more about voice typing in Google Docs.

Google Docs: Voice Typing

Voice typing is only available in the Google Chrome web browser, and your
computer must have a built-in or external microphone.
Typing with your voice
1 Click Tools, then select Voice typing.

2 Click the microphone in the small dialog box that appears.

3 If a popup appears, click Allow.

 4 Start talking, and Google will transcribe what it hears. You can add
punctuation using voice commands like comma and period. Here is what
we said in our example:

"Google’s voice typing feature works pretty well (comma) and it even lets
you add punctuation using voice commands (period) Even though mistakes
are likely to occur (comma) it is still a great way to create notes very quickly
(period)"

And here is what Google transcribed:

5 Click the microphone again to turn off voice typing.

Google’s voice recognition is good, but it knows that it isn’t perfect, so it underlines
words that it’s not sure about in gray. This makes it easier for you to spot any errors.

To fix an error, place your cursor over underlined text, right-click, and choose the best
option.
Making edits with your voice
Voice commands allow you to make edits to your text without touching the
keyboard. To find a full list of available voice commands, hover over the microphone,
and click the question mark.

Here are some examples of how to use voice commands.

▶︎ "Select are likely to occur."

 ▶︎ "Delete."

▶︎ "Might happen."

▶︎ "Stop listening." This command turns off voice typing.

While it is possible to do extensive edits using only your voice, it can be challenging. If
you’re able to work with a mouse and keyboard, you're probably better off using those
to make your edits.

Voice typing might not be the best way to edit your resume, but it is a great tool for when
you are brainstorming or need to quickly take some notes.

Lesson 28: Translating Documents

Translating documents
If you ever have to share a document with people who speak a different language, don't
worry. Google Docs makes it easy to translate documents.
 In this lesson, you'll learn how to translate your document into over 100 different
languages with just a few clicks.

Watch the video below to learn about translating documents.

Google Docs: Translating Documents

To translate a document:
1 Click Tools, then select Translate document.

2 In the dialog box, type a name for the translated document. In our
example, we are adding the name of the new language at the beginning of
the title.
 3 Use the drop-down menu to select the language that you want to translate
the document into.

4 Click Translate. A new tab will open with the translated Google Doc.

The translated document is a copy of the original. The original document remains
unchanged, and you can click the browser tabs to switch between the original and
translated copy.
While the translation is generally good enough to get the message across, it’s important
to know that the translation is not perfect. If you need an accurate translation, it’s best
to have a fluent or native speaker look at the document.

Lesson 29: Linking Within a Document

Linking within a document

Links usually take you outside of Google Docs. But you can also link one part of your
document to another, and go to any point you desire by using headings and bookmarks.

Watch the video below to see how you can link different parts of your
document.
Google Docs: Linking Within a Document

Linking to a heading
Headings tend to be used at the beginning of a section, and you can link to them in a few
quick steps. To learn more about creating headings, take a look at our Text Styles
lesson.

Let’s link some text to a heading called New Client Overview:

1 Highlight the desired text.

2 Right-click it, and select Link.

 3 Open the Headings drop-down menu, and choose the heading you want to
link to.

4 Click Apply to create the link.

5 To use the link, click it, then click the heading name.

Creating a bookmark
What if you want to link to a specific point in your document, like a statistic or key fact?
You can use bookmarks, and you can place them almost anywhere: on a blank space, a
block of text, or an image.

Here's how to create a bookmark in Google Docs:

1 Highlight your desired content. In this example, it's a statistic in a table.

 2 Click Insert, then select Bookmark.

3 A small bookmark icon will appear to the left of your selection.

Linking to a bookmark
Now let's link some text to the bookmark we just created:

1 Select the relevant text.

2 Right-click the text, then select Link.

 3 Click the Bookmarks drop-down menu, and select the bookmark you want
to link to.

4 Click Apply to complete the link.

Shareable links and bookmarks

You can even create a shareable link that goes directly to the bookmark. Just click the
bookmark icon, right-click the word Link, and select Copy link address. You can give
that link to anyone who has permission to access your document.
 All of these links will still work even if you download your Google Doc as a PDF file or
Word document. Whether you’re online or not, linking to headings and bookmarks can
help make key information easier to find.

Lesson 30: Smart Compose

Smart Compose
If you have a G Suite account through your employer or school, you may have noticed
that Google Docs has started suggesting words for you as you type. This feature is called
Smart Compose, and it was first introduced to Gmail in 2018 before coming to Google
Docs in 2020.

Watch the video below to learn how to use Smart Compose in Google Docs.

Google Docs: Smart Compose

To use Smart Compose:
1 All you need to do is start typing. As you type, suggestions will appear as
lighter gray text.

2 Press either the tab key or the right arrow key to accept the suggestion.
The suggested text will then become part of your document, and you can
continue typing.

3 If Smart Compose makes a suggestion that you don't like, just ignore it and
keep typing. The suggestion will disappear.

To turn off Smart Compose:

If you find Smart Compose to be unhelpful or annoying, you can turn the feature off
completely.

1 Click Tools, then Preferences.

2 Uncheck Show Smart Compose suggestions.

3 Click OK. You will no longer receive suggestions.

 Privacy concerns
Smart Compose is powered by machine learning that looks at data from millions of
users. Turning Smart Compose off will stop the suggestions from appearing, but it
doesn't stop Google from being able to read your documents.

Google claims that your account is secure and that privacy is always maintained,
meaning that no human will ever read your writing and that your private information
won't be exposed. You can find out more by reading Google Drive's terms of service and
privacy policy.

Smart Compose limitations

Smart Compose is currently only available in the web version of Google Docs, in English,
and to users with a G Suite Account. However, it is likely to expand in the future.

Lesson 31: Custom Substitutions

Custom substitutions
If you're tired of typing the same phrase over and over again, you can create a custom
substitution that will generate the phrase automatically.

Watch the video below to learn how to create and use custom substitutions
in Google Docs.

Google Docs: Custom Substitutions

What are substitutions?
Substitutions allow you to type a short piece of text and have it be replaced by
something else. For example, try typing two parentheses with a 'c' in the middle.

Then press the spacebar or Enter key on your keyboard. The text turns into the copyright
symbol! Using substitutions is that easy!

Creating custom substitutions

To make your own custom substitutions, you first have to find the substitution list.

Click Tools, then select Preferences.

In the Preferences pane, click Substitutions.

You'll see a list of the default substitutions that are already available.

Now let's create our own substitution that will replace sop with standard operating
procedure.

Click the empty box under Replace and type sop.

Then click the corresponding box in the With column, and type standard operating
procedure.

Then click OK.

Now that our custom substitution is created, let's try it out. Somewhere in your
document type sop.

Then press the spacebar. The letters will be replaced with the custom substitution!

Any custom substitution that you create will be available in all of your Google Docs. This
means that you don't have to re-create your substitutions each time.
Doing more with custom substitutions
When creating custom substitutions, you can use text or any Unicode-based symbol, like
a square root sign or cowboy emoji.

You can turn off a substitution by clicking the checkbox next to it.

You can delete a substitution by clicking the X.

If you want to turn off all substitutions, click the checkbox next to Automatic
substitution.
Substitutions on mobile
You cannot create or edit custom substitutions from the Google Docs mobile app, but
you can use substitutions that you previously created on the computer.

The process to use a substitution is the same on mobile. Simply type the text...

Then tap the spacebar, and the substitution is made.

Custom substitutions require a little bit of setup, but in the end they can save you a lot of
time and hassle.

Lesson 32: The Doc.new Shortcut

 The doc.new shortcut
Did you know that you can create a new Google Doc in just a few seconds? All you have
to do is type doc.new into the address bar of your web browser and press Enter.

Watch the video below to see the process in action and to learn what other
shortcuts are available.

Google Drive: The Doc.new Shortcut

Creating new Google Doc

To create a new Google Doc, type doc.new into the address bar of your web browser
and press Enter. It's that easy.

If you are signed into your Google account, a new document will instantly be created. If
you aren't signed in to your Google account, you will be prompted to log in before the
document can be created.

Here are some other shortcuts you can try:

▶︎ Create a new Google Slides presentation with slide.new.

▶︎ Create a new spreadsheet with sheet.new.

 ▶︎ Create a new Google Form with form.new.

▶︎ Create a new Google Site with site.new.

▶︎ Create a new calendar event with cal.new.

To find the full list of available shortcuts, go to goo.gle/Shortcuts.

Lesson 33: Adding Citations

Adding citations
Referencing and citing sources within your document can be challenging and take
hours. Google Docs provides two different ways to create and add citations
automatically by using the Citations tool or the Explore tool. In this lesson, you'll learn
how to cite sources, search the web from within your document, and generate a
bibliography.

Watch the video below to see how you can add citations and a bibliography
to your document.

Google Docs: Adding Citations & Bibliography

Using the citations tool:

One way to create and add citations to your document is to use the Citations tool. The
citations tool allows you to cite from various sources including books and magazines
and insert your bibliography.

To add a citation source:

1 First, go to Tools > Citations.

2 A sidebar will appear. You can select a style guide of either MLA, APA, or
Chicago from the drop-down menu. Then, click Add citation source
followed by selecting a source type. In this example, we're going to select
Book and choose Print.

3 Enter the information into the recommended fields and click Add citation
source.
 4 Sources are saved and available within the sidebar.

To receive the proper formatting, information for sources should be entered

manually and correctly. Make sure all recommended fields are complete.

To edit the citation source:

▶︎ To edit the source, click the three dots and select Edit.
To add an in-text citation:
▶︎ To cite within your document, simply click where you want the citation to
go. In the citations sidebar, select the source and click Cite.

▶︎ Feel free to add the exact page number or delete the number sign.
To add a bibliography, select the desired location for the bibliography in your document.
From the citations sidebar, click Insert bibliography.

Changes made to your bibliography after you insert it into your document,
will not be updated automatically. It’s best to wait until all sources have
been cited to generate a bibliography.

Using the explore tool:

Within your document, you can search the web for relevant sources and easily add
citations as a footnote using the Explore tool. This tool has more limitations than the full
Citations tool. You can only cite as a footnote, which means that you won’t be able to
use this tool to create your bibliography. Citations are only created for web sources.

To create a citation:
1 Open the Explore tool by clicking the icon at the bottom-right of the page.
Alternatively, you can go to Tools > Explore.

2 The Explore tool works just like a normal Google search. You can search for
a word or phrase, and then click on any of the links to visit the full website.

3 If you already know the website that you want to use, you can copy and
paste the URL into the search bar. Select the URL you want to use, then
press Ctrl+C (Windows) or Command+C (Mac) on your keyboard to copy
the URL. Place your insertion point where you want the text to appear, and
press Ctrl+V (Windows) or Command+V (Mac) on your keyboard to paste
the URL into the search bar. Then press Enter.

4 To change the citation format, click the three dots next to Web Results. You
can choose between MLA, APA, and Chicago.
 5 To add the citation, hover over the result that you want; then, click the
Quotation Mark.

6 The citation is added as a footnote with the proper formatting.

Depending on how you want the citations formatted, you can choose the tool that would
work best for your document.

Lesson 34: Adjusting Margins

Adjusting Margins
Sometimes you need to adjust the margins of your document to get it just right. Well,
Google Docs provides two different ways to set them how you like. In this lesson, you'll
learn how to use the ruler in your document and the Page Setup dialog box to set the
margins.

Watch the video below to learn more about adjusting margins in Google
Docs.
Google Docs: Adjusting Margins

Adjusting margins in Page Setup

One way to change the margins is to go to the Page Setup dialog box.

1 Click File and select Page Setup.

2 Now you can change each margin by clicking a box and typing a new
measurement.
 3 Click OK when you’re done.

4 The default margins are set to one inch on each side. However, you can
change them by clicking Set as Default after you change the margins.

5 The default margins take effect whenever you create a new document. They
will not affect existing documents.

Adjusting margins with the ruler

Another way to change the margins is to use the ruler.

1 If you don’t see the ruler above and to the left of your document, click View
and select Show ruler.
 2 Go to the gray portion at either end of a ruler.

3 Your cursor will become an arrow.

4 Click and drag to change the margins.

Remember that adjusting the margins affects every page of your document. Currently,
you cannot set different margins for individual pages. Still, this feature may be useful
when you need to customize your document.

Lesson 35: Keyboard Shortcuts

 Keyboard Shortcuts
Keyboard shortcuts can dramatically speed up your work. These shortcuts are different
for Windows and macOS computers. In this lesson, we'll show you how to use keyboard
shortcuts in Google Docs and where you can find new ones. For more information, visit
our lessons in Tech Savvy Tips and Tricks.

Watch the video below to discover the list of keyboard shortcuts in Google
Docs.

Google Docs: Finding Keyboard Shortcuts

How to use keyboard shortcuts

Select a portion of text, and cut it by pressing Ctrl+X, or Command+X if you’re on a Mac.

Paste the text into a new spot by pressing Ctrl+V or Command+V.

So that’s how you use shortcuts, but how can you discover new ones?

How to discover keyboard shortcuts

▶︎ One method is to look for them when using Google Docs. In the Edit menu,
most of the commands have a keyboard shortcut that can be used instead.

▶︎ Another way to discover shortcuts is to open the full list by going to Help >
Keyboard shortcuts. You can also use the shortcut shown in the Help
menu, which is Ctrl+/ if you’re on Windows, and Command+/ on a Mac.
A new window will appear. This list of keyboard shortcuts is divided into different
categories.

Feel free to search for specific shortcuts by name. In this example, we'll search for the
Word count tool.
It looks like the shortcut on a Windows computer for the Word count tool is Ctrl+Shift+C
or Command+Shift+C if you're on a Mac.

Press Ctrl+Shift+C or Command+Shift+C if using a Mac. The Word count dialog box will
appear.

Let's open the Keyboard shortcuts Window, using the shortcut Ctrl+/.
While this window shows most of the shortcuts, it doesn’t actually show all of them. To
see the full list, click View all in help center in the bottom-left corner.

The webpage that opens shows every Google Docs shortcut across all of the different
platforms.

There are shortcuts for all sorts of different tasks. There are even a few shortcuts that
can be done with a mouse!
 With so many shortcuts available, it’s not really possible to memorize all of them.
Instead, if you find yourself repeating an action over and over again, look to see if there’s
a shortcut that can help you out.

Lesson 36: Creating a Table of Contents

Creating a table of contents

Writing assignments like research papers or annual reports can become long and uneasy
to manage. A table of contents can add structure to your document and help readers
find what they’re looking for. It also provides easy navigation when the document is
printed as a PDF or Word document. In this lesson, you'll learn how to create, format,
and add a table of contents to your document.

Watch the video to learn how to create a table of contents in Google Docs.

Google Docs: Table of Contents

Creating table of contents
To create a table of contents, you’ll need to use headings.

1 Highlight the title of a section.

2 Click the Styles menu and select a heading.

3 Once you create a heading style for each section, click where you want the
table of contents to go.

4 Click Insert. Hover the mouse over Table of contents.

5 Select a layout style. One layout has blue links, while the other shows page
numbers. However, they both work the same way.

6 Use the toolbar to edit and format the text as you please.
 7 If you’d like to go to a particular section, click it, then click the link in the
box.

To add a section:
1 To add a new section, create a new heading.

2 Click the table of contents and select the Refresh icon.

 To update or delete:
▶︎ Right-click the table of contents, and use the menu to update or delete it.

Lesson 37: Google Docs Quiz

Quiz

Question 1 of 30
Google Docs is most similar to which application?

Microsoft Word Microsoft Outlook

Microsoft PowerPoint Adobe Creative Suite

Submit