Google Docs: Tips & Tricks
Shanmukha Polu | Published : October 8th, 2023
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Templates
- Add-ons
- Voice Typing
- Google Meet Integration
- Using @
- Custom Page Layout
- Publish to the Web
- Substitution Preferences
- Emoji Reactions
- Doc.new
- Conclusion
Google Docs is a powerful tool that is widely used by individuals, businesses, and professionals across different industries. The platform offers a range of features and functionalities that can make document collaboration, creation, and management easier and more efficient. In this article, we will cover several Google Docs tips and tricks that can help you get the most out of the platform, including templates, add-ons, voice typing, Google Meet integration, and more.
Google Docs provides users with an extensive range of templates to choose from. Whether you need to create resumes, business letters, brochures, or event flyers, Google Docs has you covered in all aspects. Accessing these pre-built templates is incredibly easy, as you need to select the “Template Gallery” option when opening a new document. This will launch a window with numerous templates to choose from. The best aspect of Google Docs templates is that they are customizable, meaning you can easily modify them to meet your specific requirements. Once you select a template, you will be taken to a new document, pre-filled with content that you can either modify or delete. The pre-existing content inside a template is a great starting point, saving you time and efforts otherwise required to create a document from scratch.
Google offers a vast library of Add-ons that can add functionalities to your Google Docs. These Add-ons can be incredibly useful if you are working on a project that requires frequent revisions or formatting. There are numerous Add-ons available, including Thesaurus, WordCloud, Grammarly, EasyBib, and the like. By using Add-ons, you can streamline your process, produce high-quality content, and reduce spelling or grammar errors. Add-ons also offer a collaborative work environment where all team members can work on the same project, share their ideas, and implement changes in real-time.
Voice Typing is a fantastic feature that helps you to dictate the content smoothly into the document instead of typing it out. This is useful in case you want to create a document without typing efficiently or if you have a disability. Using Voice Typing for Google Docs is effortless, first, click on the ‘Tools’ tab, and select ‘Voice Typing. A microphone icon will appear on the screen, and when clicked, you can start speaking to begin translating your voice into words. With Voice Typing, you can also format text or insertion of punctuation marks by speaking out what you need to insert.
Google Meet Integration with Google Docs makes the collaborative process more efficient and streamlined. Once you start a Google Meet, by selecting the “Tools” menu, you will be able to join an ongoing meeting or create a new Meeting. This feature provides you with tools such as camera or microphone that are essential for team collaboration. You can share Google Doc documents with other users, chat, or start a video conference call, all on the same screen. The integrated suite of tools makes Google Docs and Meet a perfect fit for businesses or professionals needing a virtual work environment.
Using ‘@’ in Google Docs is a powerful tool that enables users to improve collaboration, organization, and productivity significantly. This feature allows you to mention people and files, create smart chips, and building blocks to help streamline document management and improve the efficiency of shared documents. Smart chips are snippets that you can insert in Google Docs that expand to display more information, providing quick accessibility and background information. Building blocks are a feature that allows you to save blocks of text, tables, and chips as reusable blocks. File mentions enable quick access to specific documents and files and ensure that team members are on the same page. Additionally, you can mention people in a shared document to assign tasks, delegate responsibilities, and facilitate teamwork. By utilizing this feature, communication between team members is streamlined, making collaboration more efficient, and reducing confusion.
The custom page layout feature in Google Docs allows users to set margins, paper size, and page orientation to match their requirements. With this feature, users can modify their document’s layout to fit the purpose of their project, be it a business proposal, a research paper, or a booklet. To access the page setup option on Google Docs, go to the “File” menu and select “Page setup.” You will then be presented with several options to set up your document’s layout such as the orientation (portrait or landscape), paper size, and margin size. Users can also set custom margins that match their specific needs. With the custom page layout feature, users can achieve a professional and polished look for their documents. This feature is an excellent way to customize the visual aspects of the project, ensuring a better experience for the reader or audience.
Sharing documents has never been easier thanks to online platforms such as Google Docs. With just a few clicks, you can publish your documents to the web and make them accessible to a wider audience. This is particularly useful for businesses, educators, and anyone who wants to share their work without having to send it to individual recipients. To publish your Google document, you need to go to the “File” menu and select “Publish to the Web.” You’ll then be presented with a dialog box that allows you to customize the publishing options, such as the format, publishing range, and whether to automatically republish when changes are made. Once you’ve made your selections, click the “Publish” button to generate a link that you can share with others. Publishing your document to the web has many benefits. It allows you to reach a broader audience than you would with email or paper copies. You can also embed the document on your website or share it on social media, increasing its visibility and accessibility. Moreover, published documents inherit the same control and permissions as shared documents, allowing you to set who can view and edit your work.
Google Docs provides users with the ability to set up substitution preferences to replace commonly misspelled words or frequently used phrases in the document. This feature is incredibly time-saving and can help you create documents with ease. For example, you can set up substitution preferences for your signature or commonly used phrases, and they will get replaced automatically once the abbreviation of the substitution is entered. To use this feature, select “Tools” from the menu bar of the Google document, followed by “Preferences.” After that, you can click on the “Substitution” tab and add new entries for substitution.
Emojis are small pictorial representations of emotions, ideas, and things. They have proved to be an effective way of conveying thoughts and feelings in personal and professional settings. Google Docs incorporates the use of emojis as part of its collaborative functionalities. With this feature, users can react to a document in real-time by inserting emojis. Using emojis on Google Docs provides a fun yet productive way to communicate. It is informal and helps to remove the rigidity associated with document collaborations. Emojis can help to convey emotions that words cannot. For example, a smiley or thumbs up can express agreement, while a sad face can convey disagreement. These reactions aid in fostering better communication and understanding amongst users. To insert an emoji on Google Docs, simply highlight the word or section of text you wish to react to. Then, select the emoji icon on the left side of the document. A dropdown menu will appear allowing you to select the desired emoji. Once you have chosen an emoji, it will be inserted into the document, and other collaborators will be notified of your reaction.
Google Docs offers a range of shortcuts that can save your time in completing specific tasks. For instance, if you want to create a new document in Google Docs, you usually go to the menu bar and create one. However, you can use the “Doc.new” command to create a new document without having to go through the menu bars. Simply type the command into your browser’s URL bar and hit enter, and boom! – there is your new blank document, ready for editing. This shortcut lets you jump right into your document while saving you valuable time that you would have otherwise spent navigating to the page to create a new document. Apart from Google Docs, the “.new” command can also be used with other Google products like Sheets, Slides, Forms, Sites, and Drawing.
Overall, Google Docs is a versatile and user-friendly platform that can help you create and manage documents with ease. By utilizing the tips and tricks outlined in this article, you can streamline your workflow, collaborate more effectively, and produce high-quality content efficiently. Whether you are a student, freelancer, or part of a team, these features can help you get the most out of Google Docs, making it a valuable tool for any professional or organization.