In today’s article, we are going to discuss how to use Google Docs and everything you need to know to use it effectively.
If you have never used Google docs before, it’s a product from Google and a word processor. So, if you have used Microsoft Word in the past, it is similar to that but what’s unique is that you don’t have to download any application to access Google docs; it is accessible from any device.
You have to go to docs.google.com, and everything takes place online on your browser. Another way you can access Google docs is by clicking on this URL; drive.google.com.
Here you can press ‘New’, scroll down and choose Google Docs from the menu and your new document will be open.
Let’s Find Out More About ‘Google Docs.’
Google Drive is a storage for all your Google documents. You have Google Sheets, Google Slides, and a bunch more options like Google forms. All the supported applications get stored on Google Drive.
It’s a great way to organize all your documents the same way you would on any computer but this is just on the Internet and everything is stored on Google’s server.
It supports many formats such as .doc, .docx, .txt, .rtf, and .odt.
Since it is an online word processor, you can share your document with multiple people and collaborate with them.
Note: Another feature of this Google doc is that they have inbuilt shortcut keys for almost every function. It will assist in increasing your speed.
Let’s start!
How To Access Your ‘Google Docs’?
You have to log in to your Google account if you don’t have simply, create one.
After that open google.com and click on the “Waffle” (9 dots) displayed on the right side at the top.
Click on it and you will see various options like Meet, YouTube, Maps, etc. Click on the ‘Docs’ tab and wait for it to open up.
Voila, this is your Google docs; a real-time alternative to Microsoft word.
After opening your Google doc, you will see a ‘+’ sign and besides that, many templates are given for resumes, letters, project proposals, brochures, etc. If you want your document in any of that formats, click to use it.
For now, we will press click on the blank document (‘+’ sign) and our new document will be open.
First, you have to put a title for your document, or else by default, it will be saved as an ‘Untitled document’.
Now you can start typing as you do in a Microsoft processor.
Also read: How to Pick & Customize Themes For Your WordPress Websites
How To Format Your Document?
If you want to change the formatting of your document, you can click on the ‘Format’ tab given at the top menu bar.
You can also change the look of your document with the help of a bar given below the Menu bar. It will have all the necessary options that one can use it.
1. Change the text style
You can select your document or just a portion that you want to change and click on the Format tab. Now click on the ‘Text’ tab and choose any option you want. You can select the Bold option, or Italic or Underline option based on your requirement.
Here are other options like ‘strike through’, superscript, and subscript. You can also increase or decrease your font size and capitalize the letters.
Change the font style by selecting the default display bar.
You can change your text color by clicking on this sign A and highlight it by clicking on this ‘brush’ icon
2. Select the paragraph style
You can create a border on your document by clicking on the ‘Paragraph style’ tab and you can change your normal text to Title, Heading 1, 2, or 3.
3. Align and Indent your document
You can change the appearance of your document by changing the alignment from left, middle, right, and justified and you can change the indent of your paragraph too. Select the option under the ‘Align and Indent’ tab.
4. Other options
There are various other options given under the Format tab that you select from.
- Change the paragraph and line spacing as per your requirement.
- Create columns and add bullet points or numbers to your list.
- Add header or footer and mention page number
- Change the page orientation from landscape to portrait.
How To Insert Images?
Click on the ‘Insert’ tab and you will see many options to add an image, table, drawing, or any chart.
A new window will appear with options to select an image you want to insert and click on the ‘Open’ button. The selected image will be added to your doc.
Note: You can also add a date, footnote, special characters, equations, and watermarks using respective options from the insert menu.
How To Insert Link?
You add a ‘link’ by selecting any word or group of words and clicking on the ‘Link’ tab.
Open the website of the link you want to insert and copy its URL.
After that paste, the link URL which you have copied and press enter.
The link will be highlighted in blue color and it means you are good to go.
How To Use a Dictionary And Grammar Check?
Select your document by pressing ctrl+A’ and clicking on the ‘Tool’ tab from the Menu bar. After that ‘Spelling and Grammer’. It will check all the spelling and grammar errors and will provide suggestions.
You can use the inbuilt dictionary as well under the same tab. It will display the meaning or synonym of that particular word which you will type in the search bar.
You can put “Citations” as required and can use “Voice typing” also. It will help you in increasing your efficiency.
How To Share Your Document With Others?
It is one of the best features of Google Docs; we can share our documents with others in real-time.
Click on the ‘Share’ tab which is given at the top right corner in blue color.
Put the email Id of that person with whom you want to share this document and press the ‘send’ button.
Before clicking on the ‘send’ button, you can choose the amount of access you want to give from the Editor, Viewer, or Commenters, or transfer ownership as per your needs.
Note: Please keep in mind that only the editor and transfer ownership can make any changes to your document.
You can also copy the link of your document and share it with anyone by changing the restrictions from private to anyone.
How To Check Recent Changes or Version History?
It gets difficult to keep track of all the changes that have occurred in your file after sharing them with others. However, you have a solution for that in Google Docs.
Click on the ‘File’ from the Menu bar and go to the ‘Version history’ tab.
You can see all the recent changes by the others in the same document.
How To Download ‘Google Doc’ On Your System?
Generally, we want to arrange all of our documents on the system. We can do this by clicking on the ‘File’ tab from the Menu bar and then selecting on ‘download’ tab.
From there you can choose any format which you want and click on it.
Your document will be downloaded to your system.
How To Use it Offline?
You must be thinking that how you will work on ‘Google doc’ when there is no internet connection or you want to use it offline.
Another excellent feature of ‘Google Docs’ is that you can use it while having no internet connection. For that, you have to download an extension and you are good to go.
Read the complete guide here: How to use Google docs offline
Conclusion
These are the methods that will guide you in using ‘Google Docs’ like a pro. It is the best tool for people who are in the writing business either as blog writers or novelists.
It is full of multiple features that will ease your work. It can free up your storage space, and you can have access to all of your important documents anywhere with an internet connection.
Start using this free web-based application.
