8 Useful Google Docs Features Every Editor Needs to Know

Welcome!

If you are a regular Google Docs user you might have noticed all the new amazing features the team at Google has been adding. If you haven’t noticed, don’t worry this blog has got you covered. In this blog we will be taking a look at 8 Google Doc Features that will boost your productivity and help you in your daily tasks.

So let’s get started.

In this blog we will be covering the following features:

1. Menu Shortcuts
2. Dropdown
3. Table Templates
4. Meeting Notes
5. Email Draft
6. Checklists
7. Watermarks
8. Emoji Reactions

(1) Menu Shortcuts

With this feature you can quickly access commonly used menu commands by using a simple keyboard shortcut. This can save you a lot of time and make working with Google Docs even more efficient.

To use menu shortcuts type @ , and a dropdown menu will appear

Here you will get suggestions for adding people, using dropdown, meeting notes and more. So if you use other Google Workspace Tools, everything will feel more connected. This saves time and makes working with Google Docs more efficient.

(2) Dropdowns

This feature allows you to create a dropdown menu within your document, making it easy to select from a list of options or input data. This is useful when you are working with long lists or you want to keep your document organised and streamlines.

To use menu shortcuts just type in @dropdown and you will see something like this.

Here you have an option to either create your own dropdowns or select from preset dropdowns that Google Docs provides.

On entering the dropdown, it will look something like this. Here I can select the status of the YouTube video from the options provided by the dropdown feature.

(3) Table Templates

With this, you can quickly create a professional-looking table in your document by choosing from a variety of pre-designed templates. This can save you a lot of time and effort when it comes to formatting your tables.

To use the table templates, go ahead and follow these steps.

Insert -> Table -> Table Templates

On clicking Table Templates, you can choose from a wide range of Table templates. On clicking anyone of the templates provided, you can see something like this.

I use the Content Tracker Template to keep track of status’s of my upcoming blogs and videos.

(4) Meeting Notes

Meeting notes is another useful feature, especially for those who frequently take notes during meetings or conferences. With this feature, you can easily create a structured document to organise and summarise your notes, making it easy to refer back to and share with others.

To use Meeting Notes just type in @ and you will see something like this.

On clicking Meeting Notes, you have to select the meeting you want to make notes for.

On selecting the meeting you want, you can fill in the meeting notes, which will look something like this.

(5) Email Draft

Email draft is another helpful addition to Google Docs. With this feature, you can easily create and send professional emails directly from within the platform. This can save you the hassle of switching between different programs or browsers, and make it easier to keep track of your correspondence.

To use Email draft just type in @ and you will see something like this.

On clicking Email draft, you can design an email that looks something like this.

Here you can specify the email address, subject and the body for the email. Once you are done, to send the email go ahead and click on the email icon.

Here you can preview the email and once you are done go ahead and click on Send.

(6) Checklists

Checklists are a great way to keep track of tasks and to-do items, and now you can easily create them within Google Docs. This can be especially useful for collaborative projects, as you can assign tasks to different team members and track progress.

To add checklists to your Google Doc, go ahead and follow these steps.

Format -> Bullets and numbering -> Checklist

On clicking Checklist, select the checklist type you want.

Here you can see that the checklists have been added to the Google Doc. Once you have completed your tasks, you can check them off too.

(7) Watermarks

Watermarks are another new feature that allows you to add a watermark to your document for added security or branding. You can choose from a variety of predesigned watermarks or create your own custom watermark.

To add watermarks, go ahead and follow these steps.

Insert -> Watermarks

On clicking Watermarks you get the following options.

Here you can specify the watermark text, followed by specifying the font ,size of text, transparency and more.

(8) Emoji Reactions

Finally, we have emoji reactions. This is a fun and easy way to express your emotions or reactions to a document or comment. You can simply click on the emoji icon and choose from a variety of different emojis to add to your document or comment.

To use emoji reactions to react to messages just double click on the text you want to react to and click on the emoji button.

On clicking Add emoji reaction, you have a wide range of emojis to choose from.

Once you select, the emoji will appear on the text that you just reacted to.

Conclusion

These are just a few of the new features that Google Docs has released. I have been using this features in my daily work, hence I mentioned them in this article. I hope you found this article interesting.

If you prefer watching the video, click on the link below.

If you feel I have not mentioned some formula let me know what I should write next. You can send your feedback to aryanirani123@gmail.com.