Create a new Doc using a MLA or APA format. Click Create > From Template > Public Templates and type in APA or MLA in the search. Click Use this template.- Star certain documents to help organize. Click the star to the left of a title in your Docs list. You can see all your starred documents by clicking Starred on the left side of the screen.
- Upload any type of file from your computer to Google Docs. Click the Upload icon (next to CREATE), and select one or more files of any type (music, video, pictures, WordPerfect, Ami Pro, WordStar, installation files, etc.).
- Create folders/collections. Click My collections, > ‘plus folder’ icon at the top (
). Name your collection and click OK. - Click and drag documents to Collections. Click to the right of the subject title, and drag Docs to the appropriate collection folder.
- Color your Collections. Click the drop-down arrow to the right of a collection.
- Hide Collections from the ‘home’ menu. Click the down arrow next to collections folder and click Don’t show in home.
- Preview a Document without opening it. Click the eye icon from the docs list:
- Learn from others. Click Help > Learn from other Google users within any open open Google document.
- Quickly Edit sharing options. Click a document from your Google Docs list, and click on the eye icon to give you a preview. Click the pencil
next to ‘Sharing’ below the preview picture. - Select all documents in the Google Docs list. Click the check box to the left of the title at the top.
- Search documents by visibility settings. When typing a title into the search bar, click the down arrow to the right of the bar, and click which visibility settings you would like to search for.
- Change the density of the Google Docs interface. Click the gear icon
at upper-right, and choose from Comfortable, Cozy, or Compact views. - Change the language. Under Gear > Settings > General set the default language.
- Open items in the current window. Under Gear > Settings > General click In the current window.
- Submit your own template. Select the document you wish to submit. Click more > Submit as template.
- Change the time zone. Click Gear > Settings > General and adjust the ‘Time Zone’ setting.
- Drop and drop images into your documents. This one is pretty much self-explanatory.
- ‘Paint’ the same text, size, and font into your document. Highlight features you’d like to repeat, and click the paintbrush icon
next to the web clipboard. Then ‘paint’ over words, phrases or paragraphs to apply the same formatting features. - Use Keyboard shortcuts. To make things move faster, try using the default keyboard shortcuts.
- Share your document with non-Google Docs users. When the sharing window opens, select Anyone with the link and then add one or more email addresses.
- Add a link in spreadsheets. Enter the link in a cell. When the cell is selected, a pop-up dialogue box will appear. You can also add a URL link to a word or phrase.
- Hide Gridlines in spreadsheets. Click View > Gridlines to hide them.
- Star your documents while editing them. Once you’ve named your document, the outline of a star will appear to the right of the title. Click it to star it.
- Color code rows, columns, cells, etc. in spreadsheets. Right-click on a row/column/cell you would like to color and click Conditional Formatting. You can also access this through the Format menu.
- View a document’s entire revision history. Click File > See revision history.
- Get detailed revision history. Revision history not detailed enough? Once the revision history box is open, click See more detailed revision at the bottom.
- Re-order sheets. Working with more then one sheet in spreadsheets? Drag and drop the sheet tabs at the bottom to re-order them.
- Copy and paste format only in spreadsheets. Select the row/ column you would like to copy the format and right-click Copy. Then right-click where you would like to paste the formatting and click Paste Special > Paste format only.
- Keyboard shortcuts for spreadsheets. Use special keyboard shortcuts for Google Spreadsheets to spead up the process!
- Quick Sum. Select/highlight all the numbers you would like to add. The sum is automatically displayed in the bottom-right of the screen.
- Keyboard shortcuts for presentations. Use special keyboard shortcuts for Google Presentations to speed up the process!
- Publish your Google Presentation. Click Share > Publish at the top-right from within a Google Presentation. This gives you a pop-up window with a URL. Copy and paste this URL into your website. You have options to configure the size of the Presentation.
- Put drawings into other documents. Once you have your shape/ drawing, click the web clipboard icon.
. Select Copy entire drawing into web clipboard. Then open a Google Presentation, Google Doc, or wherever you’d like to put the drawing and click the web clipboard icon. Select your drawing and there you go! - Keyboard shortcuts for Google Drawings. Use special keyboard shortcuts for Google Drawings to speed up the process!
- Continue to edit your drawing. Even after you’ve put a Google Drawing into another document, you can still edit it simply by double-clicking the drawing!
- Make Speaker notes in a Google Presentation! Select the ‘Speaker note’ icon in the bottom-right corner of a Google Presentation:
These notes do not appear in the presentation and can be edited. - Collaborate on a Google Document with others. In real time! Click Share at the top-right of your document window, and type in the email adresses(es) of those you wish to collaborate with. Select whether to give Viewing, Editing, or Commenting privileges.
- Change the owner of a document. (You have to be the owner to be able to do this.) In the sharing settings which can be accessed by clicking Share. Click ‘Is owner‘ under the access box to the right of the name.
- Email collaborators. Click Share > Email collaborators at top-right within a Google Doc.
40 Quick Tips for Google Docs
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By Robert Minch November 2, 2011 - 10:46 pm
Lots of good hints, thanks. I tried a search of “APA/MLA” in public templates but got no matches, however. There are some choices for APA and MLA individually . . .
By rebeccaballou November 3, 2011 - 7:15 am
Correct! Thank you! You can search each template individually in public templates but as they are separate formats I doubt they would both be the same template. Although that would be interesting! So you can search either ‘APA’ or ‘MLA’ but not ‘APA/MLA’ I’ve corrected the article and hopefully I’ve clarified it for you and other readers. Thank you for bringing it to my attention!
By Debi January 3, 2012 - 1:57 pm
Is there a way to change a document so when names are added to the list they are shown as last entered on the sheet is on the top?
By Shad Jessen January 5, 2012 - 8:34 am
Debi, you can sort any column or row in a Google Spreadsheet under the “Data” menu item. For more info, contact the Help Desk at 426-4357, or helpdesk@boisestate.edu.