Product: Google Docs

Audience: Staff

Overview

This article offers multiple tools and methods for leveraging Google Docs to optimize your workflow and boost productivity.

Tools/Equipment Needed

• Google Docs
   

Create a Google Doc Quickly (docs.new in the Address Bar)

When you need a Google Doc, and you need it fast, open a new tab in your Chrome web browser and type “docs.new”. This will create a fresh Google Doc, ready for your masterpiece.

• Bonus content! This shortcut also works for many of the other Google Workspace products (sheets.new, slides.new, forms.new, drawings.new, meet.new, docs.new)

Building Blocks

Building Blocks are a set of reusable text, image, table, and other components that can be dragged and dropped into a Google Doc. They help you create a consistent look and feel for your documents, and can save you time.

If you find yourself writing the same thing over and over again, or copying and pasting parts of documents across multiple documents, Building Blocks may be the solution.

Reuse Content Across Google Docs (Insert Custom Building Blocks)

• Create the thing you want to reuse.
• Highlight the content you want to turn into a building block.
• Right-click the highlighted content.
• Click Save as custom building block.
• Add a name. You can also add an optional description.
• Click Create > Got it.

For more information, check out Google's documentation on Custom Building Blocks here.

Collaborate on Emails in Google Docs (Email Building Blocks)

Do you wish collaborating on emails were as easy as editing a Google Doc? You can collaborate with others using the Email Building Block in Google Docs!

From a new (or existing Google Doc):

• At the top left, click Insert > Building blocks > Email draft.
  • You can also type "@email" in the doc and press Enter.

This will insert a Table with To: , CC:, and BCC: fields.

• Type @ and the name of a contact or group to populate these fields.

Then, when you're ready to collaborate, use the Share button in the top right (like you'd normally share a Google Doc) and invite your collaborators to the Doc. They can View, Suggest, Comment, or Edit (depending on how you've shared the Doc itself with them). Learn more about how to share access to your doc here.

When you're all done and ready to send, click the “Preview in Gmail ” button to preview it in Gmail and send from your Gmail client.

For more information, check out Google's documentation on the Email Building Blocks here.

Insert Content Quick (@ Menu)

You can insert a variety of helpful Smart Chips, Building Blocks, and other tools into your document. Type the “@” symbol to bring up a menu of options:

Some ideas to get you started:

• @Today for today's date
• @Name for a People Chip
• @Variable for repeating the same information multiple times across the same document (think start/end dates in a long email or grant application)
• @Task for a todo in Google Tasks
• @Dropdown for consistent “tags” in your document-- e.g., “To do”, “In Progress”, “Done”
• … and so many more

Learn more about the @ menu here.

Attach Notes to an existing Google Calendar Event (Meeting Note Building Block)

How many times have you started to take notes in a meeting only to realize that all the participants want a copy as well? You can attach your current Google Doc to an existing Google Calendar event as “meeting notes” following the steps below.

• Open a new or existing Google Doc on your computer.
• Type “@” in the Doc.
• Select “Meeting notes” from the “Building Blocks” section.
• A drop-down of events from your Google Calendar will appear. Click the event you want to take notes for. If the event you’re looking for isn’t there, start typing its name after the “@” symbol to find it.

For more information, and to see this in action, visit Google's Help Documentation here. 

Conclusion

Streamline your workflow and lighten your load with Google Docs. By following these steps, you can create, edit, and collaborate on documents like never before.

For instructional/pedagogical questions, please contact your Building Administrator or Student Growth & Experience (SG&E) Level Coordinator.

For technical questions, please contact your building SPOC.