A Practical guide to Google Docs: Learn how to do anything and everything with your online Google Office.
Q: How do I upload all my Microsoft Office documents from the desktop on to Google Docs?
A: List Uploader is a Windows utility that enables you to bulk upload files to Google Docs via drag-n-drop or through the right click menu.
Mac OS X users can upload documents through GDocsUploader – simply drag-n-drop the document onto the uploader icon. Another option is GDocsBar – just drag your files in the Firefox sidebar and they’ll automatically get uploaded to Google Docs.
Q: How do I associate the common Office file extensions like doc/xls/ppt with Google Docs so that desktop documents open directly in the web browser?
A: Get the Google Toolbar for Firefox and select the ‘Google Docs’ checkbox from Toolbar options. This will let you open Office documents directly in the browser bypassing Microsoft Office.
Q: I am worried that someone may hack into my Google Account and delete the important files. To play safe, I want to download all documents from Google Docs locally and burn them on to a CD. Is it possible?
A: To download a copy of all your Google Docs documents on to the hard drive, get this Grease Monkey script. It will create a list of all your online documents that you can download in one step using the DownloadThemAll add-on.
Q: How can I add watermarks (like PRIVATE, CONFIDENTIAL, etc.) to my Google Documents?
A: You simply need to edit the CSS of your document – add an image with non-repeating background.
Q: Can I open Word 2007 (docx) documents in Google Docs?
A: Unlike Zoho Office, Google Docs do not support the new Office 2007 format but you may convert these docx files to the older doc format using Zamzar and them upload them to Google Docs.
Q: I was checking mails on a mobile phone and a client sent me this PowerPoint presentation as an email attachment. My phone has no Office viewer so san I still view this presentation?
A: Sure. Just forward this email (with the attachment) to your Google Docs address. You’ll soon get an email back containing the link of your uploaded presentation that can be viewed in the mobile phone browser without requiring any Office viewer.
Q: I wrote a long document in Google Docs in English but my client is insisting for a French version. Can we translate Google Docs documents online?
A: Publish your Google Docs document as a public web page (read steps) and then use the online Google Translate tool to translate this page into any other language. You may copy-paste the translated text in a new document and then turn off public sharing for the original document.
Q: I am sending a Google Docs document to a large mailing list. Is is possible to track who read the document and when?
A: Go to your Google Docs Settings page (link) and turn on the option that says "Track visits to my documents using Google Analytics".
Q: Forget the mailing list, I am just sending a document to my immediate boss so how do I if he really opened my document?
A: Just embed a secret 1×1 tracking image in the document to know when people open your Google Documents.
Q: I want to create new documents in Google Docs in one click without having to go to File –> New Document.
A: Simple, either add a bookmarklet to your browser or install desktop shortcuts – see instructions.
Q: I want to turn Google Docs into a distraction free writing tool just like Writeroom.
A: Go to Edit –> Document Styles and turn the background color to either black. Then change the font foreground color to white or green and press Ctrl+Shift+F to enter Full Screen mode. See a similar hack for Word.
Q: OK, I know you can write documents or create spreadsheets in Google Docs but what else? Tell me some more creative uses of Google Docs.
A: Well, you may use Google Docs for live blogging, writing books, make a simple RSS Reader, compare text files, monitor web pages, run web polls, plan weddings and so much more.
Q: Tell me about some desktop applications that work with Google Docs.
- GMDesk – AIR app that makes Google Docs behave like a desktop program. Thanks Ryan.
- GDocsBar – The perfect Google Docs extension for Firefox.
- Send to Google Docs – Upload web documents (including PDF) directly to Google Docs.
- OO Add-on – Export or import documents from OpenOffice.org or StarOffice to Google Docs.
Q: Like other Google tools, can I access my Google Docs library from the Firefox Sidebar?
A: Create a bookmark for http://docs.google.com/m and set this to open in Firefox sidebar. You can browse all documents though the sidebar but can’t create new stuff.
Q. Can I use Google Docs like Microsoft OneNote for taking notes and saving web clippings?
A: Open a new Google Document in a separate browser tab and drag the clipping from another browser tab / window into this document. That’s it. Not sure if this works with Google Chrome.
Find this article at: http://www.labnol.org/internet/office/google-docs-guide-tutorial/4999/
Tags: best, feature, google docs, Internet, Office Online
Reader Comments
But what if we want to creat a form on Docs ??
You created a form for sending invitation of Blogads few days ago, If we want to creat a complex form having pulldown menus, radio buttons, check box then what should we do ??
Pls help.
Written by Spaarkx on 10.17.08
Awesome! Better than the Google Docs FAQ’s ?? ;)
Written by Praveen Ratna Deepak on 10.17.08
Thanks for the info, this was a lot of help. I’m just now learning how to fully utilize google docs, and it is awesome.
Written by CoolProducts on 10.17.08
I am starting to use google docs more often. and this certainly is of great help to me. I think web applications are the future.
Written by Devakishor on 10.18.08
Nice list, but I wouldn’t recommend using Google translate to translate anything into French, not unless you want to have them rolling around laughing on the floor.
Don’t forget you can also email docs directly to google docs to import or create a new document.Just click on Upload and you’ll see the email address to email stuff to.
Written by Gilbert on 10.18.08
Great post. Because I’m on the move daily and use lots of different PCs, I cannot live without Google Docs.
Written by Tim on 10.19.08
Google docs the best way to connect with documents everywhere.
Great post about google docs.
Written by surender on 10.19.08
Don’t forget the Prism application in Linux can also turn Google Docs (and Gmail, Talk, Maps, etc etc) into desktop applications!
“sudo apt-get install prism-google-docs” in Ubuntu
Written by Super Jamie on 10.19.08
Thanks Amit, this page has been so helpful.
Written by Rob on 10.19.08
I can’t get Google Docs to work offline. I can get reader to work, but in my docs there is no offline button to set it to work with gears.
Any tips? I already read through the gears install/faq page.
Written by Steven M. on 10.20.08
Regarding last question (OneNote): use Google Notebook, which has a great Firefox extension (just mark some text, right-click, select Note this (Google Notebook)). Such notebook may be exported to Google Docs later on.
Written by Mekk on 10.20.08
You can add to your desktop applications list:
Prism for Linux and Windows: link
And Fluid for the Mac: link
I haven’t used it, but possibly Gcal.app link
Written by Mark S on 10.20.08
Better than FAQs Amit, thanks!
My employer maintains a Payroll Data sheet as a Google Spreadsheet which is shared to employees as read-only. Is there any provision to backup this shared doc so I can keep a tab on the historic data and compare changes?
Written by DWiner on 10.23.08
is there any way to share google doc folders with other users? when i create a folder within google docs, i want that folder created in my friend’s google docs account too. when i move a document into a folder, i also want it moved in my friend’s account. we haven’t figured out how to do this.
Written by max on 10.25.08
Using Google to translate your documents is fine to get the gist of a text but you should avoid it if you want to impress your boss. I ran your question through Google translate and had it translated into French and then back into English. Here is the result:
Q: I wrote a long document in Google Documents in English, but my client insists on a French version. Can we translate the documents online Google Docs?
A: Give your Google Docs document as a public web page (read measures) and then use the Google online translation tool to translate this page in another language. May you copy and paste the text translated into a new document, then turn off sharing for the original document.
Written by Janine Libbey on 11.06.08
We had a problem when two people were updating a record at the same time. The second update wiped out the first. Is there a way to lock a record until an update is complete,then to notify the second user to go ahead?
Written by Sr June Thomas on 11.29.08
how about using Google docs with Yahoo’s Zimbra Desktop..
Written by Fasil on 01.29.09
I am creating a from with multiple choice questions. I have to remove the text “*Required” from the from but make the questions required. Is there any way to do so?
Written by veda kilincci on 02.07.09
hi, i care about the last question:
Can I use Google Docs like Microsoft OneNote for taking notes and saving web clippings?
hope we can use google doc to take notes from web page just like google notebook’s ‘note this’ function.
Written by mike on 03.08.09
Thanks for the list but my problem with google docs is that it was created to be an online medium and is only belatedly adding print formatting features. I’ve read they have page numbering but for the life of me I can find the links for it. With MS Word, page numbering would be under the insert tab. People in the business word still print out docs. Until that changes, google docs is deficient in the print formatting features.
Written by jjray on 03.25.09
Anybody know if multiple users can log into a single google account at once, to share google docs? I’m hosting a meeting with some not-very-web-savvy folks. Rather than set them each up with their own google account, I’m hoping to have about a half-dozen folks logged into one google account at once . . . some working on the same google doc, others on discrete google docs.
Will this work, or does this break down somehow?? Thanks!
Written by Ron on 03.31.09