Create a Google Doc, share it & edit together

Google Docs is a word processor that runs in your browser. Many people can work on the same document at the same time, and every change is saved automatically.

Create a document

Start a new document from the Docs home screen or from Google Drive.

1. Go to docs.google.com and click the blank page under Start a new document. In Google Drive, you can also click New > Google Docs.
2. Click Untitled document at the top left, type a name and press Enter.
3. Start typing. You see Saved to Drive at the top once your changes are saved.

The document is stored in My Drive. To keep it with your team’s files, move it to a shared drive.

Share the document

Share with named colleagues so only they can open it. The Drive sharing guide explains each option in detail.

1. Click Share at the top right.
2. Type names or email addresses in Add people, groups, spaces, and calendar events.
3. Choose Viewer, Commenter or Editor.
4. Click Send.

Everyone you add as an Editor can type in the document at the same time as you. You see a coloured cursor with each person’s name as they work.

Add a comment

Comments are for questions and notes that should not change the text itself.

1. Select the text you want to comment on.
2. Click Add comment (or press Ctrl + Alt + M).
3. Type your comment and click Comment.

To get a colleague’s attention, type @ and their name in the comment. They get an email with your comment. To make it a task, tick Assign to (their name) and click Assign. The person can click Done on the comment when the task is finished.

When a discussion is finished, click the tick at the top of the comment (Mark as resolved). Click Show all comments at the top right to see resolved comments again.

Suggest edits instead of changing the text

Suggesting mode works like Track Changes in Word. The owner sees each change and decides whether to keep it.

1. Click the pencil button at the top right that shows Editing.
2. Choose one of these modes:
   • Editing: change the document directly.
   • Suggesting: your edits become suggestions in a different colour, and deleted text is crossed out.
   • Viewing: read or print the final document without changing it.
3. Make your changes. The owner gets an email about your suggestions.

Accept or reject suggestions

Only the owner and Editors can accept suggestions, one at a time or all at once.

1. Click a suggestion in the margin.
2. Click the tick to accept it or the cross to reject it.
3. To handle all of them together, click Tools > Review suggested edits, then Accept all or Reject all.

If you open a Word file that has tracked changes, they appear as suggestions in Google Docs. See open Word files in Google Docs.

To draft or rewrite text with AI, see Gemini in Google Docs.

Still stuck

WhatsApp our support team at +60 16-916 3324.

Common issues

Where is the Save button?

There is none. Google Docs saves every change as you type. At the top you see Saved to Drive when your work is safe. To keep a copy of the document as it is now, use File > Version history > Name current version.

I can only view the document. How do I edit it?

The owner shared it with you as a Viewer. Click Request edit access if you see it, or ask the owner to change you to Commenter or Editor. With Commenter access you can still suggest edits.

Can I accept suggestions made by someone else?

Yes, if you are an Editor or the owner. Click the tick on the suggestion to accept it or the cross to reject it. People with Commenter access can make suggestions but cannot accept them.

Related articles

• Share a Google Drive file or folder & stop sharing
• See & restore earlier versions in Docs, Sheets & Slides
• Open Word files in Google Docs & download as Word or PDF
• Write & refine documents with Gemini in Google Docs