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Format documents, organize writing, collaborate, and prepare readable files for sharing or printing.
Search this topicOpen Tools > Preferences and change Enable Markdown. With it enabled, supported text patterns can become formatting as you type, such as a number sign and space for a heading. Turn it off if you need to type those characters literally. Existing formatting is not undone merely by changing this preference.
Select the image and open Image options > Alt text. Describe the image's purpose or information that a reader would otherwise miss. Check any automatically supplied description instead of accepting it blindly. For a chart, include the key takeaway or provide the underlying information in nearby text; a filename is rarely an adequate description.
Use descriptive link text that explains the destination, such as a report's title, instead of repeating Click here. Keep the wording meaningful when read on its own. This helps readers scanning the document and people navigating links with assistive technology. Verify the actual destination too, since a helpful label cannot correct a broken URL.
Choose Insert > Table and select the starting number of rows and columns. Enter related data in separate cells, and use a clear header row. To expand the table later, right-click a cell and insert a row or column on the appropriate side. Avoid using repeated spaces to imitate a table, because alignment changes when text wraps.
Click in the table and open Format > Table > Table options. Under Row, enable Pin header row(s) and specify how many top rows form the header. In a long Pages document, they repeat as the table crosses pages. In Pageless format, pinned headers serve a scrolling view rather than printed-page repetition.
Select the affected row, open Table options, and under Row turn off Allow row to overflow across pages. This setting requires Pages format. Check the resulting layout, particularly for very tall rows that cannot fit comfortably on one page. It controls page splitting; it does not shorten the row's text automatically.
Place the cursor where it belongs and choose Insert > Symbols > Equation. Use the equation toolbar for fractions, operators and other structures, then enter your values. This keeps mathematical notation more organized than assembling it with ordinary spaces. Review the final notation carefully: the equation editor formats expressions but does not verify their mathematical correctness.
Inside an equation box, type a backslash followed by the symbol name and a space, such as \alpha for alpha. Use the equation toolbar when you do not know a supported name. These shortcuts belong to equation editing, so typing the same sequence in ordinary body text may not produce a mathematical symbol.
Choose Insert > Drawing > New, use the Text box tool, and drag a box on the drawing canvas. Enter and format the text, then save the drawing into the document. The box is part of a drawing object, not an ordinary paragraph, so reopen the drawing when you need to edit its internal text.
Open Insert > Drawing > New and use shapes, lines and text to build the diagram. Choose connector-style lines when relationships between boxes matter, then save it into the document. Keep labels readable at the final displayed size. For an important process, include enough surrounding text that readers can understand it without relying only on the picture.
If it was inserted through Insert > Drawing > From Drive, select the drawing in the Doc and use Update after editing the original. It links to the source. Unlink only when you deliberately want a separate version. Changing the original does not mean every reader is already seeing its latest appearance in the document.
Open Tools > Word count. For a count of one passage, select that text before opening the tool. The normal whole-document count excludes headers, footers and footnotes, so confirm what your assignment requires. Use the same counting rule consistently when comparing a draft with a required word limit.
Open Tools > Word count, enable Display word count while typing, and confirm. A small count appears near the document's lower-left corner; click it to switch between available counts such as words or characters. It is helpful for short pieces, but select a passage separately when you need only that section's count.
Deleting the file and deleting content are different operations. In the Docs file list, use the file's menu to remove it to Trash; do not erase every paragraph merely to remove a file. Check ownership and sharing first because removing a file you own can affect collaborators. Trash provides a recovery period before permanent deletion.
Select the image, choose Crop, and drag the crop handles to show the section you want. Press Enter or click outside to finish. Check that you cropped the image rather than simply stretching its dimensions. Keep enough of the subject visible to preserve its meaning, particularly when the picture contains text or a chart.
Right-click the edited image and choose Reset image to return it to the original picture inserted into the file. This can undo unwanted cropping or visual adjustments. It does not retrieve a different source image that you never inserted. If you only made one recent change, ordinary Undo may be more selective.
Open Tools > Citations, select the required style, and add the source's details. Place the cursor where the citation belongs and use Cite beside that source. Check author names, dates and any page-number placeholder before submitting. The tool formats supplied information; it cannot guarantee that your source details or quotation are accurate.
Add and review your sources in Tools > Citations, then place the cursor at the intended bibliography location. Use Insert bibliography at the bottom of the citations panel. Check the generated list against your required style and the works actually used. A bibliography is not a substitute for in-text citations where those are required.
The built-in citation tool supports specific styles and editions, including MLA 8, APA 7 and Chicago Author-Date 17. If your requirement differs, do not assume the closest option is equivalent. Use the required style guide to review and adjust the output, or choose a citation tool that supports that exact format.
Select the passage and choose Add comment from the toolbar, then write the feedback and post it. A comment attaches discussion to a location while keeping the original wording intact. Use Suggesting mode instead when you want to propose a specific replacement that an editor can accept or reject.
Open Show all comments and filter for resolved comments if needed. Locate the discussion and choose Re-open. Resolving a comment closes its discussion in the working view; it is different from deleting the comment. Search by a keyword or person's name if a long review makes the old thread difficult to find.
In the comment, type @ followed by the person's name or email and select the correct suggestion. Post the comment to notify them. Check the selected identity carefully when names are similar. Mentioning someone does not automatically solve missing file access, so they may still need the document shared with them.
Sharing manages access to the working file, while Publish to web creates a separate viewing URL for a broader audience allowed by your account settings. Published content can update when the original changes. Review private information before publishing, and do not assume a document is restricted merely because the normal editing link has limited sharing.
Open File > Share > Publish to web, expand Published content & settings, and choose Stop publishing. This stops that published version; it is separate from changing access to the original file. Review the file's Share settings too if your intention is to remove a collaborator's access rather than only withdraw its web publication.
Source checks for these answers: September 21, 2026. Product instructions and local requirements can vary.