Docs, Sheets & Slides explained

Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides are Google's built-in tools for creating documents, spreadsheets, and presentations. They're included with every Google Workspace plan and work directly in your browser — no software to install.

Google Docs — word processing

Google Docs is for writing and editing text documents: letters, reports, proposals, meeting notes, contracts, and more.

Key features:

• Auto-save. Every change saves automatically as you type. There is no Save button.
• Version history. See earlier versions of a document and who changed what: at the top right, click Last edit. You need edit access to a file to browse its earlier versions.
• Real-time collaboration. Multiple people can edit the same document at the same time. You see each other's cursors and changes live.
• Comments and suggestions. Leave comments without editing the text, or use Suggesting mode to propose changes the author can accept or reject.

To create a new Doc: in Google Drive, click New → Google Docs, or go to docs.google.com and click Blank.

Google Sheets — spreadsheets

Google Sheets is for spreadsheets: budgets, trackers, data analysis, and anything that belongs in rows and columns.

Key features:

• Familiar if you've used Excel. The layout, formulas, and charts will look recognizable.
• Import and export. Open Excel (.xlsx) files in Sheets, or download your Sheet as an Excel file.
• Sharing. Share a spreadsheet with your accountant, contractor, or client — they can view or edit without needing to send files back and forth.

To create a new Sheet: in Google Drive, click New → Google Sheets.

Google Slides — presentations

Google Slides is for presentations. It works like PowerPoint, with slides, themes, text boxes, and images.

Key features:

• Themes. Choose a theme to give your presentation a consistent, professional look.
• Present directly. Open your presentation and click Slideshow in the top right to go full screen — no need to download anything. In a Google Meet call, use Present now to show it to everyone.
• Import PowerPoint files. Upload a .pptx file to Drive and open it in Slides.

To create a new Slides presentation: in Google Drive, click New → Google Slides.

Working with Microsoft Office files

Your colleagues or clients may send you Word, Excel, or PowerPoint files. You can open them in Drive and edit them in Docs, Sheets, or Slides.

Collaboration tips

All three apps support real-time collaboration. Here's how to use it well:

• Use comments to leave notes without editing the text. Select what you want to comment on, then click Add comment in the toolbar (or press Ctrl+Alt+M, or Command+Option+M on a Mac). To hand a comment to a colleague, put their email address in it with an @ or + in front, then click Assign — they get an email about it.
• Use Suggesting mode in Docs to propose edits instead of making them. At the top right, click Editing and choose Suggesting; your changes then show in a different color, and deletions are crossed out. The file owner gets an email and can accept or reject each one.
• Use named versions to mark important milestones: open version history, pick a version, then click More → Name this version and call it something like "Draft sent to client."

Accessing offline

You can enable offline access so you can work even without internet. See Google Drive basics for how to turn this on.

Common questions

Do files I create in Docs count against my storage quota?

Yes. Files created or edited in Docs, Sheets, Slides, Drawings, and Forms after 2 May 2022 count towards your organization's pooled storage, the same as uploaded files and Gmail messages. Files from before that date that nobody has touched since don't count. Shortcuts don't count either, and neither do files someone else owns that are shared with you — those count against the owner's storage. See Storage & quotas in Google Workspace for the full picture.

Can I use Google Docs if the other person uses Word?

Yes, in two ways. You can export any Google Doc as a Word (.docx), PDF, or other format: go to File → Download → Microsoft Word. Or keep the file as a Word document and edit it in Docs, which leaves it in Word format for the other person.

Is there a Google equivalent of Microsoft OneNote or Notion?

Google Docs can serve as a notes tool, and Google Keep is Google's simple note-taking app. For structured wikis, some teams use Google Sites.

Related guides

• Google Drive basics
• Sharing files & folders in Drive
• Shared drives explained
• Google Workspace on your phone

Learn more

• How to use Google Docs — Google Docs Editors Help
• How to use Google Sheets — Google Docs Editors Help
• How to use Google Slides — Google Docs Editors Help
• Work with Microsoft Office files — Google Docs Editors Help