Google Docs Advanced

How to share Google Docs documents with other users and give access permissions so multiple users can work on it at the same time?

✅ Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Open the Google Docs file
Go to docs.google.com and open the document you want to share.
2. Click on the “Share” button

You'll find the blue Share button in the top-right corner of the document.

3. Add People or Groups

In the popup window, enter the email addresses of the people you want to share the document with.

4. Set Permissions

• Click the dropdown next to each email to set their role:
  • Viewer – can only view
  • Commenter – can view and comment
  • Editor – can view, comment, and edit

5. Click “Send”

Once done, click Send to share the document with selected users.

6. (Optional) Create a Shareable Link

If you want anyone with the link to access the document:

• Click “Copy link”
• Set access level: Viewer / Commenter / Editor
• Click Done

💡 Note:

All users with Editor access can work on the document at the same time, and all changes will be updated in real-time.

 

How to Restrict an Editor from Changing Permissions or Sharing a Google Docs Document with Others ?

Step-by-Step Guide:

1. Open the Google Docs document

Go to docs.google.com and open the document you want to restrict.

2. Click on the “Share” button

This is usually located at the top right corner of the document.

3. Click the gear (⚙️) icon (Settings)

In the “Share with people and groups” window, click the Settings icon at the top right.

4. Uncheck both options

• ✅ Editors can change permissions and share
• ✅ Viewers and commenters can see the option to download, print, and copy

Uncheck the first option: “Editors can change permissions and share”

This ensures editors cannot modify sharing settings or add/remove people.

5. Click "Done"

Your settings will be saved and editors will now be restricted from changing permissions.

How to restrict Viewers and Commenters from copying, printing, and downloading a file in Google Drive ?

1. Open Google Drive and right-click on the file you want to share.
2. Click on "Share" from the menu.
3. In the bottom-right corner of the sharing window, click on the gear icon (⚙️ Settings).

4. Uncheck the box next to:
   "Viewers and commenters can see the option to download, print, and copy"

5. Click "Done" to save the settings.

How to Check If Any Editor Has Made Changes in a Google Docs Document?

You can track changes made by any editor using the Version History feature in Google Docs.

Step-by-Step Guide:

1. Open your Google Docs document.
2. Click on File in the top-left menu.

3. Hover over Version history, then click on See version history
   (Shortcut: Press Ctrl + Alt + Shift + H)

4. A panel will appear on the right showing all saved versions, along with the names of editors who made the changes and the date/time of each version.
5. Click on any version to view the specific edits, which will be highlighted in different colors for each user.
6. If needed, you can restore an earlier version by clicking Restore this version.

How to Convert a Scanned Document or Image File (JPG, PNG, PDF) into an Editable Google Docs Document?

Step-by-Step Guide:

1. Upload the File to Google Drive

• Go to Google Drive.
• Click on the “+ New” button.
• Select “File Upload”.
• Choose your scanned image or PDF file.

2. Open with Google Docs

• Once uploaded, right-click on the file.
• Select “Open with” > “Google Docs”.

3. Wait for Google Docs to Convert It

• Google Docs will automatically perform OCR (Optical Character Recognition).
• The editable text will appear below the original image.

4. Edit the Text

• You can now edit, copy, or format the text as needed.

💡 Note: The accuracy of the conversion depends on the clarity of the image or scan. Clean, high-resolution images work best.

How to let someone download a Google Docs file as a PDF via link?

By modifying the shareable link of your Google Docs document, you can generate a direct download link for the PDF version:

1. Open Your Document:

• Navigate to Google Docs and open the document you wish to share.

2. Get the Shareable Link:

• Click on the "Share" button in the top-right corner.
• Under "Get Link", click "Copy link".

3. Modify the Link:

• The copied link will look something like:

  https://docs.google.com/document/d/FILE_ID/edit?usp=sharing
  

• To create a direct PDF download link, replace /edit?usp=sharing with /export?format=pdf:

  https://docs.google.com/document/d/FILE_ID/export?format=pdf
  

• Replace FILE_ID with your document's unique ID.

4. Share the Modified Link:

• Send this modified link to the intended recipients. When they click on it, the PDF version of the document will download directly.

Note: Ensure that the document's sharing settings allow anyone with the link to access it.

📄 Available Download Formats in Google Docs

Google Docs allows you to download documents in various formats to suit different needs:

• Microsoft Word (.docx): For editing in Microsoft Word.
• OpenDocument Format (.odt): For OpenOffice and LibreOffice.
• Rich Text Format (.rtf): For compatibility with most word processors.
• PDF Document (.pdf): For sharing and printing while preserving formatting.
• Plain Text (.txt): For minimal formatting.
• Web Page (.html, zipped): For creating web content.
• EPUB Publication (.epub): For e-readers and digital publishing.

To download your document in any of these formats:

1. Open your document in Google Docs.
2. Click on "File" in the top menu.
3. Hover over "Download".
4. Select your desired format from the list.

How to Let a User Make a Duplicate Copy of a Google Docs Document Without Sharing the Original Document?

📄 Steps to Create a Force Copy Link in Google Docs

1. Open Your Document:

• Navigate to Google Docs and open the document you wish to share.

2. Adjust Sharing Settings:

• Click the "Share" button in the top-right corner.
• Under "Get Link", click "Change to anyone with the link".
• Ensure the access level is set to "Viewer".

3. Copy the Shareable Link:

• Click "Copy link" to copy the URL to your clipboard.

4. Modify the URL:

• Paste the copied URL into a text editor.
• Locate the portion of the URL that reads /edit or /edit?usp=sharing.
• Replace this segment with /copy.

Example:

• Original URL:

  https://docs.google.com/document/d/FILE_ID/edit?usp=sharing
  

• Modified URL:

  https://docs.google.com/document/d/FILE_ID/copy
  

• Replace FILE_ID with your document's unique identifier.

5. Share the Modified Link:

• Distribute this new link to users via email, chat, or any preferred communication channel.

When users click on this link, they'll be prompted with the option to "Make a copy" of the document, which will be saved to their own Google Drive.

📝 Alternative: Template Preview Link

If you'd prefer users to preview the document before deciding to make a copy, you can create a Template Preview

• Modify the original URL by replacing /edit with /template/preview.
  Example:

  https://docs.google.com/document/d/FILE_ID/template/preview
  

This link allows users to view the document and choose "Use Template" if they wish to create a copy.

What Is "Publish to the Web" and How to Use in Google Docs ?

When you use "Publish to the web," Google Docs generates a separate, simplified version of your document as a webpage.

• Does not display the standard Google Docs interface, such as toolbars or menus.
• Does not update in real-time; viewers need to refresh the page to see any changes.
• Can be embedded into other websites using an iframe.

This differs from the standard "Share" feature, which provides access to the live document within the Google Docs interface and allows for real-time collaboration.

1. Open Your Document:

• Navigate to Google Docs and open the document you wish to publish.

2. Access the Publish Option:

• Click on File in the top menu.
• Select Share > Publish to web.

3. Choose Publishing Method:

• In the dialog box, you can choose to publish the document as a link or embed it into a webpage.

4. Start Publishing:

• Click the Publish button.
• Confirm your choice when prompted.

5. Share the Link or Embed Code:

• Copy the provided link to share the published document.
• If embedding, copy the embed code and paste it into your website's HTML.

⚠️ Important Considerations

• Visibility: Published documents are accessible to anyone with the link.
• Search Engine Indexing: Published content can be indexed by search engines, making it discoverable online.
• Privacy: Avoid publishing sensitive or confidential information.
• Updates: Changes made to the original document can be reflected in the published version, but viewers may need to refresh the page to see updates.

How to Unpublish a Google Docs Document?

1. Open Your Document:

• Navigate to Google Docs and open the document you wish to unpublish.

2. Access the "Publish to the web" Settings:

• Click on the "File" menu at the top-left corner.
• Hover over "Share" and select "Publish to web".

3. Stop Publishing:

• In the dialog box that appears, click on "Published content & settings".
• Click the "Stop publishing" button.
• Confirm your choice if prompted.

Once you've completed these steps, your document will no longer be available as a published webpage. Anyone who attempts to access the previously shared link will receive an error message indicating that the content is no longer available.

Importance

I hope that you have now clearly understood all the information I provided about Google Docs Advanced. If you have any doubts regarding this article, you can let me know by writing your comment below. If you liked this article, please share it on social media.