Creating a new Google Doc takes three clicks
Open Google Drive in your web browser by typing drive.google.com into the address bar and signing in with your Google account. Once you're in, look for the blue button labeled "Create" on the left side of the screen. Click it, then select "Google Doc" from the menu that appears. A blank document opens when ready with a default name like "Untitled document".
You can rename the document right away by clicking on "Untitled document" at the top and typing a new name. This name is what you and anyone you share it with will see in Google Drive and in their email notifications. Give it something descriptive so you can find it later — "Budget 2024" is better than "Document 1".
Key Takeaways
- Create a Google Doc by opening Google Drive, clicking Create, and selecting Google Doc from the menu.
- Share a document by clicking the blue Share button, entering email addresses, and choosing whether people can view, comment, or edit.
- Anyone with edit access can change the document at the same time you are working on it, and you will see their changes appear in real time.
- Shared documents stay in your Google Drive unless you delete them, and you can stop sharing at any time by changing permissions.
- Google Docs saves automatically as you type, so you never have to manually save or worry about losing your work.
Sharing a document with specific people
Click the blue "Share" button in the top right corner of your document. A box appears asking you to add people. Type the email address of the person you want to share with — you can add one at a time or paste multiple addresses separated by commas. Google will suggest contacts as you type if it recognizes them.
Before you click Share, look at the dropdown menu next to the email field. It shows three permission levels: "Viewer" means the person can read the document but not change it. "Commenter" means they can suggest changes and leave notes without editing the actual text. "Editor" means they can change anything in the document. Choose the level that matches what you need them to do.
Click the Share button to send the invitation. The person receives an email with a link to the document and a notification that you shared it with them. They do not need to do anything special to open it — they just click the link in the email.
Making a document public or shareable by link
If you want to share a document with many people or do not have their email addresses, you can make it shareable by link instead. Click Share, then look for the "Change to anyone with the link" option. This opens a new menu where you can choose who can access the document: "Restricted" means only people you specifically invite can open it. "Anyone with the link" means anyone who has the link can open it, even if you did not send it to them directly.
Once you choose "Anyone with the link", a shareable URL appears in the box. You can copy this link and paste it into an email, text message, or anywhere else. The permission level you set (Viewer, Commenter, or Editor) applies to everyone who uses the link. If you later want to stop sharing, click Share again and change it back to "Restricted".
Real-time editing and seeing other people's changes
When someone else is editing the document at the same time you are, you see their cursor moving and their changes appearing on your screen when ready. Their name appears in a colored box at the top of the document, and you can see which paragraph they are working on. This is different from emailing a document back and forth — everyone is always looking at the same version.
If two people try to edit the exact same sentence at the same time, Google Docs handles it automatically by showing both changes and letting you decide which one to keep. You can also click on a person's name at the top to see what they are currently editing, which helps when multiple people are working on different sections.
Leaving comments and suggestions instead of editing
If someone has Commenter access, they can highlight text and click the comment button (the speech bubble icon) to leave a note without changing the document. The document owner or anyone with Editor access can read the comment and decide whether to make the change. This is useful when you want feedback but do not want people accidentally deleting important sections.
You can also use Suggestion mode if you have Editor access. Click the pencil icon in the top right, then select "Suggestion" from the dropdown. Now when you type or delete text, your changes appear in a different color and do not become permanent until someone approves them. This is helpful when multiple editors want to review changes before they stick.
Stopping the share or changing who can access
Click Share at any time to see everyone the document is shared with. Next to each person's name, you can click the X to remove them, or click their permission level to change it from Viewer to Editor or vice versa. Changes take effect when ready — if you remove someone, they lose access as soon as you click the X.
If you shared the document by link and want to stop sharing entirely, click Share and change "Anyone with the link" back to "Restricted". Anyone who has the link will no longer be able to open the document. You can always share it again later by changing the setting back.
Where your shared documents live and how to find them
Every Google Doc you create or that someone shares with you appears in your Google Drive. Documents you own show up under "My Drive". Documents other people shared with you appear under "Shared with me" on the left side of the screen. You can also search for a document by name using the search bar at the top of Google Drive.
If you delete a document, it goes to the Trash folder for 30 days before Google permanently removes it. During those 30 days, you can click Trash and restore the document if you change your mind. After 30 days, it is gone for good, so be careful when deleting documents other people are using.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I see who has viewed my Google Doc?
Google Docs does not show you a list of who has opened the document or when. You can see who currently has it open (their name appears at the top), and you can see the edit history by clicking "Version history" in the File menu to see who made each change and when. But there is no view counter or list of all people who have ever opened it.
What happens if I share a document and then delete it?
If you delete a document that you shared with others, it moves to your Trash folder and they lose access when ready. They will see an error message if they try to open it. If you restore it from Trash within 30 days, they regain access. After 30 days, the document is permanently deleted and cannot be recovered.
Can someone I shared a document with share it with other people?
Only if they have Editor access. Editors can click Share and add more people or change the link settings. Viewers and Commenters cannot share the document — they can only open and read it (or comment on it). If you want to control exactly who sees the document, give people Viewer or Commenter access instead of Editor.
How do I know if someone edited my Google Doc while I was not looking?
Click "Version history" in the File menu to see a timeline of every change made to the document, who made it, and when. You can click on any earlier version to see what the document looked like at that point. This is useful if you want to undo someone else's changes or just see what happened while you were away.
Can I share a Google Doc with someone who does not have a Google account?
Yes. You can share by link and set it to "Anyone with the link" — they do not need a Google account to open it. They just need the link. If you want to share with specific people and some do not have Google accounts, you can still enter their email address when you click Share, and they will receive an email with a link to open the document.