Popular Google Docs add ons

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Google Docs has basic formatting and editing features bundled with its world-class collaboration tools. If you want to get most of the Google Docs tool beyond collaborative word-processing, then Google Docs’s extension so-called Google Docs Add-ons come into play.

Google Docs Add-ons are customized extensions of G Suite applications that enhance the G Suite applications to extend, help automate tasks, and finally make use of third-party applications. Let’s see some of the popular Google Docs Extensions.

What is a Google Docs add-on or extensions?

Google Docs Add-ons are extensions that can be integrated into your Google Docs to get extra functionality to your basic Google Docs tasks. Google Docs’ Add-ons menu possesses about three hundred tools that help build documents faster, enhance more text features, add graphics, formulas, and signatures, and publish them with proofreading.

To produce the finest document, all you have to do is just a quick search that broaches Google Docs add-ons. Google Docs add-on do wonders staring from transcribing and translating your text to insert your signature in Google Docs.

How do you use add-ons in Google Docs?

To use your desired Google Docs add-on, first, you have to install it.

How to install a Google Docs add-on?

  • Open your Google Docs Document and head over to the Menu bar.
  • Click ‘Add-ons’ > ‘Get add-ons’.
Google Docs add-ons
  • This opens the ‘G Suite Marketplace’.
popular Google Docs add-ons
  • Search for your desired Google Docs add-on and when find click the blue ‘Install’ button. The add-on will be installed in your Google Docs.

How to use installed Google Docs add-on?

Once you install your add-on, you can open it from the menu bar. Click “Add-ons” and look for the installed add-on. Your Google Docs add-on is opened in the sidebar, and some others in the drop-down menu, or just in the background.

How to remove Google Docs add-on?

If you want to remove unwanted add-ons from Google Docs follow the below instruction.

  • Click Add-ons > Manage add-ons from the menu.
  • Click on the right vertical three dots of the add-on you want to remove and then click “Uninstall”.
popular Google Docs extensions

Let’s have a detailed look at 18 most popular Google Docs Add-ons 

1. Google Docs extension — Style Add-on

Styles Add-on customize your document design awesome with 20 pre-made document styles by just one click. You can set your favorite theme, create customized patterns, or just select beautiful widgets.

How to use Google Docs extension — Style Add-on?

All you have to is open the Styles add-on sidebar, select a style you want, then click “Apply style” to customize your Google Docs document. 

Popular Features of Google Docs extension —Style Add-on:

  • The theme selector of Style Add-on offers “material design” and “plain theme” that helps you to build a stunning look for your Google Docs.
  • You can write your own CSS for an incredible look at Google Docs.
  • You can add an innate design that is adaptive to different types of devices irrespective of the display size.
  • You can style a widget using theme picker and modify the style of a certain widget.
  • You can also make your style types or insert styles to tools from external sources.

2. Google Docs extension — Lucidchart Diagrams Add-on

Google Docs Lucidchart Diagrams Add-on build charts, flowcharts, histograms, and Venn diagrams that are worth a million words. Lucidchart Diagrams solves design and visualization related issues and help you to add wireframe and diagrams into your Google Docs easily. 

You can import and export data from any graphic design application and integrate it with Lucidchart. You can only use about 60 items free and pay to use all of its features.

How to use Google Docs extension — Lucidchart Diagrams  Add-on?

You have to start making a new diagram from a Google Docs document, and then it sends you to the Lucidchart app to build a complete diagram. Once done, you can insert that graphic from Lucidchart’s sidebar. 

Popular Features of Google Docs extension — Lucidchart Diagrams Add-on:

  • You can add more graphics from the app’s sidebar itself.
  • Even though there are many more similar add-ons available in the G-Suite marketplace, Lucidchart add-on is very easier to work with Google Docs.
  • The Lucidchart Add-on uses HTML5 to insert and create charts, diagrams, and mind maps that made easy and quick creation process. 
  • You can find hundreds of shapes and designs and drop your own images into a diagram or chart by just “drag and drop”.

3. Google Docs extension —EasyBib Add-on

EasyBib Add-on is a bibliography citation generator that shields you from serious plagiarism accusations of your journals, articles, and books written in Google Docs and provides suggestions on the reliability of the website source that you are citing.

There is various kind of citation styles such as MLA, APA, Chicago, and many more. All you have to do is just search for the book, article, or website that you are quoting. Select your desired citation style and add the entry to your bibliography.

How to use Google Docs extension —EasyBib Add-on?

Now click on “Generate Bibliography” and the add-on will compile your research, alphabetize everything, and add it to the end of your Google Docs document.

Popular Features of Google Docs extension —EasyBib Add-on:

  • You can check for plagiarism and any grammatical mistakes in your research paper.
  • You can access a troupe of 7000 citation styles and can cite any number of sources you want to create a bibliography.
  • You can search for a book by its title or ISBN.

4. Google Docs extension — CodeBlocks Add-on

CodeBlocks Add-on makes it easier for code writers to write codes with an impressive array of languages such as C, HTML, JavaScript, Python, and many more styled themes on Google Docs.

Code Blocks Add-on converts your Google Docs document into a native coding environment, with different options for the choice of color theme. 

How to use Google Docs extension — CodeBlocks Add-on?

Once you install the Code Blocks add-on in your Google Docs, you can choose the code language and the formatting theme you want to use.

Then simply paste your code into the Google Docs document, highlight the entire block of code, and then select the “Format” button in the Code Blocks window to create an amazingly formatted code embedded inside your Google docs.

Popular Features of Google Docs extension — CodeBlocks Add-on

  • Code Blocks Add-on offers support for one-click syntax highlighting that enhances converting to code block and configure.
  • You can choose from a wide range of themes as per your needs.
  • You can see a preview of your code before updating it.

5. Google Docs extension — Mail Merge Add-on

Mail Merge add-on creates a master invoice “template” document with an automatic fill-up of specific fields to process all of the data from a spreadsheet.

How to use Google Docs extension —  Mail Merge Add-on?

To get started, from the Mail Merge Add-on window on the right of your Google Docs docs, select the spreadsheet that contains the entire data you want to merge. 

You can either select each field that you want to use to merge into the document template or customize the email header template to automate sending the batch of documents to multiple users by selecting “Show Email Settings”. 

Popular Features of Google Docs extension —Mail Merge Add-on

  • You can create customized emails by merging data from sheets to Google Docs. 
  • You can make use of Mail Merge add-on for various business operations like invoicing, notifications, and customer care. 
  • You can schedule merges according to your needs. 
  • It is free for the first five merges and for further usage, a subscription fee of $30/year or $70 for a lifetime is essential.

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6. Google Docs extension — Text cleaner Add-on

Text Cleaner removes unnecessary text formatting from your Google Doc like line breakers, paragraph markers, and clean up the text created by copying and pasting between applications.

How to use Google Docs extension —  Text Cleaner Add-on?

Just select the text you want to clean up and choose the “Text Cleaner” function like remove links, line breaks, tabs, spaces, or all formatting. You can also create your own customized Clear Formatting tool by clicking “Configure”.

Popular Features of Google Docs extension —Text cleaner Add-on

  • Text cleaner is entirely different from the “Clear Formatting” option as it provides extra tools to remove line breaks and spaces.
  • You can remove line breaks and paragraph breaks, fix the hard-line break and smart quotes and remove multiple spaces from sentences and tabs
  • You can remove email incidents and clean up the spacing.

7. Google Docs extension —  DocTools Add-on

Doc Tools Add-on has thirteen single-click tools to change your text capitalization and highlight text.

You can change numbers to words and vice versa, insert highlighting in the text and delete it, classify the text, and can use many more features.

How to use Google Docs extension —   DocTools Add-on?

Open your Google docs and add-on, select the paragraphs you want to format, then choose your desired option from Docs tools Add-on on the right side of the Google Docs document. 

Popular Features of Google Docs extension —DocTools Add-on

  • You can change your text to upper or lower case, and change the first word in a sentence to capitals.
  • You can highlight your text color and can also delete the highlighted portion.
  • You can increase or reduce the font size of the selected portion of the text.
  • You can alphabetize documents from A to Z and in the reverse.

8. Google Docs extension —  DocBuilder Add-on

Doc Builder creates documents from snippets, clips and allows you to add your own style and save it using spreadsheets.

How to use Google Docs extension —   DocBuilder Add-on?

Just create individual Google Docs documents with your text. And then create a new Google Docs document, open the Doc Builder add-on. Select the desired file and you can insert the text, images, and formatting from that document right into your new Google Docs document.

Popular Features of Google Docs extension —DocBuilder Add-on

  • You can save your recurring typing time when creating reports, legal documents, and invoices.
  • You can create smart snippets to the sidebar, auto-formats snippets, and creates folders for your most-used snippets.
  • You can create your own document styles using the “Apply Formatting” option.

9. Google Docs extension —  Search and Navigate Add-on

Search and Navigate add-on helps you to search text, tables, images, or headings and view it in each context on multiple tabs. You can arrange your documents into multiple tabs and then browse through the contents using search functions.

How to use Google Docs extension —   Search and Navigate Add-on?

You can jump to another item in a single click and also have an option to use bookmarks in the text. Search and Navigate add-on provides all the search results in a context that makes it easier to view and navigate directly to the right option.

Popular Features of Google Docs extension —Search and Navigate Add-on

  • You can open the complete content table to the right side of your Google Docs document and can use any paragraph at any convenient time.
  • You can view, browse, and find within the list of tables and images inside your Google Docs documents.
  • You can access the Bookmarks tab to navigate through any section in the document.

10. Google Docs extension —  DocSecrets Add-on

DocSecrets helps you to keep some sensitive information like passwords and data in your document private while sharing the rest of it with others by using AES encryption in your Google Docs document. You can create a secret password and people without the correct password can only see censor bars as opposed to sensitive information. 

How to use Google Docs extension —   DocSecrets Add-on?

Open your DocSecrets sidebar, just add a password to the DocSecrets, and then type any secret text you want to add to your document in the add-on’s “Insert” field. You can also select existing text on the page and click “Censor text” to hide and keep it private. To see the hidden text, your collaborators have to both know your password and also have the DocSecrets add-on installed.

It encrypts the entire confidential data using AES encryption ensuring that your data does not get stored anywhere.

Popular Features of Google Docs extension —DocSecrets Add-on

  • You can add confidential information in the highlighted form and can also delete secrets.
  • You can edit the confidential data, unveil the confidential data, and unravel the chosen secrets.
  • Your DocSecrets add-on sidebar will be closed if there’s no activity detected for 5 mins.

11. Google Docs extension —  Speakd Add-on 

Speakd is a Voice Typing tool similar to the standard voice-over tool on your computer that can read your documents aloud back to you. 

How to use Google Docs extension —   Speakd Add-on?

Select the context you want to hear, and then click “Play”. A robotic voice will read your text back to you.

Popular Features of Google Docs extension —Speakd Add-on

  • You can hear a robotic sound reads out the entire document to you in the background.
  • You can fine-tune your speaking skills with the help of Speakd Add-on.
  • It is a boon for visually challenged people and helpful handy to keep the stress off the eyes for some time.

12. Google Docs extension — Highlight tool Add-on

The Highlight Tool Add-on provides two new additional features that the normal “Highlight” in Google Docs doesn’t possess. The Highlight tool add-on collects all of your text with a particular highlight color attached, isolate it, and then extract it into a neatly organized table.

  • You can give names or labels to different colors and share your custom highlighters with others, and also import theirs.
  • You can export all the highlighted text in your Google Docs.

How to use Google Docs extension —   Highlight tool Add-on?

Open the Highlight tool Add-on and click the “Edit” button to type your desired name for that color and share your custom highlighters with others. You can import theirs by clicking “Share Highlighters” or “Import Highlighters”.You can either choose to export “By sequence” or “By color” 

Popular Features of Google Docs extension —Highlight tool Add-on

  • You can create a panel of single-click highlighters in an array of shades, with custom labels attached to each color. 
  • You could set up your highlighters to represent various types of emphasis and levels of the required correction.

13. Google Docs extension — Translate+ Add-on

Google Docs has its own integrated translator with limited languages such as English, French, German, Japanese, and Spanish. The Translate+ Add-on lets you translate your text into over 100 languages. You can translate text to and from any language you want.

How to use Google Docs extension —   Translate+ Add-on?

Open the Translate+ Add-on and simply click “Tools” and then “Translate document”. You can get the entire translated document of your desired language. If you want to translate a portion of your document, simply highlight the text you want to translate and then choose the desired language.

Popular Features of Google Docs extension —Translate+ Add-on

  • You can get an explanation for the word definitions through the native translator.
  • You can add the translation to your document very quickly.

14. Google Docs extension — Table Formatter Add-on 

Table Formatter has various options to customize your tables with more than 60 built-in table designs. 

How to use Google Docs extension —   Table Formatter Add-on?

Ope your Table Formatter sidebar and just select any part of your table. Click on the “Table Formatter” style you want to add. You can also check the “Apply for all tables” box to format each table in your Google Docs document. Click the “Custom Templates” tab to set your own style with a custom border and row designs.

Popular Features of Google Docs extension —Table Formatter Add-on

  • You can split and merge a table with ease.
  • You can make use of 60 built-in table designs.

15. Google Docs extension — Mindmeister Add-on 

Mindmeister Add-on is a mind-mapping application that gives a perfect way to create, edit, and share your concepts on the web. This add-on converts your bullet list items into a map in just a single click and inserts it into your Google Docs document.

How to use Google Docs extension —    Mindmeister Add-on?

Select the entire list and Open the MindMeister Add-ons. Click on the option “Insert as Mind Map”.And that’s it, your mind map is being generated within a few moments.

The created mind map will be automatically inserted into your document and you can also reposition your mind map or change the size.

Popular Features of Google Docs extension —    Mindmeister Add-on

  • You can find all the lists in the generated concept map.
  • The main topic of the mind map comes from the first point of the list and the remaining initial-level points become the topics that diverge from the midpoint.
  • And all the rest of the points will become the sub-topic spreading off from their original topics.
  • You can view the lists and insert a graphical summary to your Google Docs files.

16. Google Docs extension — HelloSign Add-on 

HelloSign Add-on is an extension that allows you to create and include a signature and can request others’ signatures for reports and invoices created in your Google Docs. HelloSign Add-on is free to add your own signature or up to three others but will charge $15/month to use further.

How to use Google Docs extension —   HelloSign Add-on?

Open your HelloSign add-on, sign your signature in the box. And then you can drag and paste the signature into the document.

You can mark an area you want the signature to be placed in the document for other people to sign and enter the email address of the other people into the HelloSign tool panel to receive the request signature of the document.

Popular Features of Google Docs extension —     HelloSign Add-on

  • You can add your own signature either by using the existing signature saved to HelloSign or you can draw a new signature. 
  • It is free to add your own signature to documents for three trials.

17. Google Docs extension — Page Layout Tool Add-on 

Page Layout tool add-on for Google Docs will define the page layout, size, and margin of the page and also allow you to customize the page size and margins. The page size is retained while exporting the document as a PDF with the Page Layout Tool.

How to use Google Docs extension — Page Layout Tool  Add-on?

Open the Page layout tool add-on and simply enter the size of the page and the margins that you need. You can customize however you want.

Popular Features of Google Docs extension — Page Layout Tool Add-on

  • You can choose a custom size for the page.
  • You have access to a set of pre-set options, for instance, different page sizes and margins, folios, statements, and letters.
  • You can maintain the new page size even though the Google Docs document is converted to PDF and can get a print of the document via settings.

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Make the most use out of your Google Docs by using the above mentioned most popular Google Docs extensions as Add-ons in your Google Docs document.