Google docs outline – How to use

Let us explore on Google docs outline, how to use Google Docs outline.

To use Google Docs outline on the Desktop, Open Google Docs document –> Click on View menu –> Choose Show document outline option.

To use Google Docs outline on Android/iOS, Click on the three-dot menu –> choose the Document Outline option.

To make an outline, Use the format menu for designing Heading 1, 2, 3, etc.

Back on March 9, 2016, Google added a cool feature to Google Docs – automatic outlines. Yes, you heard it right? It’s automatic. Let’s dive deep and examine the tool, and how it can be helpful in this article in detail. 

Where to find outline tool in Google Docs?

Where to find outline tool in Google Docs? Generally, you can find the outline tool at the left of the page as a pane. It consists of headers added for each section automatically.

Each heading when clicked will let you quickly jump to that particular section. One can edit or remove these headers if required.

How to open outline tool in Google Docs on desktop?

Let us see how to open Google docs outline tool in desktop?

Step 1: Open Google Docs in the browser of your choice. 

Note: If you aren’t logged in already, Google will prompt you to log in with your credentials to continue working. 

Step 2: Open the Google Docs document you are currently working with. 

Step 3: Click on the View menu.

Step 4: Now you can enable the document outline by selecting the Show document outline option. 

Note: Alternatively you can also enable it using the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + Alt + A or Ctrl + Alt + H

Step 5: Now that the outline tool is enabled, you can find it on the left side of the document. 

You can also choose to show or hide using the handle at the top of the outline pane. 

How to open outline tool in Google Docs on mobile?

To enable Google docs document outline on Android or iOS app, 

Step 1: Tap on the More option. It’s nothing but the three-dot icon in the upper right corner. 

Step 2: You’ll be presented with a list of options. Choose Document Outline from the list. 

To disable it, just tap anywhere outside of the pane displayed. 

How to make a Google Docs outline on web? 

How to make a Google Docs outline on web? Once enables it’s super simple to add outlines to the document. 

If the document is not already created, start by creating a single line of bold or outline text to automatically add an entry to the outline. 

On the other hand, if it’s an existing document, format a single line of text using bold or underlines formatting. You can also use the format menu to choose a heading option. 

Note: You are free to create levels in headings. To do so, format the headings using the format menu such as Heading 1, Heading 2, Heading 3, or Heading 4. But, note subtitles will not be considered. 

How to make a Google Docs outline in android/iPhone?

The procedure is almost the same in the case of the mobile app as well.

If the document is not already created, start by creating a single line of bold or outline text to automatically add an entry to the outline.

On the other hand, if it’s an existing document, format a single line of text using bold or underlines formatting. You can also use the format menu to choose a heading option.

You are free to create levels in headings so they are assigned to designated levels in your outline, tap Format > Text > Style, and then choose the desired heading level. But, note subtitles will not be considered.

On mobile screens, the outline will be displayed at the bottom of your screen.

How To Edit Document Outline Google Docs

Well, we will discuss here the steps to edit outline in Google Docs.

1. Navigate to https://docs.google.com/.
2. Locate the specific text that you have added as a document outline in Google Docs.
3. Modify that specific text in the content of your Google document.
4. Now, you will notice that the moment you will modify the text, it will automatically change the Outline text and then you can save the document.

How To Add Headings To An Outline In Google Docs

Let’s discuss here the steps to add headings to an outline manually in Google Docs. Follow the below steps.

1. Navigate to https://docs.google.com/
2. Click on the Blank option to create a new document and add some content to it or you can open your existing document where you want to add the document outline manually in Google Docs.
3. Now select the specific text that you want to make the outline heading.
4. Then click on the Normal text dropdown –> then click on the heading style. Now you can able to see the heading as the outline that you can able to see on the left side.

This is the best way to add text to document outline in Google Docs.

How to navigate through outline headings in Google Docs? 

How to navigate through outline headings in Google Docs? In the case of a web interface, just click the entry of the outline you want to access, and your cursor will move to the beginning of the section correlating it.

Similarly, on android and iOS devices, open the outline and tap the entry in the outline to take to the section you want to go.

How To Add Headings To An Outline In Google Docs

Let’s discuss here the steps to add headings to an outline manually in Google Docs. Follow the below steps.

1. Navigate to https://docs.google.com/
2. Click on the Blank option to create a new document and add some content to it or you can open your existing document where you want to add the document outline manually in Google Docs.
3. Now select the specific text that you want to make the outline heading.
4. Then click on the Normal text dropdown –> then click on the heading style. Now you can able to see the heading as the outline that you can able to see on the left side.

This is the best way to add text to document outline in Google Docs.

How to remove outlines in Google Docs on web? 

To remove an entry from the outline, point to the heading you want to remove. You will find a cross (X) stating Remove to remove the outline. 

How to remove outline in Google Docs on android?

Step 1: Open Google Docs in the browser of your choice. 

Note: If you aren’t logged in already, Google will prompt you to log in with your credentials to continue working. 

Step 2: Open the document you wish to remove the Google docs outline from. 

Step 3: On the heading, you want to remove, tap More .

Step 4: Tap Remove from outline.

How to remove Google Docs outline on iPhone/iPad?

Step 1: Open Google Docs in the browser of your choice. 

Note: If you aren’t logged in already, Google will prompt you to log in with your credentials to continue working. 

Step 2: Open the document you wish to remove the outline from. 

Step 3: On the heading, you want to remove, tap More .

Step 4: Tap Remove from outline.

How To Re-Add removed headings to an outline in Google Docs

Once you have removed the headings from the document outline, if you want to re-add the removed headings, you can follow the below instructions

1. Navigate to https://docs.google.com/.
2. Locate the specific text or the heading that you have removed as a document outline and again you want to re-add in the Google Docs.
3. Right-click on the heading that you want to re-add as a document outline and then select Add to document outline option.

Google Docs outline subheading

You can also, outline a subheading using the below steps.

1. Open your Google Docs document.
2. Select the particular peace of text that you make an outline as a subheading.
3. Click on the Normal text dropdown menu –> Select Heading 2 or Heading 3 –> Choose Apply ‘Heading 2’ or Apply ‘Heading 3’ respectively.

4. Now, you will find the subheading is outlined on the left side.

You may like the following Google docs tutorials:

• How to do MLA format on google docs
• How to view Google docs history

Cool right? We’ve finally summed up almost all the techniques with which you can work with the outline tool in Google Docs. Thus Google had made it easier to manage large, complex documents. Try your hands with the outline tool and make your next documenting process efficient.

Rajkishore Sahoo

I am Rajkishore, and I have over 14 years of experience in the Software Industry.  For a long time, I have been using Google Docs, Google Drive, and Google Sheets for my document usage, and I am sharing all the tips and tricks, the challenges I have come across, and their solutions to use Google Docs for your day-to-day use. I hope you will learn from these practical Google Docs tutorials. Read more.