Even though Google Docs has been the go-to word processor for many years, there are still some features that users wish had built-in. To bridge that gap, use some useful add-ons. From checking grammar to formatting, these tools save you time and effort. Here are add-ons you can use to improve your writing process.
Google Docs has a built-in word count tool, but it's lacking for a few reasons. It doesn't allow excluding specific types of content – like bibliographies, parenthetical text, or other sections – from the final word count, so you have to exclude them manually. Although it can display real-time word counts, you must enable this option for every new document.
Word Counter Max is a Google Docs add-on that displays total word count in the sidebar and allows control of target word count with real-time progress tracking. It even displays word count during the session to help track productivity. Additionally, it provides advanced options to exclude text in parentheses, square brackets, table of contents, bibliography, etc. from the word count.
Note: To open the installed add-on, go to the tab Extensionsfind the add-on in the list and select the action you want.
When sharing documents with colleagues or team members, you often need to hide certain sections that contain sensitive information. Making a separate copy or deleting text are options, but they make document management more complicated. Since Google Docs doesn't provide a way to hide original content, rely on the Doc Secrets add-on.
With Doc Secrets, you can hide existing sections in a document or add secret information directly through an add-on. To add hidden text, enter it in the add-on's text box and click Insert. To censor an existing section, select the text and click Censor Text. To show content to yourself or others, select the hidden section from the side panel and click Reveal.
Also, remember to adjust sharing settings by clicking the gear icon – this lets you manage who can insert, edit, reveal, or censor secret text.
ProWritingAid is a great grammar checker and writing assistant add-on that is highly recommended for all Google Docs users. Use this add-on to detect and correct grammatical errors, spelling mistakes, delete overused phrases, simplify ambiguous expressions, shorten long clauses, etc. ..
It also provides users with useful tips for improving document structure, trimming sentence length, and improving document readability. With readability scores, summary reports, and plagiarism checks all in one place, ProWritingAid makes it easy to refine your documents to communicate more clearly with your readers.
Issues or suggestions for improvement will appear with a red dot, while green indicates well-written content. After editing, you can click Apply Changes and Close to save all adjustments at once.
Limited vocabulary often causes a shortage of ideas, so use the OneLook Thesaurus add-on. This utility helps break down mental barriers by providing many suggestions, including synonyms, commonly used words with similar meanings, rhymes, words starting with the same prefix , an adjective that combines with a word and the noun that the word describes.
You can also select specific text in your document and click a button Quotes to see related quotes and ideas, keeping you from getting stuck when the words don't flow. With this add-on right in Google Docs, you no longer need to search online for these tools. If you often find yourself staring at the screen, unable to write a single word, you should try this add-on.
While Google Docs' default font options cover most users' needs, you can use the Extensis Fonts add-on to access many more additional fonts to help personalize your text. count. This add-on allows users to experiment with different styles to highlight certain parts, improving the visual appeal of their work.
Usage is also very easy. Once installed, open the add-on and a list of fonts will appear on the side panel. To preview a specific font, simply select your text and click the font, it will be applied immediately. You can then choose to keep the new style or use the default Google Docs font by selecting it from the font drop-down menu.
You can use the Translate My Docs add-on to translate entire documents or specific sections of text. Because it can be used directly in Google Docs, you don't need to switch to another tab or another translation tool.
To use this tool, simply install the add-on, open the add-on and a side panel will appear. From there, you can select the source and target languages for your translation. In the drop-down menu Settingsyou can choose to replace the original text with the translated version or keep them separate. Then just select the text and click the button Translate.
Paperpile is the ideal academic companion. When conducting research, it allows you to search for relevant publications using keywords, author, year of publication, and many other details. This utility pulls relevant articles from sources such as PubMed, CrossRef and Google Books. You can also manually create entries for items you want to cite in your work.
What I appreciate most about this extension is its ability to simplify citation organization and management of research sources. You can cite references in Google Docs with just one click and see all your citations in a single location. Since it supports the most widely used citation formats, you can choose the style you like. All these features make it one of the best Google Docs citation and bibliography add-ons.
Once you've gathered all your sources, you can easily update citations and create a bibliography by clicking Update citations and bibliography.
GPT Plus Docs for Google Docs brings the power of AI assistants to Google Workspace apps. In Docs, you use it to generate ideas and outline content, correct grammar errors, and adjust your tone. You can review your content for clarity, grammar, and style. When working with large documents, you can summarize them to get the main points.
Additionally, it allows you to translate text between different languages and create stunning images from a single prompt. This add-on also provides example prompts that allow you to generate different texts with just one click. It keeps track of your previous interactions and can easily clear the history. This extension uses the latest GPT-4 and GPT-4o models.
The add-ons mentioned above are extremely useful. They have become an integral part of many people's workflows and improve writing in ways you can't imagine without them. If you haven't tried these add-ons or any other add-ons, you should change your mind now!
