A few days ago, Google Docs introduced a new feature called ‘tabs’ which enables you to better organize and structure your documents. With tabs, your documents become easier to read and quicker to navigate. This is a feature which is long due but late better than never.
I like Google Docs and have been using it for years. I have even used it to write parts of my doctoral thesis. Google Docs offers various powerful features especially when it comes to editing and collaboration but lags behind in organizational features. Apps such as Notion and Scrivener offer way better ways to organize your documents and create multi-level pages.
With this new feature, Google Docs is now catching up. You are now able to add up to three tabs in a single document. Each tab can have multiple subtabs. All the tabs and subtabs you create appear on the left-hand side panel allowing you to instantly visualize the whole document structure anytime you want. You can use the tabs as sections of a document for easier navigation.
Tabs and subtabs you add to a document are nested under ‘Show tabs & outlines’ located at the top left, you can toggle it on to see the tabs and subtabs in a document or off to hide them. As the editor of the document (or you have editor access if the document is shared with you), you can customize tabs the way you want. For instance, you can rename a tab, add emojis to tabs titles, duplicate a tab, move tabs into other tabs, delete tabs, and many more. You can also generate shareable links to active tabs and share them with collaborators.
Here is How to Create a Tab
Open a new document in Google Docs. ‘Tab 1,’ is a tab assigned by default to any new document. You can’t delete that tab until you add at least two more tabs. To create a new tab, click on ‘Show tabs & outlines’, click ‘Add tab’. To add a subtab, click on tab options and select ‘Add subtab’.
How to Download Docs with Tabs
An important thing to keep in mind when working on documents that have tabs and subtabs is that when you download them from within Google Docs you will only download the active tab. To download or print the document with all its tabs and subtabs you will need to do it from Google Drive. Here is how:
- Open your Google Drive
- Right-click the document you want to print or download
- Select Download.
Google Docs Tabs Tutorial
Watch this video tutorial to learn more about Google Docs Tabs:
Final thoughts
With the introduction of Tabs, Google Docs becomes a powerful alternative to various popular writing editors out there. You can use it to create documents with multiple sections and levels giving you the freedom to present your information in a structured way thus making it easy to read and navigate your content. I invite you to check this new feature and share with us your feedback.