Simplicity has always been one of the key factors behind the popularity of Google Docs. Today, it is a genuine alternative to Microsoft Word What is Google Docs and How to Use it What is Google Docs and How to Use it Google Docs can do more than you might think. Let us show you how Google Docs works. Read more . However, there are times when you want your word processor to go that extra mile. That's where external plugins come in. Like these eleven extensions that enhance your Google Docs experience.
Launching a new tab every time you want to translate a piece of text that the person you're collaborating with has written can get awkward. Instead, we recommend installing a simple plugin called Translate.
Translate can interpret five major languages, including English, French, German, Japanese, and Spanish. All you need to do is select the sentence and hit the Translate button after choosing the source and target languages. When you need more help with translation, you can always turn to the most comprehensive translators available online Top 10 Online Translators You Can Use in the Real World Top 10 Online Translators You Can Use in the Real World These free online translators They are perfect for quickly exchanging words or sentences into another language. And some offer additional features that make them even better. Read more.
Download: Translate (Free)
Kaizena is an extension primarily for schools with Google Classroom integration. It allows teachers to leave voice feedback for students and even attach lessons or skills to specific excerpts. Although anyone can use it for similar purposes. The extension displays a handy timeline of all previously left voice comments so you can review and resolve them once you're done.
Download: Kaizena (Free)
ezNotifications is another free Google Docs extension that fixes a critical deficiency. It allows you to set up regular alerts for each edit made to your document. You can set notifications to come every day at a specific time or once every few hours. ezNotifications can send a list of all the mods that were executed, including the name of the person who made it.
Download: ezNotifications (Free, premium version available)
HelloSign, as the name suggests, is for users who sign too many documents in Google Docs. You can quickly add a signature and attach it to a document with the click of a button. Imported signatures are resizable as well. The free version only allows the signing of three documents, and to get more, you will have to pay.
HelloSign couldn't get the job done? Try one of these tools to electronically sign a PDF How to sign a PDF:The best tools for electronic signatures How to sign a PDF:The best tools for electronic signatures Do you need to sign a PDF electronically? These are the best tools to sign PDF documents from your PC or phone. Read more.
Download: HelloSign (Free, premium version available)
Doc Tools offers a quick set of convenient options for your fingerprints. This includes actions like changing selected text to uppercase or lowercase, changing font size, highlighting, words to digits, and more. The extension has a total of thirteen shortcuts, all of which you can access for free.
Download: Doc Tools (Free)
Better Word Count adds a panel to persistently display the word count and the number of characters the document comprises with or without spaces. Plus, you can specifically adjust which elements to include and exclude. For example, you can disable just the H1 headers but still keep the rest.
Download: Better word count (free)
As you would expect, Writefull Thesaurus allows you to look up synonyms for a particular word. However, unlike other similar extensions, this one also takes into account where the word was typed and its context to suggest more relevant results. Once you've found the correct synonym, simply click paste and have it replace the original search term.
Download: Writefull Thesaurus (Free)
If you're someone who blogs regularly and writes posts in Google Docs before migrating them to the CMS, this one is for you. The WordPress extension for Google Docs allows you to easily create draft documents directly from a panel on the right. You can add tags, categorize them, and even set the post type correctly while editing the document. Additionally, you can also configure more than one blog and select which one to link to the current document.
Download: WordPress (Free)
If you're a designer whose life largely revolves around Lucidchart for diagrams, mockups, wireframes, and more, Google Docs has an extension for you too. The Lucidchart plugin connects to your account and allows you to easily import files. Also, you can launch a particular diagram directly into edit mode from Google Docs if you wish.
Download: Lucidchart (Free)
The Highlight tool is designed for students who have to go through dozens of documents and research material in Google Docs. The extension comes with the ability to record anything you highlight and export it to another document. Therefore, you can highlight multiple sentences in different colors and have them appear in a separate file for other purposes later on. The plugin allows you to create as many new highlight classes as you want in case you are working on a large project.
Download: Highlight tool (free)
Lastly, we have Reader which probably doesn't need any introduction. The reader can read aloud the documents in Google Docs. You can change a bunch of settings like pitch or speed to adjust the dictation to your preference and pace. There is also support for almost all languages and dialects, including regional ones like Hindi.
Download: Reader (Free)
While Google Docs is a splendid and collaborative word processor, it does have its flaws. Google has been updating it and bringing it closer to competitors like Microsoft Word. But fortunately, the Internet now offers many competent alternatives. So, here are 5 Great Google Docs Alternatives You Should Consider 5 Great Google Docs Alternatives You Should Consider 5 Great Google Docs Alternatives You Should Consider Google Docs does have its limitations. Maybe you want to avoid Google for privacy reasons. Or you may need different features. We found five great alternatives and one of them will work for you. Read more.
