I Need an App That Can Do Notes and Upload Files to That Others Can Have Access to

At Mojo, nosotros rely on collaboration tools and productivity apps to get more washed throughout the solar day. We utilize a variety of apps like Basecamp, Pivotal,Slack, andDropboxto communicate and share files, notes, and tasks. But what about collaborative document editing? We've got you covered with this detailed how-to.

We use Google Workspace (formerly GSuite, aka Google Apps) and one of our favorite apps is Google Docs. As role of the apps suite, Google Docs is a give-and-take processing app for teams and it allows you to create and manage documents online very hands.

And then why would you want to utilize Google Docs?

Unproblematic:collaboration. I'yard certain you've experienced the clunky, frustrating process of editing a Give-and-take document via e-mail between one or more people. Runway changes, forward the file in an email, accept changes, revise, email back ... etc. Who has the well-nigh recent version? Where is the nigh recent version? In my experience, it is the opposite of a streamlined process.

Google Docs eliminates these frustrations, and adds some really cool collaborative features that Word just doesn't accept, like real-fourth dimension commenting – only we'll get to that in a minute.

Only, we know from experience that not everyone is on board this train. Working in a Google Doc is withal unfamiliar to many people.

One issue we run up against is knowing how to invite someone to edit a Google Dr., and making certain that the person we're request knows how to edit it. Information technology's happened a few times – we transporta Google Doc to someone (accessed by a link) only to have them save information technology or paste it into a Word document and send it back to us with their changes. This defeats the purpose of certificate collaboration, but information technology happens considering the recipient is just not familiar with how a Google Doc operates.

In this post, we'll hash out how to create a document, how to invite someone to edit a Google Doc, and all of the steps in between.

How to Create a Google Dr.

To create a certificate, y'all first get to your Google Bulldoze interface. Drive is where all of your One thousand Suite documents are stored. Once yous are logged in with your Google business relationship (either via Gmail or your Google Apps for business organization business relationship) y'all can become to your apps in a few ways, but one easy way is to find this icon at to the summit of your screen.

Click "Drive" and you'll see a list of all of your current documents. If yous have not created any, the screen will have no documents.

To create a new medico, click on the "Create" button and you'll run across some options:

Drive has familiar file management tools, like add together a new folder or upload an entire folder. From here, yous tin create a new document. You can besides create a new spreadsheet (Sheets, like to Excel) or presentation (Slides, like to PowerPoint), but we'll stick with a standard document for now.

Once yous create a new document, you'll encounter a bare page with a standard fix of word processing tools at the top.

The outset thing you'll want to practise is proper noun your doc. Exercise this by clicking the words "Untitled document" at the top and giving it a new proper name. Note that it automatically saves as you go.

Now you are gear up to write! You lot can treat this but like a regular Word document. Type and format away.

Additionally, your certificate is stored in the cloud, which means yous don't have to worry about saving it to your estimator or losing information technology. It car-saves continuously, then all you demand to do to become back to it is open your web browser, become to your Google Bulldoze, and click on it. Easy!

Collaboration

At present that you have created a physician, it's time to see where Google Docs really shines. Let's set up a scenario that might be familiar to yous. You lot are working on a document that requires feedback and input from others in your office. And then you put together a report equally a Word document and email it to a group of four other people with the note: "Please requite me your changes." Each person and then makes notes and changes in the doc and emails it dorsum. Now you accept 5 different versions that you need to consolidate back into one. Ugh!

A Google Medico eliminates this headache. All you would need to do is "share" the doc with your co-workers and inquire them to make their changes straight in the same document. You are now working on1 document as opposed to five different docs.

To do this, click on the "Share" button in the upper right.

You will run into the share screen, which presents many options. Nosotros'll go through a couple of our about oftentimes used share options.

1. Share With People Outside Your Company

Go shareable link: Hither is a pull a fast one on that will save you a TON of fourth dimension, not to mention tears and headaches. If yous need to share this doc with someone exterior of your company, who may or may non fifty-fifty have a Google account, this is the place to go. Click on "become shareable link."

Next, you lot'll want to select "Anyone with the link" and beneath yous can select the access level (tin view, edit, etc).

Now, click Save. Yous've made the document accessible to anyone who has this particular link.

Now, copy the link and can send an email to the person or group you desire to interact with. This feature comes in really handy when you know someone doesn't necessarily use Google Apps or they're unfamiliar with signing in to access a Google Doc.

two. Limited Sharing for Higher Security

The above example would allow anyone to access a document, provided they accept the link. If yous desire to share a certificate with just a detail person and yous want to guarantee no 1 else can access information technology, use this method. Merely remember, you may take problem on the other finish if the person you're inviting doesn't have a Google account attached to the e-mail you're sending to.

Make sure link sharing is gear up to "Off" and send to particular e-mail addresses. You tin notwithstanding control admission levels here, likewise every bit send an invite and personal bulletin straight to the individuals. Click "Ship" and they will become an email notification.

Note that if you offset typing an e-mail address that is already in your contacts list, it will auto-complete with their full name, and then you lot can merely select them from a list as you can see above. Otherwise yous can but type in their unabridged email address. Separate multiple email addresses with a comma.

Also note that past default you are inviting people to edit the doc, although you can alter access to view but. If Edit is selected, this ways that the people you invite will be able to make changes. Yet, don't worry ... yous can ever undo their changes (more on that after).

Then what happens now? Well, the people y'all invited will now get an electronic mail with a link to the doc.

Real Time Collaboration in Google Docs

Now they can simply click on the link to become to the doc and edit it directly online. So, what does real fourth dimension collaboration in Google Docs hateful?

Here's the absurd part: they tin can brand all the changes they want at the aforementioned time , and every version is tracked and saved automatically. Additionally, you can compare and curl back to any earlier version you want. People can also add comments to the doctor as a fashion of offering feedback without actually editing it.

While people are editing the md, you can see information technology in real time. Yous volition be able to see who is viewing information technology based on their icon in the upper right, and you tin can come across who is making what changes in existent time. Here you lot tin encounter Amy is editing, and in the second image below Amy has left, but at present Abby is in the document. If they were all three in there at the same time, all three icons would appear.

How to Revert and See Revision History

If you desire to see the entire revision history of the doc, become to the "File" menu and choose "Meet revision history."

Then, y'all will be able to rail every change. Yous volition encounter a listing of all the different versions along with fourth dimension stamps and who fabricated the changes.

Clicking on a version will show that version of the document to you. If you want to ringlet dorsum to a previous version, you can cull to "restore" that version.

This is my favorite part near Google Docs: real-time collaboration and the flexibility to revert dorsum to any version of the document at any time.

As yous tin can see, using a Google Dr. for collaborative editing is a very efficient procedure. Information technology means that everyone is only editing one document; everyone always sees the latest version; and all changes and comments are tracked and saved. Additionally, information technology tin can exist edited from tablets and mobile devices for even more flexibility.

Save In Different Formats

You lot or your boyfriend editors may download a copy of the doc in another format, like Word or PDF, at any fourth dimension. Become to File and select "Download every bit" to export the doc in another format.

Means to Collaborate with Google Docs

You are probably getting an thought of all of the means you can utilize this tool, simply I want to share a few specific use cases from our experience. You can share docs inside your own arrangement (via Google Apps) or you can share docs with people outside your organization, besides.

Some means to use this amazing tool include:

• Gathering Feedback: Draft a memo or policy in your part that needs group feedback
• Meeting Agendas: Create your agenda and share the link in a Agenda invite for upcoming meeting
• Meeting Minutes: Take notes during a meeting and share dr. with attendees
• Sales Squad Information: Share a Google Spreadsheet with your sales team and enquire them to continue information technology upwards to date with stats
• Team Content Collaboration: Kickoff with an outline, get together feedback from team, and continue evolving the piece you're writing.
• Board or Commission Planning: Group work when serving on boards and committees

The possibilities are endless. Any time you need to interact on a document with someone else, it's a good possibility that Google Doc is the tool you demand. Some other advantages include:

• Compatibility: It works on Mac, PC, iPad, mobile, and with no software required
• Cloud Storage: Your document is stored in the deject, so it's accessible anywhere and won't get lost.
• Saves Time: Much more streamlined, since there is no need to email attachments dorsum and along

At SpinWeb, nosotros discover that Google Docs is a great place to keep "in-progress" stuff. Nosotros don't treat it as a permanent abode for a physician; rather, we use information technology every bit a stream of working docs that may eventually be exported to a more than permanent home, like Dropbox. Information technology's a keen identify to collaborate and create without committing to saving a bunch of files on your computer.

I hope this has given you a skilful primer on the advantages of collaborating with Google Docs.

Image Credit: dennizn/Shutterstock.com

Steph leads our client delivery team and is obsessed with delivering quality piece of work, creating an efficiency machine, and mastering the tools and disciplines to achieve success for our heroes. At home, she loves listening to true crime podcasts, playing with her daughters and two pugs, and singing in a local stone ring with her husband.

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Source: https://www.mojomedialabs.com/blog/your-guide-to-collaborative-document-editing-with-google-docs

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