How to Track Changes in Google Docs

Google, a well-known company is popular not just because of its search engine. But they also created many more effective products. The intent behind the products is to improve the user experience. From Google’s products, Google Docs also gain more popularity. It’s an efficient tool for cooperative work. Great thing is, Google Docs become synced with cloud storage.

During collaborative work, team members can track changes in Google Docs. Team members can analyze changes made in the document. Tracking ability provides the user with more flexibility. Not just in terms of editing but also for web sharing.

1. Firstly, you can edit your work without someone’s interference. Then gave it to someone to review or proofread the document.
2. Secondly, you can share the document on the web. You have two opportunities either to send it privately or make it public.
3. Thirdly, you can also give access to who can edit your document.

Most of the people refer to this functionality as Track Change. Microsoft word keeping on the same thing. Google Docs name this functionality as “Suggesting.” The great thing is if you import a document from one place to another. Both tools kept all the changes made in the document. It can be either from Google docs to MS Word or from MS Word to Google Docs. You can do it by…

How to track changes in Google Docs

1. Launch Google docs, select blank document and write a piece of content in it.
2. At the top right, select the pen button with dropdown.
3. Click on the “Suggesting” button to enable the track changes in Google Docs.
4. Edited text appears as edit instead of committed text.
5. On editing, an edited text appears with a strikethrough line also with suggested text. New words appear in a new color.

Google Docs create a little popup summary box at the side. That little box displays the changes made in the document. It also displays who made the changes including their name with a picture. An operator can reply to suggestions through the box. This gives the user more power to accept or reject the changes made in the document. This is how track changes in Google Docs work. There are more great things you carry out in Google Docs. Which I explained below in detail.

How to share the Google Docs document

To get the suggestions from another person, you should know about sharing the document. To enable the sharing.

1. At the top right corner, click on the “Share” button.
2. You will be presented with the screen to provide the email address, to whom you want to give them access. (It’s up to you whether to allow the people to give the access of editing or viewing the document.)
3. Click on the “pen” icon to change the document access.

4. To generate the shareable link, click “Get shareable link”.
5. On click, you will be presented with a screen having a shareable link. (Here you can also change the document access either to view or edit the document.)

6. Click “Done”.

On receiving the documents to collaborators, they should be aware of whether they or editing the document or suggesting. This method works frequently in keeping an eye on what is being suggested. Provide users a shareable link to suggest the changes. Having no track changes in Google Docs enabled means suggesting is disabled for the documents.

How to check the history of the edited document.

Another great tool used for collaborative work is version history. This enables workers to check the history of edited documents. Which edit or delete is made by which person. There are two version histories.

1. Name current version
2. See version history.

You can find this option under “File” > “Version History”.

Name Current Version to allow you to save the copy of your file before editing the document. In case, if someone forgets to turn on the “Suggesting”. You can easily turn back and start from there.

See Version History shows you previously made changes in the document. This is shown in the form of boxes having labeled with name, date, and suggestions made. It’s useful for turning back, if some wrong action is made. You can also check the document history by clicking on the message button icon, present at the right side of the screen.

How to Use Comments

Most of the people are unaware of the rule of editing. They write a comment in the document either as a placeholder txt or inline text. These are things that you don’t want to publish in the document. To add a longer text, “comments” are used.

At the top left corner, you will find a speech icon button having + symbol in it. Select the desired text and click that button. On clicking, you will be presented with a box to add a comment in it. “Comment” works as the collaborators are making a discussion. Members can reply to the added comment.

How to resolve comments

On finalizing all the suggestions, its time to quick walkthrough the document to accept or deny changes. You will find an option to “resolve” each comment. Resolving a comment deletes the conversation history permanently for everyone, so be make sure the matter is truly resolved before tapping the button.

How to compare the documents in Google Docs.

Another great feature of Google Docs named as “Compare Documents”. This tool gives you the functionality to compare the documents. This works great when you want to check the comparisons between documents. Or to check what’s the mismatch between them. That tool not only can compare the document. But it also can compare the comments of both documents.

To do this. In the menu bar click Tools > Compare Documents. You will be presented with a screen to select the document either from a drive or any other. Click “Drive” > “Select File” > “Open”. To compare comments, make sure to click the checkbox “include comments from the selected document”.

If you collaborate with a group who aren’t familiar with group editing. You can save a copy of your work and compare it to the edited version to check the changes accidentally through you.

How to download Google Docs file.

After track changes in Google Docs and learning some great tips. It’s time to jump up to download the file and work offline. You can do it by saving the document. To download the Google Docs file. Click “File” > “Download”. You will be presented with different options to save the file.

1. For Windows user, select (.docx).
2. For Linux user, select (.odt).

You can either select .pdf to save the document. Check out the related article of “How to insert pdf into word”. For know select (.docx) and save the file. Finally, you have saved the Google Docs file on your PC.

How to encrypt the document.

Unfortunately, Google Docs doesn’t provide you the feature of encrypting the document. Encrypting gives you the authority to protect the document from unauthorized access. To encrypt the document, you need to download the file and having MS Word installed in your system. Download the file and click open.

In MS Word, in the menu bar click “File” > “Info”. Click “Protect Document”. You will be presented with numerous options. Either to allow the user to make changes or make the document password protected. For now, click “Encrypt with Password”. Write the password and hit ok. you can also check other methods to encrypt the document. Now your document is password protected.

Hope you liked it and learned how to track changes in Google Docs. Which technique helped you after reading this article. Let us know in the comment section below.