2 weeks Ago
As you work through a Google Docs notebook or article, organizing your sections can become overwhelming. The best solution I’ve found is to create a Google Doc notebook with tabs. This is my favorite in-app feature, and this guide shows why and how to use document tabs.
Google Docs tabs are excellent if you’re working on comprehensive projects that require multiple sections. For example, I’m currently putting together an ebook and would prefer to keep everything in one place. Using tabs has made it easy to quickly jump between sections.
Besides using tabs on their own, you can enhance your document organization even further by using emojis. I also like seeing each section within each tab when I select Show outline in the drop-down menu. Another advantage of using tabs in Google Docs is that you can quickly drag and drop where you want specific tabs to be on your page.
It reminds me of Notion a lot in this respect, making it ideal if you are already thinking of creating a wiki in Notion . I left the education system a long time ago, but I wish that tabs had been available in Google Docs when I was studying. I could have kept everything within a single Google Doc for my thesis, but frankly, it would have been overwhelming.
With tabs in Google Docs, you can break up each section without needing to put everything into multiple documents. As a result, you don’t have to worry about accidentally losing important sections and can check the word count with fewer issues. It leads to much easier navigation.
Besides working on something big, like a thesis, you can also keep all of your individual assignments in the same place. This way, you’ll avoid context-switching and hindering your productivity. While many people use Google Docs for writing essays and other documents, it’s a very underrated note-taking tool.
Its ease of use is a big reason I think of Google Docs as one of the best note-taking alternatives to Evernote . I strongly suggest trying it for note-taking if you don’t want to sign up for another account elsewhere. As you can see below, I’ve broken my annual objectives into different tabs.
While I don’t have a huge amount of text, doing so means I have a clear vision of what I wish to focus on at each point in the year. You can break this down even further if you want, and create tabs for different areas within your life. You can use Google Docs for higher-level thinking, such as developing a plan to completely turn your life around.
I’m in the process of overhauling my old identity at the time of writing and am ready to step into my new one. Good Docs tabs is helping me a great deal. I normally use the Notion app to organize my life , but I can understand why some people choose an alternative.
With the introduction of tabs, your Google Doc now has much resemblance to a Notion workspace. You may find it a better choice for project collaboration. If you need to collaborate with others, you can easily invite them to your document.
It’s also easy to efficiently share or send Google Docs via email . Consider creating different tabs for everyone to work from. By having everyone work within the same tab, you’ll find it easier to get a clear overview of each person’s tasks.
Moreover, you can share documents and important information within a more streamlined interface. Even if you don’t plan on collaborating, you can still use tabs in Google Docs to organize your work life. I’ve found that doing this has led me to be much less overwhelmed, and it’s easier to work when I’m not constantly task or tab switching.
In the same way that you’d create tabs to collaborate with others, I suggest creating different tabs for your various projects. For example, if you’re a content manager, you could have a tab for your content ideas, another for writing your newsletter, and a third for your social media drafts. One idea I got from Cal Newport’s Deep Work book is to also create a list of tasks that others want you to do that you don’t have time for.
You can easily send them the link to your Google Doc, show them the tab where they need to write their task, and refer to it whenever you need to. The tabs feature in Google Docs will make your life much easier when navigating the app, and using it has helped me organize my documents and life without needing to keep everything apart. It’s also easy to keep various projects together, and you may even want to use it as a notebook.
Knowing how to do this and edit Google Docs can make a huge difference in your day-to-day content management. Image credit: Smartmockups . All screenshots by Danny Maiorca.
Our latest tutorials delivered straight to your inbox Danny has written for online audiences for 10+ years. He specializes in Apple products and loves writing on his MacBook, keeping in touch on his iPhone, and measuring his workouts on his Apple Watch. Danny's work has featured in multiple places online, including MUO, Lifewire, and Guiding Tech.
Away from the keyboard, he's passionate about photography and leading an active lifestyle outdoors..
