What are Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides?

Owned by Andrea Mocko
Last updated: Dec 12, 2023 by William Schneider
2 min read



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Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides are productivity apps that let you create different kinds of online documents, work on them in real time with other people, and store them in your Google Drive online. You can access the documents, spreadsheets, and presentations you create from any computer, anywhere in the world. The guides below will give you a quick overview of the many things that you can do with Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides.

Google Docs

Google Docs is an online word processor that lets you create and format text documents and collaborate with other people in real-time. Here's what you can do with Google Docs:

  • Upload a Word document and convert it to a Google document.

  • Add flair and formatting to your documents by adjusting margins, spacing, fonts, and colors — all that fun stuff.

  • Invite other people to collaborate on a document with you, giving them edit, comment or view access.

  • Collaborate online in real-time and chat with other collaborators — right from inside the document.

  • View your document's revision history and roll back to any previous version.

  • Download a Google document to your desktop as a Word, OpenOffice, RTF, PDF, HTML or zip file.

  • Translate a document to a different language.

  • Email your documents to other people as attachments.

To learn more about Google Docs, check out the Google Docs getting started guide.

Google Sheets

Google Sheets is an online spreadsheet app that lets you create and format spreadsheets and simultaneously work with other people. Here's what you can do with Google Sheets:

  • Import and convert Excel, .csv, .txt and .ods formatted data to a Google spreadsheet.

  • Export Excel, .csv, .txt and .ods formatted data, as well as PDF and HTML files.

  • Use formula editing to perform calculations on your data, and use formatting make it look the way you'd like.

  • Chat in real time with others who are editing your spreadsheet.

  • Create charts with your data.

  • Embed a spreadsheet — or individual sheets of your spreadsheet — on your blog or website.

For more information about Google spreadsheets, check out the Google Sheets getting started guide.

Google Slides

Google Slides is an online presentations app that allows you to show off your work in a visual way. Here's what you can do with Google Slides:

  • Create and edit presentations.

  • Edit a presentation with friends or coworkers, and share it with others effortlessly.

  • Import .pptx and .pps files and convert them to Google presentations.

  • Download your presentations as a PDF, a PPT, or a .txt file.

  • Insert images and videos into your presentation.

  • Publish and embed your presentations in a website.

For more information about Google presentations, check out the Google Slides getting started guide.

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