Google is set to rollout a time-saving new feature allowing custom templates to be created across its office suite.
Google is rolling out a new feature that will allow users to quickly turn any document in Docs, Sheets, Slides and Forms into a reusable template, potentially saving businesses time spent re-creating files.
Until now, when users first logged on to Google Docs, Sheets, Slides and Forms they were greeted by a dark grey box over the top half of the home screen, with the documents they had previously edited below.
By clicking the more button, they were able to access a number of pre-designed templates for commonly used documents.
These included brochures, newsletters, business letters, meeting notes and project proposals in Docs; to-do lists, calendars, invoices, time sheets, financial statements, budgets, team rosters and expense reports in Sheets; along with consulting proposals and status reports in Slides.
However, there was no easy way to add a new template containing, for example, company branding or letterheads to this menu.
That is set to change with the new templates feature, which is set to roll out to most end users on December 7, allowing them to transform any document into a template for future use.
After the rollout, users should notice a new ‘submit template’ button on the top-right-hand corner of the templates screen.
Clicking on this button will pull up a dialog box where they will be able to click any document they have previously saved in Google Docs, select a category, and then save it for future use.
For people using the full paid version of G Suite for Business and Education, there will also be an option in the settings to require administrator approval before templates created by staff appear in the gallery.
As part of the changes, Google also announced that its old Google Docs templates gallery website, which was used to host template designs created by users, will be shut down in early 2017.
“We know time spent re-creating files in the workplace takes away from the time your team can spend collaborating and achieving results,” Google said in a blog post outlining the changes.
“With this new feature, your team can simply submit files to shared template galleries in the Docs, Sheets, Slides and Forms home screens for your co-workers to adapt and use as needed.”
The upgrade comes after Google recently released a major overhaul of its Docs, Sheets and Slides apps for Android, along with its Gmail and Calendar apps for iOS.
BIT recently published a guide containing seven tips for more effectively using Google Docs, along with a similar guide to Google Forms.
