Create a Template in Google Docs

Are you tired of the limited templates in Google Docs for your documents? Don’t worry! You can create your own custom template and save time for all your future projects. In this article, I’ll show you how to easily create a template in Google Docs.

Use an Existing Template in Google Docs

When you’re short on time or inspiration, using an existing template in Google Docs can be very convenient. Here’s how to find these ready-to-use templates:

1. Go to the Google Docs homepage or directly to docs.google.com.
2. Select “Template Gallery” to view the collection of templates offered by Google.

Create a Template from Scratch in Google Docs

If the existing Google templates don’t meet your needs, you can create your own custom template. Here’s how:

1. From the Google Docs homepage, click “New Document” or copy and paste an existing document into a new document and save it with a unique title.
2. Create your new template by adding your content. Note that Google Docs doesn’t provide “placeholders” to replace text or images when using the template. So, you can insert instructions to remind yourself of what needs to be replaced later.
3. Save the document with a unique title.
4. From the Google Docs homepage, select “Template Gallery,” then your organization’s name, and finally “Submit a Template.”
5. In the “Submit a Template” window, click “Select a Document,” choose the desired template, and then click “Open.”
6. In the “Submit a Template” window, you’ll also need to select a category for your file. Click “Submit.”
7. To find your new template, go to the “Template Gallery” and select your organization’s name.

Create a Template in Google Docs with a Personal Account

If you have a personal Google account and not a Google Workspace account for organizations, you can’t save your Google Docs templates as “official templates,” but you can still be creative. Here’s how:

1. Create your document as if it were a template and save it with a unique title, for example, “Template: Weekly Task List.”
2. When you want to use the template, open the file from your Google Drive, select “File,” then “Make a Copy.”
3. Rename the document, place it in the appropriate folder, and click “Make a Copy.”

And there you have it! Just repeat these steps whenever you want to use your improvised template.

To take your templates even further, you can use Google Docs variables.

Automate Your Google Docs Templates with Zapier

Some templates require filling in specific fields. If your templates are so important that you can’t afford to enter the information incorrectly, you’ll want to automate the process. Here are some ways to create and automatically populate a template:

• How to Automatically Create Documents from a Template
• How to Create and Auto-Populate a Google Docs Template
• How to Create Google Docs Templates Based on Form Responses
• How to Save Google Docs to Dropbox
• How to Add a Signature in Google Docs

This article was originally published in May 2017 by Matthew Guay.

Now that you know how to create your own templates in Google Docs, you can save time and energy for all your future work. Feel free to explore all the possibilities offered by this handy feature! For more tips and advice, visit Crawlan.com.