The first thing you’ll need to do before you can use Google Docs is a sign up for a Google account (an @gmail account). If you already have an account, feel free to move on to the next section. If not, I’ll go over the simple way to create a Google account and get you set up with Docs.

Head over to accounts.google.com, click on “Create Account,” and then “For Myself.”

How to Create a Blank Document

Now that you have a Google account, it’s time to create your first document. Head on over to Google Docs and place the cursor on the multi-colored “+” icon in the bottom right corner.

The + turns into a blue pencil icon; click on it.

How to Import a Microsoft Word Document

Even if you’re new to Google Docs, you might already have a collection of Microsoft Word files you’d like to be able to use. If that’s the case, then you’ll have to upload all your Word documents before you can view them. 

When you import a Word document, you can use either Google Docs or Drive to upload your files. Both methods let you drag and drop a file from your computer directly into the web browser for easy uploads. Google Drive stores all of your uploaded files when you head to the Docs homepage, it only shows you document-type files.

From the Google Docs homepage, click the folder icon in the top right, then click the “Upload” tab.

Once the Word file uploads, Docs opens it automatically, ready for you to start to edit, share, and collaborate.

To open a Word document that you want to edit, click the file with the blue ‘W’ next to the filename from your Google Docs homepage.

Click either view the Word file or edit it in Docs.

When you finish with the document, you can download your document back into DOCX, or PDF, ODT, TXT, HTML, or EPUB format. Click File > Download As then click on the desired format, and it will download directly to where files save from your browser.