Tips to go paperless

On this page

• Create online forms
• Track important schedules & deadlines
• Share content online instead of printing it
• Create a virtual bulletin board
• Brainstorm & provide feedback online
• Share resources on an internal website
• Use version history
• Scan physical documents on the go & store them online
• Send a PDF version of your document or spreadsheet
• Train new employees anytime, anywhere

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Create online forms

Easily create and distribute online forms for event responses, hardware requests, volunteer signups, and more, in just minutes with Google Forms. After you send out a form, you get responses in real time. You can use summaries and charts in Forms to explore your results.

Learn how

1. Go to forms.google.com.
2. Click Blank form .
3. Name your untitled form.

Get started with Google Forms

 

Track important schedules & deadlines

Keep track of tasks by creating an online project plan in Google Sheets. List tasks and assign them to team members. Anyone can directly update the task list online in real time, without having to sift through everyone’s email updates. Then, use Google Calendar to create an online team calendar that everyone can access and update when schedules or deadlines change. When you schedule team meetings in Calendar, attach the project plan to the event and ask for everyone’s updates prior to the meeting. 

Learn how

Create a project plan in Sheets

1. In Google Drive, click NewGoogle SheetsBlank spreadsheet.
2. Click Untitled spreadsheet and enter a title for your project plan.
3. Add columns. For example, you might add columns for tasks, task owners, due dates, status, and comments.
4. Add content to track the tasks in your project.

Learn more at the Google Workspace Learning Center

 

Share content online instead of printing it

Store and manage images, videos, PDFs, and other files using Google Drive. Drive then syncs to the cloud so everyone’s always accessing the most up-to-date content. The sharing features and access controls in Drive make working with internal teams and external partners simple and secure.

You can create new documents right in your browser window. Instead of printing lots of handouts for your next training session, write and share the handout online in Google Docs, or share graphs and presentations online in Sheets or Google Slides. Everyone can see the latest version on their computer, tablet, or phone, and add feedback in real time.

Learn how

Add files to Drive

On your computer, you can upload from drive.google.com or your desktop. You can upload files into private or shared folders.

1. On your computer, go to drive.google.com.
2. At the top left, click New File Upload or Folder Upload.
3. Choose the file or folder you want to upload.

Learn more at the Google Drive Help Center

 

Create a virtual bulletin board

Need to share announcements, upcoming events, or the latest project developments with your team? There’s no need to print and post this information. Use Google Groups to create a mailing list that works as a virtual bulletin board and reaches everyone’s inboxes at once.

Learn how

Create a group

1. Sign in to Google Groups.
2. At the top, click Create group.
3. Enter information and choose settings for the group.
4. Click Create group.
5. Wait a few minutes for your new group to become active before sending a message to it. Otherwise, you might get a notification that your message couldn't be delivered.

Learn more at the Google Workspace Learning Center

 

Brainstorm & provide feedback online

Getting input on your work can be difficult with large teams and multiple printed drafts for reviews and sharing. Create your files in Docs, Sheets, and Slides online, then share them with team members and stakeholders to receive targeted suggestions.

Learn how

Share files in Drive

1. Select the file you want to share.
2. Click Share or Share .
3. Enter the email address or Google group you want to share with.
4. To decide what role people will have on your file, select Viewer, Commenter, or Editor.
5. If your account is eligible, you can add an expiration date for access.
6. Choose to notify people.
   • If you want to notify people that you shared an item with them, check the box next to Notify people. If you notify people, each email address you enter will be included in the email.
   • If you don't want to notify people, uncheck the box.
7. Click Send or Share.

Learn more at the Google Drive Help Center

 

Share resources on an internal website

Keeping track of resources can be time-consuming, especially if you’re managing teams across the globe. Keep all of your assets in one place with Google Sites. Now everyone in your organization—no matter where they’re located—can stay up to date with the latest resources.

Learn how

Create a site

1. Choose an option:

   • In Sites, at the top, click Blank or Template gallery and select a template.
   • In Drive, click New MoreGoogle Sites.
2. At the top left, enter a document name for your site and press Enter.

Learn more at the Google Sites Help Center

 

Use version history

While working on videos, images, PDFs, and other files, you might keep multiple drafts as references. In Drive, you can store all drafts in a single file to stay organized, and you can revert to earlier versions at any time if necessary.

If you create new items in Docs, Sheets, or Slides, all drafts are automatically saved in the same file. Just use the version history to see changes and switch to earlier versions.

Learn how

Add files to Drive

1. In Drive, open your file.
2. Click FileVersion historySee version history.
3. Click a timestamp to see a previous version of the file. Below the timestamp, you can review:
   • The names of people who edited the document.
   •  The color next to each person’s name. The edits they made appear in that color.
4. (Optional) To revert to this version, click Restore this version.

Learn more at the Google Docs Editors Help Center

 

Scan physical documents on the go and store them online

Instead of keeping paper receipts or documents, scan them using the Drive app on your mobile phone. Now you have instant PDFs of any transaction at your fingertips.

Learn how

Scan a document

Scan a document

Important: Google respects your privacy and doesn’t use your Drive content for advertising. Learn more about how Drive protects your privacy.

1. Open the Google Drive app .
2. At the bottom right, tap Camera .
3. Point your device’s camera at a document.
   • A blue line outlines the document. This indicates where the picture will be cropped.
4. Take a photo of the document that you'd like to scan.
   • Optional: You can toggle automatic capture by choosing between Manual and Auto capture.
5. Adjust your scanned document.
   • Adjust scan area: Tap Crop & Rotate .
   • Adjust the colors, or make image grayscale: Tap Filter . 
   • Erase stains, fingers, and more: Tap Clean .
   • Scan another page: Tap Add .
   • Retake the photo: Tap Retake .
   • Delete a page: Tap Delete .
6. Tap Done.
7. Create your own file name or select a suggested title.
8. To save the scanned document in a specific format, select either .pdf or .jpg.
   • Optional: To select the Drive folder where you’ll save the document, tap Location.
9. To save the finished document, tap Save.

Add a scanning shortcut to your Home screen 

To set up a shortcut to scan documents:

1. Open your Android phone or tablet’s widgets.
2. Find the "Drive scan" widget.
3. Touch and hold the widget.
4. Drag it onto your Home screen. You may be asked to select an account.
5. Choose the folder you’ll save documents inside. If you want to create a folder, tap New Folder .
6. Tap Select. You’ll see the folder name in the widget.

Learn more at the Google Drive Help Center

 

Send a PDF version of your document or spreadsheet

PDF files are easy to download and open in existing programs, but updating them often means creating and sharing multiple versions of the same file. Instead of converting files to PDF each time, send a link to a PDF version of your file in Docs or Sheets. Whenever you update the source file, you won’t have to create new files or update the link you already shared—your team will automatically open a PDF of the latest version.

Learn how

Copy, paste, & send the PDF link

1. In Drive, select your file.
2. Click Share .
3. Click Copy link and click Done.
4. After you paste the link, change the end of the URL before sending it. For example:
   1. Before:
      • http://docs.google.com/document/d/<doc_id>/edit?usp=sharing
      • http://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/<doc_id>/edit?usp=sharing
      • http://docs.google.com/presentation/d/<doc_id>/edit?usp=sharing
   2. After:
      • http://docs.google.com/document/d/<doc_id>/export?format=pdf
      • http://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/<doc_id>/export?format=pdf
      • http://docs.google.com/presentation/d/<doc_id>/export/pdf
5. Send the modified PDF link.
   When you click the link, you (or anyone else) can download a PDF copy of your file.

 

Train new employees anytime, anywhere

Have a distributed workforce that needs timely training? Want to reduce onsite training costs and printing materials? Use Google Meet to conduct virtual training classes across the globe and save time and travel costs. Then, use Sites to create a webpage with all of your onboarding and training resources so people can easily find important reference materials in one place. Or, use Google Vids to create comprehensive training videos.

Learn how

Present during a video meeting

1. Join a Meet video meeting.
2. At the bottom, click Present now .
3. Select A tab, A window, or Your entire screen.
   • If you present a Chrome tab, it shares that tab's audio by default.
   • To present a different tab:
     1. Select the tab that you want to present.
     2. On the banner, click Share this tab instead.
   • If you present a Slides presentation through a tab, you can control it in Meet.
4. Click Share.
5. Optional: To unpin your presentation and show it as a tile, click Unpin .
   See how to un-pin a presentation in Google Meet using Google Workspace for business
   You can now find more participants while you present.

Tips:

• If your camera is turned on, your video is active while you're presenting.
• For better presentations and to prevent mirroring, share a new window or a specific tab instead of the meeting window.
• To share your audio, you must select Share a Chrome tab or Share this tab.

Learn more at the Google Meet Help Center

Create a video with Vids

1. On your computer, open Google Vids.
2. Choose an option:
   • Help Me Create: Create a video with AI in Google Vids. 
   • Select a template: Build your video based on a template that you select. 
   • Start with a recording: Build your video with a video, audio, or screen recording. 
   • Upload media: Build your video by recording yourself (audio narration or a full video recording), your computer screen, or both. 

Get started with Google Vids

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