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Find answers to common questions below. If you don’t see what you’re looking for, visit the Troubleshooting page or contact Google Support.

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Account & sign-in

Go to the product’s sign-in page and click Sign in with Google. You’ll be redirected to Google’s authentication flow, where you can enter your Google account credentials. Once authenticated, you’re returned to the product and signed in automatically.
If you use Google Workspace, sign in with your organization-issued email address rather than a personal Gmail account to access your organization’s content and shared drives.
Yes. You can sign in with any email address that has been linked to a Google account. If your non-Gmail address isn’t already associated with a Google account, go to accounts.google.com and choose Create account → Use my current email address instead. Once your Google account is set up with that email, you can use it to sign in.
1

Open the account menu

Click your profile photo or avatar in the top-right corner of the page.
2

Select a different account

If you’ve already added multiple accounts, they appear in the dropdown. Click the account you want to switch to.
3

Add a new account

If the account isn’t listed, click Add another account and sign in with the additional Google account credentials.
Each account has its own files, settings, and storage quota. Switching accounts changes which content you see and can edit.
If you can’t access your account, try the following:
1

Use account recovery

Go to accounts.google.com/signin/recovery and follow the prompts. Google will verify your identity using a recovery email, phone number, or security questions you set up previously.
2

Check for a suspended account

If your account has been suspended, you’ll see a message explaining why. Follow the on-screen instructions to appeal the decision or contact support.
3

Contact your administrator

If you’re using a Google Workspace account managed by your organization, contact your IT administrator. They can reset your password or unlock your account.

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Files & documents

1

Open the sharing dialog

Open the file and click Share in the top-right corner.
2

Add the recipient

Enter the external user’s email address in the Add people and groups field.
3

Set their permission level

Choose Viewer, Commenter, or Editor from the dropdown next to their name.
4

Send the invitation

Click Send. The recipient receives an email with a link to the file.
If your organization has restricted external sharing, you may need to request permission from your administrator before sharing with users outside your domain.
Yes. To enable offline access:
1

Install the browser extension

Install the Google Docs Offline Chrome extension from the Chrome Web Store.
2

Turn on offline access

Go to Settings and enable Offline. This syncs your recent files so they’re available without an internet connection.
3

Open files while offline

Navigate to your files as usual. Files that are available offline display an offline indicator. Any edits you make are saved locally and synced automatically when you reconnect.
Open files you plan to work on offline while you still have an internet connection. This ensures the latest version is cached to your device.
Deleted files go to the Trash and remain there for 30 days before being permanently deleted.
1

Open Trash

In the left sidebar, click Trash.
2

Find the file

Browse or search for the file you want to restore.
3

Restore the file

Right-click the file and select Restore, or select it and click Restore from the toolbar. The file moves back to its original location.
Files deleted from Trash cannot be recovered. If a file is no longer in Trash, it has been permanently deleted and cannot be restored.
Import (upload and convert):
  • Microsoft Word (.docx, .doc)
  • Microsoft Excel (.xlsx, .xls)
  • Microsoft PowerPoint (.pptx, .ppt)
  • OpenDocument formats (.odt, .ods, .odp)
  • Plain text (.txt)
  • PDF (view only; editing requires conversion)
  • CSV (for spreadsheets)
Export (download as):
  • PDF
  • Microsoft Office formats (.docx, .xlsx, .pptx)
  • OpenDocument formats
  • Plain text or HTML
  • EPUB (documents)
To export, go to File → Download and select your preferred format.
Yes. Size limits vary by file type:
File typeMaximum size
Documents50 MB (upload); 1.02 million characters (converted)
Spreadsheets100 MB (upload); 10 million cells (converted)
Presentations100 MB
PDFs5 GB (stored but not converted)
Other filesUp to your available storage quota
Files stored in native Google formats (Docs, Sheets, Slides) do not count toward your storage quota. Only uploaded files in non-Google formats consume storage.

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Collaboration

1

Select the content

Highlight the text, cell, or slide element you want to comment on.
2

Open the comment dialog

Click the comment icon that appears in the margin, or press Ctrl+Alt+M (Windows/Linux) or Cmd+Option+M (Mac).
3

Write and submit your comment

Type your comment in the text field and click Comment to post it.
To reply to an existing comment, click on it and type in the Reply field. To resolve a comment thread, click Resolve once the issue has been addressed.
Yes. Google Product supports real-time collaboration. When multiple editors have a file open simultaneously:
  • Each editor’s cursor appears in a distinct color with their name.
  • Changes made by others appear on your screen within seconds.
  • There is no need to save — all changes are saved automatically and continuously.
Use the Chat panel (the speech bubble icon) to communicate with collaborators while you’re all working in the same file.
You can review the full edit history of any file:
1

Open version history

Go to File → Version history → See version history.
2

Browse versions

The right panel lists all saved versions with timestamps and the names of editors who made changes. Click any version to preview it.
3

Compare or restore

To restore an older version, select it and click Restore this version. To name a version for easy reference, click the three-dot menu next to it and select Name this version.
Suggestion mode lets you propose edits without directly changing the document. Your changes appear as colored markup that the document owner can accept or reject.
1

Switch to suggestion mode

Click the pencil icon in the top-right area of the editor. In the dropdown, select Suggesting.
2

Make your edits

Type, delete, or format text as you normally would. Each change appears as a highlighted suggestion.
3

Review and respond to suggestions

Document owners and editors can click any suggestion to Accept or Reject it from the inline prompt that appears.
Suggestion mode is only available in documents where you have at least Commenter access. If you only have Viewer access, you cannot suggest edits.

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Storage & plans

Storage depends on your account type:
Account typeStorage included
Free (personal Google account)15 GB shared across Drive, Gmail, and Photos
Google One (paid)100 GB, 200 GB, 2 TB, or more depending on plan
Google Workspace (organization)Pooled storage set by your organization’s plan
Files created natively in Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides formats do not count toward your storage quota.
You can view your current storage usage in two ways:
  • In Google Drive: Open drive.google.com and look at the bottom of the left sidebar. It shows a bar and the amount used out of your total.
  • In Google Account settings: Go to one.google.com/storage for a detailed breakdown by product (Drive, Gmail, Photos).
When your storage is full:
  • You cannot upload new files or create new files that count against your quota.
  • Emails with attachments may fail to deliver to your Gmail inbox.
  • Google Photos stops backing up new photos.
  • Existing files remain accessible — you can still open, view, and edit them.
To free up space, you can:
  • Delete large files from Drive and empty the Trash.
  • Delete old emails with large attachments from Gmail.
  • Remove backed-up photos from Google Photos.
  • Upgrade your storage plan at one.google.com.
If your account remains over its storage limit for an extended period (typically two years), Google may delete content from your account. You’ll receive email warnings before any deletion occurs.