Google recently updated Google Docs with a new tabs feature that lets you create and manage tabs in documents. With tabs, users can easily divide documents into multiple sections, making it easier to navigate through them and organize them as they want. The feature is available for both Google Workspace customers and free users. It is currently rolling out and should be available for your account soon if it isn't already. If you want to know how to use it, read on!

Adding tabs

When you open a new Google Docs document, it will already have a tab assigned to it called 'Tab 1'.

  1. To add a new tab, move your cursor to the left and click on 'Show tabs and outlines'.
  1. Next, click on the '+' icon to add a tab to the document. You can add multiple tabs in a document in the same manner but the number of tabs cannot exceed 100 at any time.
  1. To create a subtab within a tab, click on the three dots next to the tab name and then click on 'Add subtab'.
  1. You can also change a tab into a subtab by dragging it and dropping it onto another tab. Up to three tabs can be nested in this manner.
Note: When you use suggestion mode, you can view the tabs in a document but cannot add, remove, or move them.

Locating tabs and outlines

When you open a Google Docs document, the panel on the left will open automatically so you can access the tabs in the document easily. However, the panel will not open if there is only one tab that has content in it. You can locate tabs in a document in the following manner.

  1. When you open a document with multiple tabs, the number of tabs will appear on the left in the collapsed 'Show tabs and outlines' option. Click on it to expand it.
  1. Then click on the tab you wish to navigate to.
  1. You can also see the outline of different tabs by clicking on the three dots next to the tab name and then on 'Show outline'.
  1. To hide a Tab outline, click on the three dots again and click on 'Hide outline'. You can also view and hide the outline of a tab by clicking on it.

Deleting tabs

You can only delete a tab in a document if you have edit access and there is more than one tab present.

  1. Open the 'Show tabs and outlines' menu as explained above to view all the tabs in the document.
  2. Click on the three dots next to the name of the tab you want to delete and then click on 'Delete'.

Duplicating tabs

Only document editors with edit access can edit tabs and can do so while the document is in editing mode.

  1. Open the 'Show tabs and outlines' menu on the left.
  2. Click on the three dots next to the tab you want to duplicate and then click on 'Duplicate'. Keep in mind that when you duplicate a tab, it will keep the style applied to the original tab.

Renaming tabs

Before you can rename a tab, check that you are an editor with edit access and the document is in editing mode.

  1. Open the 'Show tabs and outlines' menu on the left.
  2. Click on the tab you want to rename and then on the three dots next to the tab name to open the 'Tab options' menu.
  1. Then click on 'Rename' and type in the new name of the tab before pressing the 'Enter' key.
  1. You can also add an emoji to a tab name by using the 'Choose emoji' option from the Tab options menu.

Linking to tabs

You can easily share links to specific tabs from the Tabs Options menu.

  1. Open the 'Show tabs and outlines' menu and click on the tab you want to share.
  2. Click on the three dots on the right to open the 'Tap options' menu and then click on 'Copy link'. After copying the link, you can share it with anyone you want.
Note: You can also directly copy the URL from the address bar of your web browser while on the tab you want to share. It will contain the link to the active tab and can be shared in the same manner as the above method.

Moving tabs

To move a tab, you need to be in editor mode and the document should have more than a single tab.

  1. Open the 'Show tabs and outlines' menu and click on the tab you want to move.
  1. Drag the tab you want to move to the new position and release the mouse button.

Things to know

  • You can only print or download an active tab from Google Docs at a time. If you want to print or download multiple tabs, you will need to use Google Drive.
  • Tabs make it easy to navigate lengthy documents since you can quickly move to a different section by clicking on the tabs on the left.
  • By adding emojis to tab names, you can indicate what content a certain tab or document section contains. This can help save time since users do not need to browse through the entire document and get this information at a glance.
  • You can close the sidebar containing the 'Show tabs and outlines' menu at any time by clicking on the 'View' menu at the top and then clicking on the 'Collapse tabs and outlines sidebar' option.