5 tips for working with templates in Google Workspace apps

Try the general template gallery in Google Docs, Sheets, Forms, Slides or Sites to create specific types of files quickly—or create your own templates to use within your Google Workspace organization

Google Workspace includes file templates for Docs, Sheets, Slides, Forms and Sites available to anyone who uses these Workspace apps. The templates offered represent a wide range of common uses:

• proposals, letters, newsletters and resumes (Docs),
• budgets, calendars, attendance and invoices (Sheets),
• photo albums, reports, pitches and proposals (Slides),
• feedback, applications, order forms and registrations (Forms), and
• project, team, class, club, personal and event sites (Sites).

The first two tips below cover how to access the template gallery and create a new item from one of these general templates.

SEE: Feature comparison: Time tracking software and systems (TechRepublic Premium)

Most organizations that use Google Workspace also may create custom templates and make these templates available to people in the organization. Typically, these Docs, Sheets, Slides, Forms or Sites items are formatted to meet the organization’s brand standards. The last three tips below address Admin controls over templates, as well as how to identify potential files to serve as templates and then submit these items in the template gallery.

How to create an item from a template

To create a new Google Docs, Sheets, Slides or Forms file from a template, go to Google Drive on the web, select +New, then move your cursor down to the > to the right of your selected app (i.e., Docs, Sheets, Slides or Forms) to access a menu that lets you create a new file from a template (Figure A).

Alternatively, if you already have a Docs, Sheets or Slides file open, you may select File | New | From template.

Figure A

How to access the template gallery on the web

You may access the template gallery directly from the home screen for Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, Forms and the new Google Sites. If the template gallery is not displayed, you may need to modify a setting. In a desktop browser, go to the home screen for your selected app (e.g., https://docs.google.com/, https://forms.google.com, etc.), select the three-horizontal line menu in the upper left, select Settings, then check the box next to “Display recent templates on home screens” as in Figure B.

Figure B

On an app home screen page, you may select the Blank template or any of the six other templates displayed. To access all available templates, click on (or tap) the Template gallery menu (as shown in Figure C). When you select a template, the system will generate a new item with the template contents in your browser, which you may edit as desired.

Figure C

How a Workspace administrator may manage template options

From the Google Workspace Admin console, an administrator may manage both template and submission settings. To access the settings, sign in to the Admin console, then navigate to Apps | Google Workspace | Drive and Docs | Templates.

Figure D

First, in most cases, administrators will want to make sure that the box to “Enable custom templates for your organization” is checked (Figure D). Once enabled, the administrator may customize template categories. Default options include categories such as Basics, Brochures & Newsletters, Finance & Accounting, Letters & Faxes and Reports & Proposals. I recommend you remove categories not needed for your organization and add new categories as appropriate.

Figure E

Second, an administrator may choose who is allowed to submit templates to the organization’s template gallery, as shown in Figure E. If no one needs to review or manage submitted templates, then select Open, which allows anyone in the organization to upload a template. However, many administrators will want to adjust the Submission setting to Moderated, which allows anyone to submit a template, but requires an admin to approve submitted items before the template is made available to everyone in the organization. The Restricted option only allows people who have an account with Doc Templates privileges enabled to submit templates, so might best be reserved for large organizations with full-time teams dedicated to document or branding standards.

Make sure to select Save after making any adjustments to either of the above settings.

How to identify potential files to submit as templates

Any file that people use frequently could be a candidate to serve as a template. Items such as letterhead documents, budget spreadsheets and standardized presentations make sense to be turned into templates.

To determine whether a particular item might make a good template, consider both the form and the content of your file. Highly formatted files, such as newsletters or presentations, for example, benefit from consistent use of fonts, font sizes, colors and logo placement. Similarly, proposals or press releases might benefit from consistent language used to describe your organization, activities or people. Better to get the desired form and content into a template once, than to plead repeatedly for people to comply with brand or content guidelines.

How to submit a file to your organization’s template gallery

Your organization’s template gallery works alongside the general Google template gallery: It displays as an additional tab (as shown in Figure F). Follow the steps detailed above to access the template gallery on the web, then select your organization’s name to the left of the General tab.

Figure F

You may not only access all available organizational templates here, but also select the Submit template button. When you do, you’ll be prompted to select the item, enter a category for the file, as well as choose to submit a copy of the file (rather than the original) as shown in Figure G. Remember, an administrator may need to approve your template before it becomes available to everyone in your organization.

Figure G

What’s your experience with Google Workspace templates?

Which Workspace app templates do you use most often? If you have an organizational Workspace account, does your organization take advantage of the custom template gallery? Or do you still rely on specifically shared files, which you then use the File | Make a copy… command to duplicate? Let me know how you use templates within Google Workspace, either with a comment below or on Twitter (@awolber).