Although Google Docs has been my go-to word processor for years, there are still a few features I wish it had built in. To bridge those gaps, I use some helpful add-ons. From grammar checking to formatting, these tools save me time and effort. Here are the add-ons I use to improve my writing process.

Google Docs does have a built-in word count tool, but I find it lacking for a few reasons. It doesn’t allow me to exclude specific content types—like bibliographies, text in parentheses, or other sections—from the final word count, so I have to exclude them manually. Although it can show a real-time word count, I have to enable this option for every new document.

Word Counter Max is a Google Docs add-on that displays the total word count in the sidebar and allows me to set a target word count with real-time progress tracking. It even shows session word counts to help me monitor productivity. Plus, it offers advanced options for excluding text in parentheses, brackets, tables of content, bibliographies, and more from the word count.

When sharing documents with colleagues or team members, I often need to keep certain sections containing sensitive information hidden. Creating a separate copy or deleting text are options, but they make managing documents more complicated. Since Google Docs doesn’t offer a native way to hide content, I rely on the Doc Secrets add-on.

With Doc Secrets, I can hide existing sections in the document or add confidential information directly through the add-on. To add hidden text, type it in the add-on’s text box and click Insert. To censor an existing section, select the text and click Censor Text. To reveal content for yourself or others, select the hidden section from the side panel and click Reveal.

Also, be sure to adjust the sharing settings by clicking the gear icon—this allows you to manage who can insert, edit, reveal, or censor secret text.

ProWritingAid is an excellent grammar checker and writing assistant add-on I strongly recommend for all Google Docs users. I use it to catch and correct grammar issues, spot and fix spelling errors, remove overused phrases, simplify vague wording, shorten lengthy clauses, and more.

It also provides me helpful tips for improving document structure, trimming sentence length, and improving document readability. With readability scores, summary reports, and plagiarism checks all in one place, ProWritingAid makes it easy to refine a document for clearer communication with readers.

Issues or suggestions for improvement appear with a red dot, while green indicates well-written content. After editing, I can click Apply Changes and Close to save all adjustments in one go.

A limited vocabulary often triggers writer’s block, so I frequently use the OneLook Thesaurus add-on. It helps break through mental blocks by offering a variety of suggestions, including synonyms, commonly used words nearby, rhymes and near rhymes, words that start with the same term, adjectives paired with a word, and nouns it describes.

I can also select specific text in my document and click the Quotes button to see related quotes and ideas, which keeps me from getting stuck when words don’t flow easily. With this add-on right in Google Docs, I no longer need to search online for these tools. If you often find yourself staring at the screen, unable to write a single word, I highly recommend trying this add-on.

While Google Docs’ default font options cover most of my needs, I use the Extensis Fonts add-on to access a wide range of additional fonts that add personality to my text. This add-on lets me experiment with various styles to make certain sections stand out, improving the visual appeal of my work.

Using it is easy, too. After installing, I open the add-on, and a list of fonts appears on the side panel. To preview a specific font, I just select my text and click on the font, which applies instantly. I can then choose to keep the new style or use Google Docs’ default font by selecting it from the font dropdown menu.

I work with foreign clients who manage blogs in their native languages, primarily French and German. So, I have to translate text from these languages into English. I use the Translate My Docs add-on to translate entire documents or specific text sections. Since I can use it directly in Google Docs, I no longer need to switch to a different tab or another translation tool.

To use this tool, simply install the add-on, open it, and a side panel will appear. From there, you can select the source and target languages for your translation. In the Settings dropdown menu, you can choose whether to replace the original text with the translated version or keep them separate. After that, just select the text and click the Translate button.

Paperpile is my ideal academic companion. When conducting research, it allows me to search for relevant publications using keywords, authors, publication years, and other details. It retrieves pertinent articles from sources like PubMed, CrossRef, and Google Books. I can also manually create entries for items I wish to cite in my work.

What I appreciate most about this extension is its ability to simplify the organization of citations and management of research sources. I can cite references in Google Docs with just one click and view all my citations in a single location. Since it supports the most widely used citation formats, I can choose my preferred style. All these features make it one of the best Google Docs citation and bibliography add-ons.

Once I’ve gathered all my sources, I can easily update citations and generate a bibliography by clicking Update citations and bibliography.

GPT Plus Docs for Google Docs brings the power of an AI assistant to my Google Workspace applications. In Docs, I use it to generate content ideas and outlines, correct grammar issues, and adjust the tone of my writing. I can review my content for clarity, grammar, and style. When working with large documents, I can summarize them to get key points.

Also, it allows me to translate text between different languages and generate stunning images from a single prompt. The add-on also offers example prompts that allow me to generate different texts with a single click. It keeps track of my previous interactions, and I can easily clear the history. The extension uses the latest GPT-4 and GPT-4o models.

I find the add-ons mentioned above incredibly useful. They’ve become such an integral part of my workflow and have improved my writing in a way that I can’t imagine working without them. If you haven’t tried these add-ons or any others, I highly recommend them.