Microsoft Word may be the most widely-used word processor, but Google Docs is also gaining rapid popularity. Google Docs allows multiple users to edit the same document. It is also the safer option to create and save a document online using Google Docs than only saving a copy on your computer.

Along with its regular features, Google Docs also supports a host of add-ons to help you properly format a document. These add-ons are found under the Add-ons menu option.

Here are some useful Google Docs add-ons you can use to create professional documents.

1. Doc Builder

Doc Builder add-on.

This feature is used to create snippets and save custom styles. That means you can use it to insert snippets of text that you use regularly. Things like the structure you use to write a specific type of document or a Google Docs template make your life easier.

How to Use:

  1. Go to Add-ons > Docs Builder > Open sidebar.
  2. Browse through the menu and insert one of the built-in snippets.
  3. To insert any text, image, or formatting from older documents, click the My drive icon.

Download: Doc Builder (Free)

2. Page Sizer

Page Sizer add-on.

Use this add-on to set custom page sizes. Google Docs will ensure that the page size is retained while exporting the document as a PDF.

How to Use:

  1. Go to the add-ons menu
  2. Select Page Sizer > Set Page Size.
  3. Input the size of the page that you need.

Download: Page Sizer (Free)

3. Text Cleaner

Text Cleaner add-on.

This tool is used to remove any unnecessary formatting and clean up a text. If you select Clear Formatting in Google Docs, it will cause all your formatting to be removed. On the other hand, Text Cleaner allows you to remove the formatting only from a selected area. Line breaks and spaces are also removed.

How to Use:

  1. Select the part of the text you want to be cleaned.
  2. Select Text Cleaner from the add-ons menu.
  3. Go to the configure option.
  4. Select the formatting you want to keep or delete and hit Save.

Download: Text Cleaner (Free)

4. Code Blocks

Code Blocks add-on.

This can be used to add formatted codes to your document. This feature is particularly useful when you are writing code documentation and want other coders to comment on your work.

How to Use:

  1. Select the code in the document.
  2. Go to Code Blocks > Start.
  3. Set the language and theme.
  4. You can use Preview to see how the formatted code will look in the text.
  5. Remove the background of the text or keep using it, depending on your needs.

Download: Code Blocks (Free)

5. PDF Table Importer

PDF Table Importer add-on.

This Google Docs add-on allows you to directly import any PDF table into your docs. So you don’t have to convert PDF files before copying the data.

How to Use:

  1. Go to Add-ons > PDF Table Importer > Import table.
  2. Click the Open File button and select the PDF file.
  3. Use the Select option to choose which table region you’ll copy into your doc.
  4. Click Extract.

Download: PDF Table Importer (Free)

6. Docs Paragraph Translate

Docs Paragraph Translate

As the name suggests, you can use this add-on to translate blocks of texts in Google Docs. The Docs Paragraph Translate add-on supports most of the popular languages such as English, Spanish, French, German, and Japanese with more languages expected to be added soon.

How to Use:

  1. Select the block of text you wish to translate.
  2. Launch the Docs Paragraph Translate add-on.
  3. In the add-on menu, select the language in which to translate the text
  4. In the second tab, click Translate.

Download: Docs ParagraphTranslate (Free)

Note: The application can only be used in Chrome and Safari browsers. You can also add a thesaurus to Google Docs for even more language options.

7. Icons for Slides & Docs

Icons for Slides & Docs add-on.

Even if you find online the wanted icon, there’s a chance you’ll find only a low-quality image, so you might have a hard time trying to create beautiful Google documents. With Icons for Slides & Docs, you have access to more than 5 million icons.

How to Use:

  1. Go to Add-ons > Icons for Slides & Docs > Start.
  2. Use the Search Icons field to look for the icon that you want to insert.
  3. Click one of the icons and select the size.
  4. Click Insert.

Download: Icons for Slides & Docs (Free)

8. DocSecrets

DocSecrets add-on.

A security application that allows you to use password protection on your document. Once you apply DocSecrets, only you and the people you share the password with will be able to access certain parts of the document and make additions to it.

How to Use:

  1. Enter a password in the side panel of DocSecrets.
  2. Type whatever secret text you want in the Insert field.
  3. To hide existing text, select the text and click Censor Text to hide it.
  4. Share your password with the people of your choice, and they will be able to see the text after installing Doc Secrets on their Google Docs page.

Download: DocSecrets (Free)

Note: This add-on should not be used for sensitive data like financial information, since it cannot guarantee total security.

9. Read Aloud TTS

Read Aloud TTS add-on.

It's basically a text-to-speech application that you can use on your Google Documents. For now, you can only use Read Aloud TTS to have text read aloud to you by the program. While this add-on is naturally of great use to visually impaired users, it can also be used by regular users to take a break from staring at the computer screen.

How to Use:

  1. Select the part of the text that you want to be read aloud.
  2. Go to the Read Aloud TTS option in the add-ons menu and use the sidebar to configure the settings. A robot voice will read the text out to you.

Download: Read Aloud TTS (Free)

Note: If you think the Read Aloud TTS improves your productivity, you can install a text-to-speech browser extension.

10. Lucidchart Diagrams

Use Lucidchart to add all kinds of graphics to your document. This add-on can be a bit difficult to get the hang of at first. While it does make the process of creating charts easier, you will have to go outside of Google Docs to complete the chart.

How to Use:

  1. Place the cursor at the place where you want to insert the diagram.
  2. Go to the Lucidchart app to build the diagram in detail.
  3. Once finished, you can insert the image from the Lucidchart sidebar.

Download: Lucidchart Diagrams (Free)

Creating Better Documents Online

With the help of these add-ons, you will no longer need to go back to Microsoft Word to create your full document and then upload it online to allow your colleagues to see your work and add their input. Google Docs can now be used to create virtually any kind of document that you can create using MS Word.

Add to that the other advantages offered by online document creation, and the scales begin to tip in Google Docs's favor. Particularly since you are also able to use Google Docs on your mobile device or sync with Google Keep, which enables note-taking, search, and tagging features.