How to Enable Grammarly in Google Docs

Grammarly is a powerful online grammar and spelling checker tool that can help improve your writing. It catches grammar, punctuation, spelling, and other writing issues in your documents. One great way to use Grammarly is by enabling it in Google Docs. This allows you to get real-time feedback on your writing as you type in Google Docs.

In this guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about using the Grammarly extension with Google Docs. We’ll look at how to install the Grammarly Google Chrome extension, enable it in Google Docs, use the Grammarly pane, adjust settings, and more. Let’s get started!

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What is Grammarly?

For those not familiar, Grammarly is an automated proofreading tool created by Grammarly Inc. It reviews writing for grammar, punctuation, word choice, style, tone, and more. The tool utilizes artificial intelligence to catch common writing issues.

Grammarly provides corrections and improvement suggestions. It helps you refine your writing to be clear, mistake-free, and impactful. The tool is widely used by students, professionals, bloggers, and online writers.

Key Features of Grammarly Include:

• Grammar checking – catches grammar mistakes like subject-verb agreement, article errors and syntax issues.
• Punctuation checking – checks for proper use of commas, periods, quotes, dashes, colons, semicolons, and more.
• Spell checking – highlights misspellings and repeated words.
• Vocabulary enhancement – suggests better vocabulary and word choice.
• Readability score – provides a score based on text complexity.
• Tone detection – analyzes tone like confidence, formality and enthusiasm.
• Plagiarism checker – checks for passages copied from other sources.
• Desktop apps – available as Microsoft Office and browser add-ons.
• Mobile keyboard – an IOS and Android keyboard with built-in Grammarly.
• Browser extension – lets you use Grammarly across the web in text fields.
• Productivity features – summarizes long text, rewrites sentences, provides word count.

The tool provides a free version along with Premium paid plans that add more features. Next, we’ll see how to leverage Grammarly specifically in Google Docs.

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Installing the Grammarly Chrome Extension

To use Grammarly with Google Docs, you first need to install the Grammarly Chrome extension. This add-on integrates Grammarly into Chrome and your Google account. Here are the steps to install it:

• Open the Chrome Web Store in your Chrome browser. You can access it at https://chrome.google.com/webstore.
• Search for “Grammarly” using the Chrome store search bar.
• The Grammarly for Chrome extension should appear as the first result. Click “Add to Chrome”.
• A pop-up will ask you to Add Extension. Click “Add Extension”.
• If prompted, click “Add” to confirm installing the extension. This will add Grammarly to Chrome.
• A pop-up may ask you to log in or sign up for Grammarly. If you already have an account, login here. Otherwise, you can skip this step for now.

Once installed, you’ll see the Grammarly icon added near the top-right of Chrome. It will look like a blue/green “G” logo. With the extension installed, you can now enable and configure Grammarly access in Google Docs.

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Enabling Grammarly for Google Docs

To use the full Grammarly experience in Google Docs, you need to connect your Google account. Here’s how:

• Make sure you’re logged into Google Docs with the account you want to use with Grammarly.
• Open a document in Google Docs to access the Docs editor.
• Click “Tools” in the Docs menu bar and select “Grammarly”.
• A Grammarly panel will open on the right side of the screen.
• Click “Log in” and enter your Grammarly credentials if prompted.
• Click the Connect Account button.
• A pop-up will ask you to confirm connecting your Google account to Grammarly. Click “Allow” to confirm.
• If successful, you’ll see a confirmation that Grammarly is connected to your Google account.

Once connected, Grammarly will be enabled across Google Docs and other G-Suite apps like Gmail for this Google account. You can now start using Grammarly directly within your Docs files.

Using the Grammarly Pane in Google Docs

With Grammarly enabled, you’ll see feedback and corrections appear right in your Google Docs file as you type. The Grammarly panel also lets you access other Grammarly features:

• Correction Panel – Shows you grammar, spelling, punctuation, and vocabulary errors in your document. You can click on each one to see detailed explanations and corrections.
• Tone Detector – Analyze the overall tone of your document.
• Plagiarism Checker – Checks your text against a database to identify unoriginal content.
• Readability Score – Provides a score from 0-100 on how readable your text is. Higher is better.
• Word Count – Shows document word, character, and paragraph count.
• Goal Setting – Set a goal for document length, tone, audience, style, and domain. Grammarly will then check if your text matches your goals.
• Premium Features – Upgrading to Grammarly Premium unlocks additional advanced checks and features like a clarity score, engagement score, fluency score, delivery date forecaster, and more.

Using the Grammarly pane helps you keep track of issues in your document as you write and make fixes along the way. The next section covers some key settings you can adjust.

Customizing Grammarly Settings in Google Docs

Grammarly offers configuration settings that let you fine-tune the feedback you receive. Here are some options to customize:

• Audit All Changes – Have Grammarly check every edit (not just new text) in a Google Doc for issues.
• Enable/Disable Checks – Turn on or off Grammarly’s checks for different writing aspects like grammar, punctuation, spelling, sentence structure, style, vocabulary, and more.
• Ignore Sentences – Select the text you want Grammarly to ignore and not check for errors.
• Set Goals – Choose a document length, style, tone, audience level, and language domain you want to target.
• Adjust Sensitivity – Make Grammarly’s corrections more or less sensitive depending on how picky you want the checks to be.
• Show Advanced Issues – Enable advanced grammar and style checks if you have a Premium account.
• Plagiarism Detection – Turn plagiarism checking on or off and set a plagiarism detection threshold.
• Remove Styles – Choose to keep or remove original formatting when applying Grammarly corrections.

Take time to explore these settings and tailor Grammarly’s feedback to match your preferences. The settings menu can be accessed by clicking the gear icon ⚙️ in the Grammarly panel.

Using Grammarly for Google Docs on Mobile

The Grammarly keyboard allows you to use Grammarly with Google Docs on your mobile phone or tablet.

To set it up:

1. Install the Grammarly keyboard app on your device from the App Store or Google Play Store.
2. Open the Grammarly app and log in with your Grammarly account credentials.
3. Enable the Grammarly keyboard in your phone or tablet’s keyboard settings.
4. Open Google Docs and activate the Grammarly keyboard.

Now when typing in Docs on your mobile device, you’ll have the power of Grammarly at your fingertips. It will check for writing errors and provide corrections as you type.

The Grammarly keyboard is available for both iOS and Android mobile operating systems. Having it on mobile allows you to write from anywhere while still benefiting from Grammarly feedback.

Using the Grammarly Chrome Extension on Google Docs

The Grammarly Chrome extension works automatically across the web, including on Google Docs. When enabled, it will check text you type anywhere on the docs.google.com domain.

To use it:

1. Install the Grammarly for Chrome extension if you haven’t already.
2. Make sure you are logged into Chrome with the Google account connected to your Grammarly account.
3. Open a document in Google Docs.
4. Start typing as normal. The Grammarly extension will underline issues it detects.
5. Hover over the underlined text to see Grammarly’s suggestions for corrections.
6. Right-click on text to access the Grammarly menu and see descriptions of issues.
7. Use the Grammarly Chrome extension icon to check entire documents or disable the extension on a page.

This offers lightweight Grammarly functionality conveniently built into Chrome. The full Grammarly panel inside Docs provides more features, but the extension is handy for quick checks.

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Troubleshooting Grammarly in Google Docs

Here are some common issues you may encounter using Grammarly with Google Docs and how to fix them:

• Grammarly icon missing in Docs – Make sure the Chrome extension is installed. Re-connect your Google account to Grammarly via docs.grammarly.com.
• Not catching errors – Try toggling Grammarly checks off and on under Settings. Audit all changes. Increase sensitivity.
• Disabled on a page – The extension icon will appear crossed out gray if disabled on a site. Click the icon to re-enable.
• Not working on mobile – Ensure the Grammarly keyboard is installed and enabled as the default on your device.
• Errors not flagged in real-time – Laggy internet can delay feedback. Try disconnecting Grammarly and reconnecting to reset.
• Autocorrect changes flagged as errors – Disable autocorrect in Docs under Preferences so corrections match.
• Extension conflicts with another – Try uninstalling other grammar add-ons that might conflict with Grammarly.
• Limited functionality – For full features, use the integrated Docs panel instead of just the browser add-on.
• Not catching advanced issues – Upgrade to Grammarly Premium for access to advanced grammar and vocabulary checks.
• Caught plagiarism inaccurately – Adjust the plagiarism detection sensitivity in Settings. Add citations for properly attributed quotes.

If issues persist, reach out to Grammarly customer support for help getting Grammarly working properly in Google Docs.

Grammarly Tips and Tricks for Google Docs

Here are some handy tips for using Grammarly effectively in Google Docs:

• Install the Grammarly Docs add-on, Chrome extension, and mobile keyboard for unified Grammarly access.
• Review corrections in the Grammarly panel, then accept or reject each suggestion individually.
• Hover over the highlighted text to quickly see the replacement suggestion. Right-click for a detailed description.
• Click on vocabulary corrections to see definitions and a more expansive alternative word list.
• Use the Tone Detector to get an overall analysis of your document’s tone and personality.
• Set audience, style, domain, and goals in Grammarly to make the checks match your writing context.
• Disable certain checks like punctuation, vocabulary, or spelling if you want Grammarly to focus only on certain areas.
• Click the Grammarly icon in the Docs toolbar to disable it temporarily on a document.
• Upgrade to Grammarly Premium for access to advanced style, clarity, engagement and fluency checks.
• Review the Grammarly Handbook for writing tips on grammar, style, punctuation, and word usage.

Following these tips will help you get the most value out of using Grammarly’s automated proofreading capabilities in Google Docs.

Also Read: How to Check Word Count in Google Docs

Conclusion

Adding Grammarly to your Google Docs workflow is an easy way to improve your writing. The Grammarly Chrome extension, mobile keyboard, and Google Docs integration provide seamless grammar and spell-checking as you type. The tool catches difficult-to-see errors, offers corrections and feedback, and helps you polish your documents. Take time to explore the various settings and customizations so Grammarly matches your writing style and preferences.

With Grammarly enabled in Google Docs, you can draft professional documents with confidence. Avoid embarrassing mistakes, refine your sentences, and ensure your points come across clearly and persuasively.

If you found this guide helpful, consider sharing it so others can discover how to enable this useful writing tool in Google Docs!