Using “templates” in Google Drive

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A client and friend asked me how one can use templates in Google Docs/Drive.

When I want to use a starting template in Google Drive, I usually create or import a document into drive, then title it “some topic template” like “invoice template” or “essay template“, then I have a folder for those in drive called “templates”. I often start these kinds of documents by right clicking (or two-finger clicking) and choosing “make a copy” to make a copy of the template, which I rename to whatever the document is.

If you want to use a document someone shares with you as a template, for instance, you want to add it to your Drive, then rename it to “something template” and use it as a starting point by copying it to a new document. You preserve your original (template), and your new document (copy) allows for free range.

You don’t have to do all of this to use templates in Google Drive though. https://drive.google.com/templates?view=public is an official repository for Google Drive templates which you can use to find lots of good starting points for documents, spreadsheets, and presentations.