How to "Track Changes" in Google Docs

My fiancé recently started copy-editing a book with her colleague which they decided to do in Google Docs. It has some really powerful collaboration features including the ability for you to work simultaneously with live display of what the other person is doing - no matter where in the world they are.

However, it was a bit of a search to help her find out how to do the "track changes" feature that Microsoft Word has which is obviously very helpful for collaboration environments to track edits and suggestions.

It was a relief (after suggesting that they use Google Docs) to find that it actually has a "track changes" feature called "Suggesting" - quite appropriate I guess - but very well hidden at first.

If you look at the top right of your screen when editing your Google Docs document, you'll see a pencil just under the share button. That pencil means that you're in edit mode which is basically the normal mode of using Google Docs. However, if you click it, you'll see 2 extra options, one of them being Suggesting mode. Click it.

Nothing will happen to the screen but the magic happens when you start editing the document. As you start typing, the edited area (added text, removed text or modified text) is highlighted in a colour - let's call it your colour - and a comment box will appear on the right with details on the change which you can optionally add extra comments to.

Obviously, this is only useful if you share it with someone else who is using Google Docs although it does natively support the track changes for Microsoft Word.

Hope this helps you like it helped us!