Google is rolling out a new tabs feature in Google Docs, designed to help users manage content more effectively. Announced in the latest Workspace update, this addition allows multiple sections, or “tabs,” within a single document, offering a streamlined way to structure and navigate information.

Scrolling through long sections of documents just with headers as guides can be especially daunting. The feature now improves handling lengthy or complex documents, with users able to create tabs for different parts of their documents. These tabs can also have subtabs, enabling more granular organization.

This feature was previously mentioned by Google last April, just beneath the barrage of exciting new Workspace AI announcements.

Teams collaborating in real-time may find this particularly useful. Multiple collaborators can occupy each specific tab assigned to them simultaneously without getting lost in a sea of text. For instance, a project manager might use separate tabs for budgets, team roles, and timelines, each broken into subtabs for specific tasks.

From Google

Users can share a link directly to specific tabs—by clicking the three dots situated near each tab— making disseminating particular parts of a document easier.

The panel to view is integrated into the left sidebar of Google Docs and builds upon the existing document outline feature. By clicking the bullet-point symbol at the top left corner of the document, the interface will now display options to add new or manage existing tabs. Users can drag and drop to reorder tabs and even rename them with emojis for quick identification.

While Google Docs has long been known for its real-time collaboration features, the introduction of tabs brings it closer to competing with Microsoft Word, which offers extensive organizational tools like headers, sections, and notebooks. Google’s approach, however, emphasizes ease of use and collaborative flexibility, which has been its core strength.

The new tabs feature is being introduced gradually, starting early October 2024. It will first be available to users on rapid-release domains, with broader availability expected by the end of the month. Google Docs users across all platforms—whether they are using personal, business, or educational accounts—can expect this feature to become accessible soon.