Hey folks! I’ve been a fan of OneNote for years, but I’m trying to switch to Google Docs. The big problem? I really miss that cool collapse/expand feature in OneNote. You know, where you can hide or show nested content under headings?
I’ve looked into this a bunch and keep hitting dead ends. Google Docs has that outline thing with headers, but it’s not quite the same. I’m wondering if anyone knows a workaround or maybe a plugin that could add this functionality?
I’m no tech whiz, but I’m curious if it’s even possible to build something like this for Google Docs. Has anyone heard of any projects trying to do this? Or are there technical reasons why it can’t be done?
Thanks for any ideas or info you can share!
I’ve actually been in a similar boat, transitioning from OneNote to Google Docs. While Google Docs doesn’t have a built-in collapsible tree structure like OneNote, I’ve found a workaround that’s been pretty useful.
What I do is use the ‘Headings’ feature in Google Docs extensively. I structure my document with Heading 1, 2, 3, etc., and then use the ‘Document outline’ view (View > Show document outline) to navigate. It’s not exactly the same as OneNote’s collapsible structure, but it does allow for quick navigation and a hierarchical view of the document.
For hiding content, I sometimes use the ‘Suggestions’ feature. I’ll put less important info in suggestion mode, which can be collapsed. It’s not perfect, but it helps manage longer documents.
There are also some add-ons available in the Google Workspace Marketplace that might help, though I haven’t personally tried them. You might want to check out ‘Table of contents’ or ‘Docs Outline’ add-ons for additional functionality.
Hope this helps a bit with your transition!
As someone who’s worked extensively with both OneNote and Google Docs, I can confirm that Google Docs doesn’t offer a native collapsible tree structure. However, I’ve found a couple of workarounds that might help.
One method I’ve used is creating a master document with links to separate, more detailed documents. This allows you to maintain a clean, high-level view while still having access to in-depth information. You can use the ‘Insert link’ feature to create clickable links to other Google Docs.
Another approach is utilizing the ‘Comments’ feature creatively. You can add detailed information as comments, which can be collapsed or expanded as needed. This keeps your main document clean while allowing for expandable sections.
These aren’t perfect solutions, but they’ve helped me manage complex information in Google Docs. The platform’s strength lies in its collaboration features, so you might find that it offers other advantages that compensate for the lack of a collapsible structure.