Using Smart Chips in Google Docs

Using Smart Chips in Google Docs is simple and enables you to tag colleagues, track deadlines, link to files and creative building blocks, all within your Google Document.

We use them a lot in project documents to track different elements of our training projects in one place, meaning we don't have to have multiple tabs open; we can link them all in a Google Doc.

Here's how to utilise the smart chips.

1. 1Tagging Colleagues
2. 2Linking to Files in Google Docs
3. 3Scheduling Meetings or Tracking Project Deadlines
4. 4Building Blocks

Tagging Colleagues

This smart chip is one we can use several times a day in project documents.

Step 1 - Type @, then their name; select their name from the list or hit Tab.

Step 2 - When you hover over their name, you will see their contact card; from there, you can start a chat with them, email them or schedule something.

Linking to Files in Google Docs

This smart chip allows you to link and preview other files. This time, instead of @ and the name you type @ file and then select the file you would like to link to.

Below, I have linked to my demo file; you can see I can preview it, share it, copy it and open it (you might even notice the Gemini summarise option).

Scheduling Meetings or Tracking Project Deadlines

The date smartchip is useful for tracking project deadlines, but we like to use it to schedule project meetings. You can type @ date and then add a time and click 'Book meeting', which will open a Google Calendar event with those details.

Building Blocks

You can type @ building blocks to add them in, not sure what they are? You can find out here

To learn more about Google Workspace, book one of Cloudshed's live sessions or our on-demand Google courses.