How to Create a Table in Google Docs
The Google Docs word processor might not be your first thought as a table maker since Google Sheets is often the go-to for structured data. But creating a table is easy with Docs’ Insert menu. A simple table can be added to a Google Doc using the Table tool.
How to Edit a Table in Google Docs
You can do several things to a table’s columns and rows, like add and remove them, change their size, and adjust the text alignment within them. You can also change the table’s border size and color and pick a background color for each cell.
Add Columns and Rows
Unless you fully prepared when you first made the table, the chances are that you’ll need to adjust how many rows and columns it has. Here’s how:
Remove Columns and Rows
Removing a row or column in a Google Docs table is just as easy:
Change Table Options
In many ways, everything you do within a cell works the same way it does outside of one. You can align text, add a bold effect, change the text size and color, add links, insert pictures, etc. There are also table-specific settings that you have to access through a properties window.
Other Ways to Edit a Table
You can make a quick change to a table by dragging the column and row borders. This isn’t as precise as using the table properties because you can’t pick the exact size, but it is ideal when the changes you need to make are based on what you see, like if the column needs to make room for a graphic.
Table border: These are the lines surrounding each cell. You can adjust the color and the thickness of the line.Cell background color: Change the color behind the text in the cell(s) you selected when you opened the table properties.Cell vertical alignment: Have the text within the selected cell(s) be at the top, middle, or bottom of the cell.Dimensions: Change the currently selected column(s) or row(s) width, height, and cell padding (space around the text).Table alignment: Where the table should be on the page: left, center, or right. The left indent value adjusts the starting point of this alignment.
Additional Google Docs table formatting options show up in the menu at the top of the document when you select the table. For example, choose a cell border (or several by holding Ctrl or Command), and you’ll get the option to change the border color, width, and dash style. Merging cells is something else supported in Google tables, and it’s super easy to do: highlight the cells you want to merge, right-click the selection, and choose Merge cells. You can make more than one row next to a single cell or have a column heading span several rows. A frustrating problem with tables that can happen over time is forcing the columns and rows to be the same size. Instead of dragging them around to see what looks best, you can right-click the table and choose Distribute rows or Distribute columns.
How to Delete a Google Docs Table
Deleting an entire table can be done in two ways, the first being the easiest: Remember that if you don’t select every single cell, deleting will erase those cells’ contents, not the cells themselves.
