Today I want to share a new article in our Google Workspace Updates series. Google just introduced a small but noteworthy new feature in Google Docs that I find helpful. It's one of those "Why didn't they do this sooner?" features.

Until now, when somebody made changes to a Google Doc you own or follow, you would only get notified if they @mentioned you in the document or assigned a task. However, if someone made regular changes without that, you wouldn't know about them unless you checked manually.

New edit notifications in Google Docs to stay on top of content changes

To get around this, Google is finally adding a new notification type it calls "Edit Notifications". These are sent out via email whenever someone changes a Google Doc, regardless of whether they @mentioned you or assigned you with a task. All you need to do is enable these notifications.

Here is a screenshot of the new Edit Notifications in Gmail. As you can see, the notification details what was changed, by whom, and when:

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How to enable and configure Edit Notifications

Edit Notifications are off by default. You need to enable them on a per-document basis. When enabled, you will be notified when anyone adds or removes content from the document.

To enable Edit Notifications, either go to Tools > Notifications in the Google Docs menu or click on the notification bell icon in the toolbar:

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Control notifications right from within Gmail

If you want to stop receiving notifications for a document, you don't have to go to Google Docs. Instead, you can configure the notifications right from within the notification email in Gmail:

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Note that you must have dynamic content enabled in Gmail for this to work.

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Why you would use it

Staying on top of content modifications in a dynamic environment can be challenging, especially in larger teams collaborating on many documents. With the new Edit Notifications, you can select the documents that are important to you and receive notifications whenever anything is added or removed.

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Availability and rollout pace

The new Edit Notifications are available to all Google Workspace customers, including legacy G Suite accounts and users with personal Google accounts.

The feature will be rolled out gradually (up to 15 days until visibility), starting July 19, 2022, for customers on the Rapid Release train and August 17, 2022, for customers on the Scheduled Release train.

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Additional Resources

Google Docs Editors Help: Manage Notifications

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