How to Create an Outline in Google Docs

Last Updated : 12 May, 2026

The outline feature in Google Docs is a sidebar that shows your document’s structure using headings. It updates automatically and helps you quickly navigate through the document.

  • Provides easy navigation through a clickable structure for quickly moving between headings and sections.
  • Automatically generates an outline based on your document’s headings (H1, H2, etc.).
  • Allows headings to be expanded or collapsed, making it easier to focus on specific sections.
  • Improves document organization and is especially helpful for large documents, reports, or essays.

Steps to Enable Outline in Google Docs

Follow the steps below to add the outline feature in your Google Docs:

Step 1: Go to Google Docs

Launch Google Docs in your web browser.

Create an Outline in Google Docs
Launch Google Docs

Step 2: Open Google Document

Upon accessing the Google Docs website, there are two pathways for document access:

  • You can either open an existing document already stored in Google Docs or,
  • Initiate the creation of a new, untitled document.

With the two option, you have the freedom to craft the content and generate a new file or document from the ground up.

Create an Outline in Google Docs
Open the Document

Step 3: Go to View Tab

To access the outline feature, navigate to the top panel of the screen and click on the "View" option. Within the dropdown menu, you will locate the "Outline" option.

Create an Outline in Google Docs
Opening View Tab

Step 4: Select Show Outline

To access the outline view, you should click on the "Display" dropdown menu and then select the "Show Outline" option. Alternatively, there is a shortcut available that allows you to quickly view the document's outline.

Shortcut Key to enable Show Outline: Press " Ctrl + Alt + A + H "

Create an Outline in Google Docs
Add Outline

Step 5: Click on Outline Icon

Once you've chosen the "Show Outline", you will see an option on the left side of your document, a new icon will appear. Click on this icon to reveal and view the outline of your document.

Create an Outline in Google Docs
Select Outline

Step 6: Preview Outline Changes

After clicking on the icon, the detailed outline of our document will get displayed. This will help us to navigate the entire document very easily.

Create an Outline in Google Docs
Outline Displayed

Steps to Create an Outline in Google Docs

If you are looking for How to add outline to Google Docs or an easy methods of creating outlines to display the main headings separately with the help of Google Docs Outline Tool, Follow the below steps:

Step 1: Go to the Menu Bar & Select Normal Text

To insert a heading or subheading into the outline, you must click on the "normal text" option found within the Google Docs menu bar.

Create an Outline in Google Docs
Select Normal Text

Step 2: Select Heading 1

Upon selecting the "normal text" option, a list of various heading styles will appear. From this list, you should choose "Heading 1" and then click on "Apply Heading 1."

Create an Outline in Google Docs
Select heading 1

Step 3: Type Heading 1 Text

Once you've chosen the "Heading 1" option, you should now go ahead to enter the text that you want to define as "Heading 1" throughout your document.

Note: In the provided screenshot below, you can observe that "GeeksforGeeks" has been entered as the text, which will be displayed as "Heading 1."

Create an Outline in Google Docs
Enter Text

Step 4: Heading Added to the Outline

Now in the below screenshot, we can see that the heading which we have added in the document has been added in the overall outline of the document.

Create an Outline in Google Docs
Heading Added

Steps to Add Headings to Outline in Google Docs

To add headings to Outline in Google Docs follow the steps given below:

Step 1: Open Google Docs and Choose a Document

Launch Google Docs on your mobile or desktop. If using a mobile device, download the app from the Play Store or App Store. Select the document you want to edit from your list of files or Google Drive.

Step 2: Select Text for the Heading

Highlight the text you want to turn into a heading.

Create an Outline in Google Docs
Select Text for the Heading

Step 3: Apply Heading Style

Click the Styles dropdown (Normal text) and choose Heading 1, Heading 2, etc.

Create an Outline in Google Docs
Go to Home Tab >> Click on Normal Text >> Add Heading

Step 4: Add More Headings

Now follow the outline format Google Docs and repeat the process to organize your document with headings for easy navigation.

Step 5: View Document Outline

Go to View and click Show document outline to display the outline.

Create an Outline in Google Docs
Click on the View Tab >> Select Show Outine

Step 6: Heading Added

Now you have successfully added a heading in Outline in Google Docs.

Create an Outline in Google Docs
Heading Added
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