These directions work from any modern web browser and on most operating systems, including Windows, macOS, and Linux.
How to Email a Google Doc
Google makes this simple, but the method you use should depend on two things: how you want to send it (from your Gmail account or a different email program) and which format you want it saved in (i.e., what file type the recipient should receive).
Send With Gmail.com
Here’s how to use Gmail’s website to email a document in Google Docs:
Send With a Different Email Client
If you don’t want to use Gmail’s website to send the Google doc, you can download the file first and then email it however you wish, like a desktop email client or a different online provider. However, depending on the file, it might not end up formatting correctly. Here’s what that might look like from their perspective: Otherwise, leave that option unchecked and then choose a format from the menu below it. Google Docs will convert the file for you automatically before sending the attachment. For example, if you pick PDF, it will convert the Google Doc to PDF for you. Other options include Microsoft Word, RTF, and a few others. This method will attach an actual file to the email that the person can download to their device.
Sharing Google Docs Might Make More Sense
Another way to let someone else use your Google docs is to share them. Especially when collaborating on documents that will continually change, sharing helps keep everyone’s updates in sync at all times. You can also avoid using up your own hard drive space with file attachments and still use email to do the sharing. We have a guide on how to share and collaborate with Google Drive if you need help. You can even share an entire folder of documents on Google Drive.
