How to use a calendar template in Google Docs to keep track of detailed or long-term schedules
- You can use calendar templates in Google Docs, but Google doesn't offer any in its built-in template library.
- Many third-party websites let you download calendar templates directly to Google Docs.
- Editing a calendar in Google Docs takes care to ensure you don't break the underlying table structure that ensures the calendar's formatting.
If you're a long-time Microsoft Office user, you might have worked with one of Microsoft's premade calendar templates in Word and assumed you could do the same in Google Docs. And while yes, it's possible to open a calendar template in Docs, Google doesn't offer any in its rather limited template library. You'll need to download one from elsewhere - here's how.
How to use a calendar template in Google Docs
Because Google doesn't include a calendar template, you need to find another source and then open it in Google Docs. The good news is that numerous websites offer free calendar templates and make it easy to open the files in Google Docs with a single click.
If you want to explore your options, you can perform a web search using a term like "calendar template" or "calendar template for Google Docs." Alternately, here are three good resources for calendar templates you can use:
While the specifics may vary slightly from one site to another, the general process of downloading and working with a calendar template in Google Docs will be more or less the same regardless of which third-party site you use. For example, suppose you wanted to get a template from Template.net:
1. Browse the site until you find a template you want to modify and make your own in Google Docs.
2. Click the template thumbnail and then, on the template's details page, make sure the selected format is Google Docs.
3. Click Download Now.
4. You will be prompted to sign into an account; choose Sign in with Google. Once signed in, Google Docs will try to open the template and ask you to make a copy. Click Make a copy.
5. After a moment, the template will open in Google Docs and you can start customizing it.
Quick tip: Some sites might require you to create a free account before you can download a template.
You can now make any changes you like to the calendar template. If you find it difficult to work with, remember that most calendar templates are built within tables so that all the elements can be formatted properly. In general, you'll want to select small bits of text - text within a single cell in the table - and make changes a little at a time. If you select too much text at once, either Google Docs will not allow you to make changes or you'll accidentally "break" the formatting of your calendar. If something goes awry, be sure to click Undo under the Edit dropdown menu in the toolbar at the top of the page.
