The at-sign menu in Google Docs offers smart chips, building blocks, and other document elements. Use it as an insertion shortcut while checking which kind of object you are actually adding.
Find an item through the menu
- Place the cursor at the intended location.
- Type the at sign.
- Enter letters, numbers, or symbols to narrow the suggestions.
- Review the matching item and select it deliberately.
The menu can offer people, files, events, lists, headings, tables, and other elements. Similar search words can lead to different actions, so read the full suggestion before inserting. Cancel the menu if no result matches your intended task.
Browse building blocks by purpose
Use Insert > Building blocks > View more or the menu’s all-building-blocks option to browse categories such as communication, meetings, and project management.
A preview can help identify the right layout. Insert the block only after confirming it serves the current task, then replace sample content and inspect any chips or links it includes.
Check access and workflow effects
Some elements have eligibility requirements or separate sharing and assignment actions. Inserting a name is not automatically granting access; inserting meeting notes is not automatically completing every Calendar attachment step.
Custom building blocks also have creator-specific reuse restrictions, so do not assume a shared template makes your personal saved block available in another user’s menu. After insertion, inspect the resulting document rather than treating the menu selection as proof of a finished workflow. Keep the object, its content, and any external action it supports conceptually separate.
References
Reviewed against the linked official product guidance on November 3, 2026. Features, limits, screen labels, and access can vary by account, platform, region, and organization policy.