Suggesting mode in Google Docs proposes changes for review instead of directly replacing the accepted wording. Confirm the mode before editing a shared draft, especially when the document owner expects to approve changes individually.
Choose Suggesting mode
- Open the document on a computer.
- Use the upper-right mode selector that shows Editing.
- Choose Suggesting.
- Make a small intended change and inspect its suggestion display.
Google Docs shows suggested additions in a different color and crosses out proposed deletions. Check that your edit actually appears as a suggestion before revising a long passage.
Check the required access
People with comment or edit permission can suggest changes. If the mode is unavailable, inspect your access and ask the owner for the appropriate role. Do not assume a view-only link permits review edits.
Tabs have separate structural restrictions in Suggesting mode. Viewing a tab does not mean you can add, move, or delete it while proposing text edits.
Explain significant changes
Add a reply or comment to a suggestion when the reason is not obvious. Explain a factual correction or a changed condition so the approving editor can assess the proposal in context.
A suggestion is not an approved final change merely because it appears in the document. Agree on who reviews it and how the accepted version will be finalized. Before exporting or distributing a final document, inspect outstanding suggestions and the actual output. Do not use manual strikethrough as a substitute for the suggestion workflow when another editor needs an explicit accept-or-reject decision.
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.