Google Workspace Dojo Cheat Sheet

Test your Google Workspace shortcuts and workflow instincts.

Practice Gmail, Drive, and Chrome habits until they stick.

One account, many apps, one search bar.

1. Sign in at google.com and open the app launcher (nine-dot grid, top-right)
2. Pin the apps you use daily—Gmail, Calendar, Drive—to your launcher for one-click access
3. Use the same Google account in Chrome so tabs, passwords, and Drive sync follow you
4. Search from the Gmail or Drive search bar to find emails, files, and calendar events in one place

Personal is yours; Workspace is the company's.

1. Check your email address—@gmail.com is personal; a custom domain is usually Workspace
2. In Gmail, look for your organization name under your avatar if you are on Workspace
3. Ask your IT admin whether Shared Drives and Vault are enabled before building team workflows
4. Keep client work on Workspace accounts and personal life on a separate personal account

Many accounts, one browser—label them.

1. Click your avatar in any Google app → Add another account
2. Sign in with the second account and confirm it appears in the account switcher
3. Before sending email or creating a Doc, check the avatar in the top-right corner
4. For heavy separation, use Chrome Profiles instead of account switching alone

Password plus phone beats password alone.

1. Go to myaccount.google.com/security
2. Turn on 2-Step Verification and add your phone or a hardware key
3. Review Recent security activity for unfamiliar sign-ins
4. Save backup codes in a password manager in case you lose your phone

First signed in = default—choose deliberately.

1. Sign out of all accounts, then sign into your primary work account first
2. Or click your avatar → pick the account → Make default if shown
3. Before creating files, glance at the avatar and account email
4. Use Chrome Profiles for true isolation between work and personal defaults

Avatar tap, account pick, glance, go.

1. Click your profile picture in any Google app
2. Select the account you need from the list
3. Wait for the page to reload under the new account
4. Confirm the email under your avatar before sending or saving

One profile = one person's entire browser life.

1. Click your profile icon at the top of Chrome → Add
2. Sign in with the Google account for that profile
3. Name it clearly: Work, Personal, Client-A
4. Pin each profile to your taskbar or dock for one-click switching

Profile on the dock = identity on the dock.

1. Open Chrome with the profile you want
2. Chrome menu → More tools → Create shortcut (or Profile → Create shortcut on some versions)
3. Check Open as window for an app-like experience
4. Drag the shortcut to your dock or taskbar

Work browser left, personal browser right.

1. Create dedicated Work and Personal Chrome Profiles
2. Set different themes or names so they are visually distinct
3. Never sign personal accounts into the Work profile
4. Use OS window snapping to keep both visible on large screens

Guest mode leaves no footprints.

1. Click your profile icon → Guest
2. Browse normally—nothing saves when you close the window
3. Close all Guest windows to end the session completely
4. Use Guest on shared computers instead of signing into your account

One org, one profile—no exceptions.

1. Create one Chrome Profile per Workspace organization
2. Use naming: ClientName-Workspace
3. Never cross-share files between orgs without explicit export
4. Color-code Calendar accounts per org

Incognito is temporary; profiles are identities.

1. Use Incognito for one-off tests with no saved state needed
2. Use Profiles for daily multi-account work
3. Use Incognito plus disable extensions if a page breaks (extension conflict test)
4. Never use Incognito alone for long-term client account separation

Profile A builds, Profile B clicks the link.

1. Open your app in Profile A (developer/admin account)
2. Open the share link in Profile B (test user account)
3. Verify view, comment, and edit permissions separately
4. Clear cookies only as a last resort—profiles are faster

Group tabs, collapse noise.

1. Right-click a tab → Add tab to new group
2. Name the group and pick a color
3. Drag tabs into the group or right-click → Add to group
4. Click the group name to collapse or expand

Pin it, forget it, find it.

1. Right-click an important tab → Pin
2. Pinned tabs open automatically in new windows
3. Drag pinned tabs to reorder among other pinned tabs
4. Right-click → Unpin when you truly want to close

Main page stays, tools slide in.

1. Click the Side Panel icon (panel shape) in Chrome's toolbar
2. Choose Reading List, Bookmarks, or an extension
3. Drag the panel edge to resize
4. Pin frequently used panels for quick access

Search tabs like files.

1. Press Cmd+Shift+A (Mac) or click the tab search chevron
2. Type part of the page title
3. Press Enter to jump to that tab
4. Close duplicate tabs you forgot about

Bookmarks bar = personal app launcher.

1. Press Cmd+Shift+B (Mac) or Ctrl+Shift+B (Windows) to show the bar
2. Drag the lock icon from the address bar to add a bookmark
3. Create a folder for each client or project
4. Use short names: Gmail, Cal, Drive

Website in, chrome out.

1. Visit the site (e.g., mail.google.com)
2. Chrome menu → Save and share → Install page as app
3. Name the app and confirm
4. Launch from Applications folder or Start menu

Sign in once, sync everywhere.

1. Chrome → Settings → Sync and Google services
2. Confirm sync is on for bookmarks and passwords
3. Sign into the same profile on phone and laptop
4. Visit chrome.google.com/sync to manage synced data

Save once, fill forever.

1. Allow Chrome to save passwords when prompted
2. Manage saved passwords at passwords.google.com
3. Run Password Checkup for breached passwords
4. Use generated passwords for new accounts

Tab teleportation.

1. Right-click a tab → Send to your devices
2. Pick the target device from the list
3. On that device, tap the Chrome notification
4. The page opens ready to continue

Video hovers, work continues.

1. Start video playback in Chrome
2. Right-click the video twice → Picture in Picture (double right-click bypasses site menu)
3. Drag the PiP window to a corner
4. Click X or return to tab to exit PiP

Shortcuts off = Gmail with handbrake on.

1. Gmail → Settings (gear) → See all settings
2. Under General, find Keyboard shortcuts → select Keyboard shortcuts on
3. Click Save Changes at the bottom
4. Press ? in Gmail to open the shortcut cheat sheet

E to archive, R to reply, / to search.

1. Press J and K to move through your inbox
2. Press E to archive the selected thread
3. Press R to reply, A for reply-all
4. Press / to jump to search instantly

Gmail search is a database query.

1. Try from:boss subject:urgent to narrow results
2. Use has:attachment larger:5M to find big files
3. Combine is:unread older_than:7d for stale unread mail
4. Click the search dropdown arrow to build filters visually, then copy the query

Archive clears inbox; delete sends to trash.

1. Press E or click Archive to clear inbox without deleting
2. Use Delete only for spam or truly disposable mail
3. Find archived mail with search—it is never gone
4. Set Gmail to Send & Archive in Settings for one-click inbox clearing

Not now—come back Tuesday.

1. Select an email → click the Snooze clock icon
2. Pick a preset time or choose Pick date & time
3. Snoozed mail lives under the Snoozed label until it returns
4. Use snooze for follow-ups you cannot act on today

Draft at midnight, land at 9 AM.

1. Compose your email as usual
2. Click the Send dropdown arrow → Schedule send
3. Pick a suggested time or set a custom datetime
4. Find scheduled mail in Scheduled in the left sidebar

Write once, send forever.

1. Settings → Advanced → enable Templates
2. Compose an email → three-dot menu → Templates → Save draft as template
3. To insert: three-dot menu → Templates → pick your template
4. Update templates when pricing or policies change

Filters label; labels organize.

1. Search for a pattern (e.g., from:stripe.com)
2. Click the search bar dropdown → Create filter
3. Choose actions: Apply label, Skip inbox, etc.
4. Create matching labels with colors for at-a-glance scanning

Five seconds to regret.

1. Settings → General → Undo Send
2. Set cancellation period to 30 seconds (maximum)
3. After sending, click Undo in the bottom-left toast
4. Combine with reviewing the To field before Send

One inbox, many hats.

1. Settings → General → Signature → Create new
2. Name each signature (Work, Personal, Client-A)
3. In compose, click the pen icon to switch signatures
4. Set defaults for new emails and replies separately

Many addresses, one login.

1. Settings → Accounts and Import → Add another email address
2. Verify the alias via confirmation email or SMTP
3. When composing, click the From field to pick the alias
4. Set a default send-as address per alias if needed

Mute = out of inbox, out of mind.

1. Open the thread → More (three dots) → Mute
2. Or press M with shortcuts enabled
3. Muted threads stay under All Mail and remain searchable
4. Unmute from the same menu when you need updates again

One view, many calendars.

1. Click + next to Other calendars → Create new calendar
2. Name and color-code each calendar
3. Uncheck calendars to hide them without deleting events
4. Share team calendars with specific edit or view permissions

Color = category without reading.

1. Set a default color when creating a calendar
2. Click an event → palette icon to override one event's color
3. Use consistent rules: red = external clients, green = focus blocks
4. Enable Reduce brightness of past events in Settings for clarity

Calendar knows when you are off.

1. Settings → Working hours & location
2. Set start and end times for each workday
3. Enable Working location if you hybrid-work
4. Others see a warning when inviting you outside these hours

Your calendar, their picker.

1. Calendar → Create → Appointment schedule
2. Set duration, availability windows, and buffer time
3. Copy the booking page link to your email signature or website
4. Review bookings in a dedicated appointment calendar

Speak dates, Calendar listens.

1. Click + → type Team standup every Mon 9am
2. Include location with at: Dentist Tue 3pm at Main St
3. Press Enter to create
4. Edit details afterward if needed

Overlap visible, conflicts avoided.

1. Create an event → Guests tab → Find a time
2. View guest calendars overlaid on yours
3. Click an open column to set start time
4. Use Suggested times for automatic picks

Focus time = do not disturb with a calendar entry.

1. Create event → type Focus time or pick from event type dropdown
2. Set recurrence for daily deep-work windows
3. Enable Automatically decline meetings
4. Choose whether to show as busy or free to outsiders

Away status that actually works.

1. Create event → Out of office event type
2. Set date range and decline behavior
3. Write a custom auto-reply message with backup contact
4. Gmail can send auto-replies only to your organization or everyone

Team owns the file, not one person.

1. Drive → Shared drives → New
2. Add members with appropriate roles: Manager, Contributor, Viewer
3. Move existing team files from My Drive into the Shared Drive
4. Use consistent naming: ClientName-Project-Assets

Their share, your shortcut.

1. Drive left sidebar → Shared with me
2. Sort by Last modified to find recent shares
3. Press Shift+Z to add a shortcut to your My Drive
4. Star frequently accessed shared files for quick access

One file, many locations.

1. Right-click a file → Add shortcut to Drive
2. Pick the destination folder
3. Shortcuts show a curved-arrow icon
4. Deleting a shortcut does not delete the original file

Time machine for Docs and uploads.

1. Open a file → File → Version history → See version history
2. Click a timestamp to preview that version
3. Name important versions with Name current version
4. For uploaded files: right-click → Manage versions

No Wi-Fi, no problem.

1. Install Google Docs Offline Chrome extension
2. Drive settings → Offline → enable
3. Right-click files → Available offline
4. Edits queue and upload automatically when online

Cloud folder, local path.

1. Download Google Drive for desktop from google.com/drive/download
2. Sign in and choose Stream or Mirror mode
3. Access files from the Drive letter (Windows) or menu bar (Mac)
4. Right-click for offline access on specific folders

Big files hide in plain sight.

1. Visit one.google.com/storage
2. Review Large files and Trash
3. Empty Trash—it counts against quota until purged
4. Delete old Drive versions and Gmail attachments you no longer need

Owner controls sharing; editors do not.

1. Right-click file → Share → check owner name at top
2. Transfer ownership: share → change editor to Transfer ownership
3. Move files to Shared Drives so the team owns them
4. Before someone leaves, audit files they own

Headings become a table of contents.

1. Select text → Normal text dropdown → Heading 1, etc.
2. View → Show outline (or click outline icon)
3. Click any heading in the outline to jump
4. Use Heading 2 under Heading 1 for hierarchy

Talk, Doc writes.

1. Tools → Voice typing (or Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+S)
2. Click the microphone and speak clearly
3. Say period, comma, new line for punctuation
4. Works best in Chrome with a decent microphone

Suggest, do not silently change.

1. Toggle Editing dropdown → Suggesting
2. Type normally—additions show as green, deletions as strikethrough
3. Reviewers click ✓ to accept or ✗ to reject
4. Use for contracts, copy reviews, and spec changes

Every keystroke era is recoverable.

1. File → Version history → See version history
2. Click a version to preview; restore with Restore this version
3. Name milestones: File → Version history → Name current version
4. Expand versions to see granular edits by collaborator

Type @, link anything.

1. Type @ and start typing a name, file, or date
2. Select from the dropdown to insert a chip
3. Hover chips for previews and quick actions
4. Use date chips to propose meeting times

One doc, many chapters.

1. Insert → Building blocks → Tabs (or use the tabs sidebar)
2. Add, rename, and reorder tabs
3. Each tab has its own content area
4. Share one link to the whole tabbed document

No pages, just content.

1. File → Page setup
2. Select Pageless
3. Adjust text width for comfortable reading
4. Export to PDF still works when you need print layout

Legal diff without export.

1. Tools → Compare documents
2. Select the older baseline document
3. Review the generated comparison doc with attributed changes
4. Use Suggesting mode on the result for final review

Headers stay, data scrolls.

1. View → Freeze → choose rows or columns
2. Or drag the thick gray lines in the top-left corner
3. Freeze top row for column headers
4. Freeze first column for row labels

Your view, their data untouched.

1. Data → Filter views → Create new filter view
2. Name it (e.g., My Q3 view)
3. Apply filters and sorts—they save to this view only
4. Switch views from the filter view dropdown

Drag fields, get insights.

1. Select your data range → Insert → Pivot table
2. Drag fields to Rows, Columns, Values
3. Values default to SUM—change to COUNT or AVERAGE
4. Refresh pivot when source data changes

Rules paint the signal.

1. Format → Conditional formatting
2. Set range and rule (e.g., Greater than 100)
3. Choose fill color or color scale
4. Use custom formula for complex logic: =AND(A1>0, B1<10)

Pick from list, not free type.

1. Select cells → Data → Data validation
2. Criteria: List of items or range reference
3. Insert → Checkbox for true/false columns
4. Reject invalid input or show warning

Lock the math, free the input.

1. Select cells → Data → Protect sheets and ranges
2. Set permissions: only you, or named editors
3. Add a description so others know why it is locked
4. Warning-only mode alerts without blocking

Type two, Sheets fills the rest.

1. Enter examples in adjacent columns showing the pattern
2. Sheets may suggest Smart Fill—press Enter to accept
3. Or use Data → Split text to columns for delimited data
4. Works for names, dates, and extracted substrings

Arrow keys are just the start.

1. Press Cmd/Ctrl+/ to open the shortcut list
2. Use Cmd/Ctrl+Arrow to jump to data edges
3. Alt+= (Windows) or Cmd+Shift+T (Mac) for SUM
4. Press Ctrl+` to toggle formula view

They see slide; you see script.

1. Click Slideshow dropdown → Presenter view
2. Extend display so presenter view is on your laptop
3. Audience sees projector/external display only
4. Use laser pointer tool during presentation

Slides are headlines; notes are the story.

1. Click Click to add speaker notes below the slide
2. Format notes with bold for emphasis cues
3. Print notes via File → Print → Handout with notes
4. Share notes with co-presenters via link

Change once, apply everywhere.

1. Slide → Edit theme or Edit master
2. Modify background, fonts, and logo placement
3. Create custom layouts for title, content, and section breaks
4. Close master view to return to your deck

Sheet updates, chart follows.

1. In Sheets, copy a chart → Paste in Slides
2. Choose Link to spreadsheet
3. Click chart → Update to pull latest data
4. Optionally unlink if you need a frozen snapshot

Crowd questions without mic runners.

1. During slideshow, click Q&A in presenter toolbar
2. Share the audience link or short URL on screen
3. Star important questions to address first
4. Moderate or allow anonymous submissions

Hands off the trackpad.

1. Press B to pause on black during discussion
2. Press Esc to exit slideshow
3. Type slide number + Enter to jump
4. Press L for laser pointer (in presenter mode)

Answer A goes left; Answer B goes right.

1. Create sections with the Add section icon
2. At the bottom of a question, click ⋮ → Go to section based on answer
3. Map each answer to a destination section
4. Test all paths before sharing

Submit, score, feedback—instant.

1. Settings → Make this a quiz → assign point values
2. Per question, mark correct answer(s)
3. Add Answer feedback for wrong and right responses
4. Release grades immediately or after manual review

URL carries the defaults.

1. Click ⋮ (form menu) → Get pre-filled link
2. Fill sample values in each field you want prefilled
3. Click Get link and copy the URL
4. Each field adds a entry.XXXX parameter

Every submit = new spreadsheet row.

1. Responses tab → Link to Sheets
2. Create new sheet or pick existing
3. Columns auto-map to questions
4. Use Sheets formulas and charts on live response data

Form collects the PDF, not a link.

1. Add question → type File upload
2. Set allowed file types and number of files
3. Files land in a Drive folder created for the form
4. Note: requires sign-in and may need Workspace for large files

Pin top, label the rest.

1. Open a note → click Pin icon
2. Click Label icon to create or assign labels
3. Filter sidebar by label
4. Use colors consistently: yellow = ideas, red = urgent

Note + when = reminder.

1. Open a note → click Remind me
2. Pick date/time or place (mobile for location)
3. Reminders sync to Google Calendar and Assistant
4. Check off reminder to archive the note

Photo becomes searchable text.

1. Add an image to a Keep note (camera or upload)
2. Wait for processing—text becomes searchable
3. Search Keep for a word visible in the photo
4. Works best with clear, well-lit images

Set once, complete forever.

1. In Google Tasks, add a task with a due date
2. Click the date → Repeat
3. Choose frequency: daily, weekly, monthly, custom
4. Tasks appear in Gmail sidebar and Calendar

Inbox item becomes a to-do.

1. Open Gmail → expand Tasks in the right sidebar
2. Drag an email onto the task list
3. Or email → More → Add to Tasks
4. Click the task's link to return to the original email

Read what you miss; filter what you don't need.

1. In a Meet call, click CC for captions
2. Settings → Audio → enable noise cancellation
3. Captions work in many languages
4. Captions help in loud cafes and quiet libraries alike

Messy room, professional look.

1. Before or during a call → Apply visual effects
2. Choose Blur (slight or full) or upload a background
3. Preview before applying
4. Effects work on most laptops without extra hardware

One screen to present, one to participate.

1. On your phone, join the same meeting
2. Select Companion mode when prompted
3. Use phone for chat; laptop shares screen
4. Mute one device's microphone to prevent echo

Poll for pulse; breakouts for depth.

1. Host controls → Activities → Polls
2. Create question and launch to participants
3. For breakouts: Activities → Breakout rooms
4. Set timer and close rooms to reconvene

Meeting shrinks, work continues.

1. During a Meet, click the PiP icon (or pop-out)
2. Drag the floating window to a corner
3. Resize as needed
4. Click to return to full Meet view

Start laptop, finish phone.

1. Install Drive and Docs apps on mobile
2. Open Recent in Drive to find last-edited files
3. Edits sync within seconds on Wi-Fi or mobile data
4. Use the Share menu to open on another device via link

Snap, insert, done.

1. Open a Doc in the mobile app
2. Tap + → Camera
3. Take photo—it inserts inline
4. Crop and adjust in the app

Paper goes in, PDF comes out.

1. Drive app → + → Scan
2. Capture pages—auto-detects edges
3. Save as PDF to a folder
4. OCR makes scanned text searchable

Sync later, work now.

1. Mobile: open file → ⋮ → Available offline
2. Desktop: Chrome extension + Drive offline setting
3. Offline files show a checkmark icon
4. Conflicts are rare—edit one device at a time offline

Three keystrokes to a new Doc.

1. Type docs.new in Chrome's address bar
2. Press Enter—a blank Doc opens instantly
3. Bookmark it or add to your bookmarks bar
4. Confirm your default Google account first

Spreadsheet, zero clicks.

1. Navigate to sheet.new
2. Bookmark alongside docs.new
3. Share the URL in team docs for consistent onboarding
4. Works on mobile Chrome too

Deck ready before coffee cools.

1. Go to slides.new
2. Pick a theme later—start with content
3. Add to bookmarks bar folder with other .new links
4. Pair with speaker notes lesson for polish

Form before the meeting ends.

1. Visit forms.new
2. Edit title and first question immediately
3. Send via link before leaving the page
4. Bookmark for support and event teams

Capture before you forget.

1. Open keep.new
2. Type your thought immediately
3. Add label or reminder before closing
4. Works great from mobile home screen bookmark

Event dialog, no calendar hunt.

1. Go to cal.new
2. Fill title, time, guests
3. Add video conferencing with one click
4. Bookmark for quick meeting creation

Link ready before they ask.

1. Visit meet.new
2. Copy the meeting link from the address bar or UI
3. Share link via Slack, email, or calendar invite
4. Bookmark for ad-hoc huddles

You are admin and employee.

1. Sign up for Google Workspace Business Starter
2. Verify domain DNS records
3. Create your @yourdomain.com user
4. Enable 2SV and set recovery options

Client A never sees Client B.

1. Accept client invites to their Workspace as a guest user
2. Use a dedicated Chrome Profile per major client
3. Never store Client A files in Client B's Shared Drive
4. Invoice from your business account, collaborate in theirs

Hand off the drive, not zip files.

1. Create a Shared Drive per client or project
2. Folder structure: Brief, WIP, Deliverables, Archive
3. Grant client Manager access at handoff
4. Remove your access after transition if required

Prod profile never touches localhost.

1. Create profiles: Dev, Staging, Production
2. Only sign into matching Google Cloud projects per profile
3. Test OAuth consent screens in Dev profile
4. Never install untrusted extensions in Production profile

App window, no tab bar temptation.

1. Open mail.google.com → Chrome → Install Gmail
2. Repeat for Drive, Calendar, Meet
3. Each gets its own dock/taskbar icon
4. Combine with Chrome Profile shortcuts per client