Google Slides: Uncover the Hidden Feature to Suggest Edits
Google Slides has become an essential tool for creating, sharing, and collaborating on presentations. Whether you’re working on a team project, delivering a client presentation, or simply preparing a school report, Google Slides makes it easier than ever to design and refine your slides. One of the more powerful, yet hidden features in Google Slides is the ability to “Suggest Edits.” This feature allows collaborators to propose changes without directly altering the slide content, giving presenters a way to review suggestions before accepting or rejecting them.
In this article, we’ll walk you through how to enable Suggest Edits in Google Slides, highlight the benefits of using this feature, provide troubleshooting tips, and share some additional helpful resources. Let’s dive in!
What is Suggest Edits in Google Slides?
Before we explore how to enable the feature, it’s important to understand what “Suggest Edits” actually does in Google Slides. When enabled, Suggest Edits allows users with editing access to propose changes on the slides without making direct alterations. These suggested changes appear as highlighted text or formatting adjustments and can be reviewed by the owner or other collaborators before being accepted or rejected. It’s a great way to keep track of feedback while maintaining control over the final presentation.
This feature is particularly useful when you’re working with a team and need to make sure all edits are reviewed before they are incorporated into the presentation. It also serves as a useful collaboration tool in professional or educational settings, ensuring that everyone’s suggestions are considered without interrupting the original work.
Why You Should Use Suggest Edits in Google Slides
The Suggest Edits feature in Google Slides is beneficial for several reasons:
- Collaboration: It allows multiple users to work on a presentation while keeping track of changes made by each individual.
- Control: You can review suggestions before they become part of your presentation, ensuring that no unwanted changes are accepted.
- Clarity: The proposed changes are clearly visible, so it’s easy to see what modifications are being suggested and why.
- Streamlined Feedback: Instead of sending back-and-forth emails or messages about changes, everything is neatly organized within the presentation itself.
How to Enable Suggest Edits in Google Slides
Enabling Suggest Edits in Google Slides is simple, but it requires a few steps to activate the feature. Follow the instructions below to set up Suggest Edits on your Google Slides presentations:
Step 1: Open Your Google Slides Presentation
Start by navigating to your Google Slides presentation. If you haven’t already created a presentation, simply go to Google Slides and create a new document. Once your presentation is open, you can begin enabling the Suggest Edits feature.
Step 2: Open the Share Settings
Click the “Share” button located at the top-right corner of the screen. This will open the sharing options where you can control who has access to your presentation and what permissions they have. By default, most people may have “Viewer” or “Editor” access.
Step 3: Change the Permission to “Commenter”
In order to use Suggest Edits, you’ll need to change the permissions for collaborators. In the sharing settings, you will see a dropdown menu next to each collaborator’s name. Change their access from “Editor” to “Commenter.” When users are set as Commenters, they won’t be able to edit the content directly, but they will be able to suggest changes.
Step 4: Confirm Changes
Once you’ve adjusted the permissions, click “Done” to save the changes. Now, collaborators with “Commenter” access will be able to propose edits using the Suggest Edits feature, which will appear as highlighted text or formatting in the presentation.
Step 5: Review and Approve Suggested Edits
When a collaborator suggests an edit, you’ll see the proposed changes appear in a different color, often underlined or highlighted. To approve or reject the changes, simply click on the suggestion, and you’ll have the option to either accept or discard it. This provides a simple and efficient way to handle collaboration on Google Slides presentations.
Best Practices for Using Suggest Edits in Google Slides
Now that you know how to enable Suggest Edits in Google Slides, here are some best practices to ensure you’re using the feature effectively:
- Set Clear Expectations: Make sure that everyone knows how to use the Suggest Edits feature and what kind of changes are expected. For example, ask your team to focus on major content edits rather than formatting or minor adjustments.
- Use Comments for Clarification: If you’re unsure about a suggested change, use the “Comment” feature to ask for clarification or provide feedback. This helps maintain clear communication.
- Regularly Review Suggestions: Don’t wait too long to review suggested edits. The longer you leave suggestions pending, the harder it may be to track them all.
- Track Changes: Encourage your team to leave comments or notes about the reason behind suggested changes. This adds context to the proposed edits and can help you make better decisions.
Troubleshooting Tips: What to Do if You Can’t Enable Suggest Edits
Sometimes, users may encounter issues when trying to enable the Suggest Edits feature in Google Slides. Here are some common troubleshooting steps:
1. Collaborators Don’t See the Suggest Edits Option
If your collaborators can’t see the Suggest Edits option, double-check that you’ve changed their permissions to “Commenter.” Only users with “Commenter” access can suggest edits, while “Viewers” won’t be able to do so. If they still don’t see the option, ensure they are using an updated version of Google Slides in a supported browser.
2. Suggest Edits Not Highlighting
If suggested edits aren’t appearing as expected, it could be due to the browser’s settings or extensions interfering with Google Slides. Try clearing your browser’s cache and cookies or disabling any browser extensions that might be causing the issue. Also, make sure that your internet connection is stable and that Google Slides is functioning correctly by checking its status page.
3. Unable to Accept or Reject Edits
If you can’t accept or reject suggestions, ensure that you have editing access to the slide. Additionally, confirm that you’re logged into the correct Google account that has the necessary permissions to modify the presentation.
Conclusion: Enhance Collaboration with Suggest Edits in Google Slides
Google Slides’ Suggest Edits feature is a powerful tool for improving collaboration and feedback collection within teams. By enabling this feature, you allow collaborators to propose changes that you can review and approve before making them permanent. Whether you’re working on a business presentation, academic project, or personal slide deck, Suggest Edits gives you greater control over the editing process, while streamlining communication among all stakeholders.
If you haven’t already, try enabling Suggest Edits in Google Slides today and experience how it can enhance your workflow. For more tips on using Google Slides effectively, check out other helpful guides on [Google Slides Help](https://support.google.com/slides) or [this article](#) for even more collaboration strategies.
This article is in the category Productivity and created by SlidesGuide Team