If you’re one of Google Workspace’s 6 million users, you’ll know first-hand about the benefits of the platform’s productivity-boosting tools and features. But as an innovator in the field, Google Workspace is continuously adding new features to its offering, helping both employees and businesses streamline workflows, enhance security, and improve performance.

5 Google Workspace features every employee should know about

Alongside Google’s real-time collaboration tools and content production suite, how many of these five Google Workspace features do you use to boost everyday productivity?

1. Smart Compose

Did you know that Google’s AI-powered Smart Compose not only helps you write emails faster, but it can also reduce content creation time in Google Docs offering up generic suggested words, the feature uses machine learning to quickly detect patterns in your writing style, producing personalized suggestions consistent with your unique tone of voice.

2. Confidential mode

Google provides a massive list of industry-leading security measures to protect company data (more on this later on). Still, as an individual user, you can do your bit to protect your personal and sensitive information with Gmail’s Confidential Mode.

This security-enabling feature safeguards private information by allowing you to control who can copy, download, forward, or print your emails and attachments. To further protect your information, you can give your messages and files an expiration date or apply settings that ask recipients to use an SMS verification code to open files.

To enable Confidential mode, hit the padlock icon at the bottom tab of your email.

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3. Named revisions

According to a 2020 Forrester report, the top efficiency benefit for organizations using Google Workspace is the platform’s real-time editing and collaboration tools. Versioning is one of the core elements of Google’s collaborative capabilities, allowing you to track what changes were made, who made them, and when those edits were made. You also have the option to revert to your preferred version of a specific file.

However, keeping track of the vast number of changes made in one document (particularly if it has multiple co-authors) can be tricky. Google’s Named Revisions feature is a quick and easy way to mark and find preferred versions.

To name your chosen versions, go to the Version History panel on the right-hand side of your document, click the menu button, and select “Name this revision.”

Editor's note: Everything you need to know about file-sharing software

4. Large file sharing via Google Drive and Insert File

One major Google Workspace benefit is the provider’s exceptional file-sharing services, including unlimited data storage and automatic synchronization of all Workspace-created files to Google Drive.

Thanks to this vast, secure storage hub, a useful feature for those who send large attachments is the ‘Insert File’ button that allows you to share files of up to 10GB from your Gmail account.

To send large attachments, upload your chosen file to Google Drive, then add the file to your email by selecting the ‘Insert File’ icon on your email’s bottom tab.

5. Offline mode

Another great Google Workspace perk is that you can access and create work documents from anywhere in the world, and you don’t need to rely on the internet to do so.

Offline mode gives you access to the latest version of your files, avoiding document duplication. Any information you create or edit will automatically sync to your Google Drive when you reconnect to the internet to save you uploading and downloading different file versions.

4 Google Workspace features for boosting enterprise security, compliance, and productivity.

Employees aren’t the only ones who benefit from Google Workspace’s productivity and collaboration features. Google is continually launching new, advanced features specifically designed for enterprise admins and managers.

Some of our favorite Google Workspace features for businesses, admins and managers include:

1. Bespoke interface branding

A neat way of keeping workers within your brand world and improving employee experience is to swap Google’s branding for your company visuals. You can replace Google’s logo and design with your company logo and color palette, which will appear consistently throughout your Google apps.

2. Data storage locations

Did you know that as well as offering centralized, unlimited data storage, Google Workspace gives you the option to choose where you store your company’s data? Admins can allocate specific regions for data generated in Google Calendar, Drive, Forms, Gmail, Hangout, Chats, Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides.

This Google Workspace feature is particularly useful if your business manages global data and has to comply with ever-changing international data regulations.

Storing all your company’s data in one centralized, cloud-hosted, and easily accessible location has huge benefits for enterprise search, analysis, and productivity. However, if you don’t feel at ease keeping your company data solely in the cloud, Vault is an excellent option for your business.

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3. Google Workspace security features

As we discuss in our article ‘Reasons to use Google Workspace: benefits for business’, Google offers enterprise users industry-leading security measures, such as 100% data encryption and AI-detection of suspicious log-in behavior.

On top of these advanced security protocols, admins can use Google’s Admin Console to activate more security-boosting features, such as:

  • 2-step verification: ensure that every employee in your organization logs in to their account using a two-step process
  • Password strength detection: use password strength graphs to identify weak user passwords
  • Early phishing detection: switch on Gmail’s enhanced pre-delivery message scanning to help counter phishing attacks
  • Disabling access to less secure apps: Block log-in attempts from any device that falls short of your company’s security standards by changing your settings in the ‘Less secure apps’ feature under ‘Basic Settings’ in the Security menu.

Read next: Reasons to use Google Workspace: benefits for business

4. Google Workspace integrations

From accounting apps to CRM platforms, Google Workplace plays well with thousands of third-party applications, many of which you’ll find in Google Workspace Marketplace.

As well as integrating Google Workspace with apps you use every day like Slack, Grammarly, Trello, or DropBox, you can also head to the ‘Works with...’ section to find amazing new add-ons for Google Drive, Calendar, Docs, Slides, Sheets, and Gmail.

Some of our favorite 2021 add-ons include Zoom for Google Calendar, DocuSign, Translate+, Highlight Tool, Sustainably Run Meetings, and MindMup 2.

Custom integrations are also fully supported by Google Workspace, giving your business access to a vast range of new business features. For example, Templafy and Google Workspace work together to give users everything they need to create smart documents and presentations.

Key Templafy features include:

  • Dynamic templates: drastically cut creation time and maximize compliance with smart templates that pull through all the personalized information, formatting, disclaimers, and brand visuals you need to create your document.
  • Email Signature Manager: manage multiple email signatures for individual users, ensure brand compliance and activate our marketing signature campaign feature.
  • Library: gain one-click access to all your company’s latest document assets from within Google Workspace.
  • ProductivityPlus: level up presentation performance with custom-designed PowerPoint features and powerful adjustment tools.
  • Validator: auto-check company presentations for compliance issues.