How to Add and Use Grammarly in Google Docs

Photo of author

Candace Osmond

Candace Osmond studied Advanced Writing & Editing Essentials at MHC. She’s been an International and USA TODAY Bestselling Author for over a decade. And she’s worked as an Editor for several mid-sized publications. Candace has a keen eye for content editing and a high degree of expertise in Fiction.

Do you want a convenient way to improve your work on Google Docs? Spelling and Grammar checkers like Grammarly might help you. 

The Grammarly Premium browser extensions allow you to use the grammar-checking software more efficiently. Learn how to add and use Grammarly to Google Docs so you no longer have to leave your word-processing program.

How to Add Grammarly to Google Docs on Mac

It’s a little different than adding Grammarly to Microsoft Word. And, yes, Google Docs has its own built-in spelling and grammar checker for grammar errors, but it’s pretty basic. So. here’s how you can add Grammarly to your Google Docs on Mac to receive corrections in real-time.

1. Open Safari Extensions.

Open Safari and select “Safari” on the menu bar. Then, click “Safari Extensions.” The App Store will instantly open to the Safari Extensions page.

2. Download the Installation.

Look for Grammarly on the App Store, then download the extension. Your computer might also ask you to sign in with your Apple ID. Then, click “Install.”

3. Follow the On-Screen Prompts

Click “Open” after the installation has finished. Then, quickly follow the on-screen instructions.

4. Go Back to Safari

Go back to Safari and select “Preferences.” Then, click on “Extensions” and tick the checkbox on Grammarly for Safari. The extension will stay up to date after installing it to your Safari browser.

How to Add Grammarly to Google Docs on Chrome

Adding Grammarly to Google Docs requires you to download the extension to Chrome. Here’s a step-by-step guide.

5. Find the Grammarly Webpage.

On Google Chrome, search for “Grammarly Chrome extension” on the Google search bar. The first option should be the web extension in the Chrome Web Store. 

You can also click here to directly access the Grammarly for Chrome webpage. Once you’ve landed on the webpage, choose the download link.

6. Open It and Click on the Blue Button.

On the Chrome Store, Pick the blue button with “Add to Chrome.” 

7. Download the Extension

Confirm your download of the Grammarly add-on once a pop-up appears. Wait for it to finish until the green Grammarly icon shows up on your address toolbar. You can find the icon on the upper right part of Google Chrome.

The word “beta” may also appear on the icon since it’s Grammarly’s beta version. Now you’re ready to enter Google Docs.

8. Open Google Docs.

Sign in on your Google Docs account and open an existing document. You can also create a new one and type your work.

On the right side of Chrome, you will notice a pop-up menu that turns on the Grammarly functionality. Click the green “turn it on” button.

9. Enable the Extension.

Once you have selected the green button, you can now use Grammarly on Google Docs.

Using Grammarly in Google Docs

The beta version of Grammarly’s browser extension works best on Chrome than on other browsers. Here are some of its features.

Free Use

The Google Docs plug-in doesn’t require a Grammarly account. Download it for free and use the add-in right away.

Checks Grammar

Open an existing document or write a new one on Google Docs to get Grammarly’s suggestions. Then, a sidebar will appear to assist you in accepting or ignoring recommendations.

If you agree with the suggestion, click “accept.” If you don’t like the suggestion, click the trash icon to cancel it.

Feel free to click on “Learn more” if you want a detailed explanation. You can also use the “Add to dictionary” button to stop Grammarly from flagging some words as misspellings.

The correctness suggestions will appear in red, while style guide suggestions are gray. You can also leave the sidebar closed to accept or ignore recommendations.

Grammarly as Default Spell Checker

Turn off the Docs spell checker if you want to switch from Google Docs’ built-in spell checker to Grammarly.

Click on Tools in the header menu and select “Spelling and Grammar.” Hover on it and uncheck the “show grammar suggestions” and “show spelling suggestions.”

Once you’ve disabled it, only Grammarly will check your grammatical errors for you.

Easy Settings

If you want to change the Grammarly Settings on your Google Docs, click on the Grammarly icon on the upper right and open the Quick Settings sidebar menu. You can also change the advanced settings on the upper right. 

Sets Goals

Grammarly for Chrome allows you to set specific writing goals when proofreading your work for grammar issues. Open the sidebar and select “Adjust Goals.”

Then, choose your document’s Audience, Domain, Intent, Formality, and Tone. Click “Done.” 

There’s also the option to click “Reset the settings to defaults.”

Correct Your Spelling and Grammar as You Type!

Grammarly’s Google Docs add-in is a favorite browser extension because of its advanced checking capabilities. Download the extension on the Chrome Store or App Store, then enable it on the right part of your browser. 

Adjust your goals for the document, then start writing while editing! Accept and ignore every suggestion without leaving Google Docs.  Don’t forget to read our review on Grammarly here.