What's Changing

Google Docs becomes Microsoft Word. Both let you write documents in a browser, share them with colleagues, and edit at the same time. The big differences land in three places: how you suggest edits (Track Changes vs Suggesting), how you assign action items (Comments + @mentions become Tasks), and the AI assistant that's now embedded in the margin (Copilot).

What Stays the Same

• Browser-based editing — open and edit Word docs at office.com without installing anything
• Auto-save — changes save every few seconds while you're online
• Real-time collaboration — multiple people edit the same doc, you see their cursors
• Comments — leave feedback inline, just like Google Docs
• Sharing — share with a link or by email
• Version history — see who changed what, restore earlier versions

Migration Heads-Up

• Google Docs files (.gdoc) are converted to Word format (.docx) as part of migration. Most files convert cleanly, but if you have docs with unusual formatting, custom Google Docs add-ons, or embedded Google Drawings, open them after migration and check.
• Comments and suggestions migrate, but resolved comments may not carry over. If you rely on past comment threads as a record of decisions, save them out before the move.
• Google Docs Smart Chips (people, files, dates) become plain text or static links. Word has its own version (insert → mention) but it's not a 1:1 conversion.

The Word Layout

When you open a Word doc on the web, you see:

• Title bar — file name (click to rename), AutoSave indicator, presence avatars showing who else is in the doc, Comments button, Catch up button (summarizes changes since you last opened), Copilot button, Share button
• Ribbon — tabs across the top: File, Home, Insert, Layout, References, Review, View, Help. The Home tab has font, paragraph, and styles — it covers ~80% of daily editing
• Document canvas — your page on a gray background. A Copilot icon appears in the left margin next to the line where your cursor sits — click it for inline help (rewrite, summarize, fix grammar)
• Right-side panes (one open at a time) — Comments, Editor (grammar/spell check), Version History, Copilot chat, Designer

Track Changes vs. Suggesting Mode

Google Docs has Suggesting mode. Word's equivalent is Track Changes. Same concept, slightly different UI:

To switch on Track Changes:

1. Click the Review tab in the ribbon
2. Click Track Changes to toggle it on
3. Optional: under Show Markup, choose All Markup (every change visible), Simple Markup (compact view with vertical bars), or No Markup (clean preview)
4. To accept or reject individual changes: click the change → Accept or Reject in the ribbon

Comments and @Mentions

Comments work like Google Docs — highlight text, click New Comment, type your message. The new bit is assigning a comment as a task:

1. Type your comment, then @ and start typing a colleague's name
2. Their suggestion appears — pick the right person
3. Check Assign to [name] below the comment
4. The comment becomes a task — your colleague gets an email with the comment text and a link straight to the line in the doc

When the assignee resolves the task, it's marked complete in the comment thread. Anyone can see the resolution status. This replaces "Hey can you take a look at line 42" type emails.

Copilot in Word

Three places Copilot shows up:

1. Margin Copilot icon — appears next to your cursor's line. Click for inline actions: Auto rewrite, Visualize as table, Fix spelling & grammar, Summarize, Rewrite.
2. Draft with Copilot — on a blank line, click the Copilot prompt that appears, type what you want ("Draft a 3-paragraph project status update covering schedule, budget, and risks"), pick up to 5 reference files, click Generate. Edit the result before keeping it.
3. Copilot chat pane — Home tab → Copilot button opens a right-side pane. Ask questions about the document, request rewrites, ask Copilot to summarize. Multi-turn conversation, can reference your other Microsoft 365 content.

Mac Users: Copilot in Word for the web works in Safari and Chrome on Mac the same as on Windows. The desktop Word for Mac app also has Copilot if you have it installed.

Co-Authoring — Working Together in Real Time

When multiple people open the same Word doc:

• Colored cursors show where each person is typing (their initials hover over the cursor)
• Avatars in the title bar list everyone currently in the doc
• Changes appear in real time — no save-then-refresh needed
• Auto-save runs every few seconds

If two people edit the same paragraph at the exact same moment, Word handles the merge automatically. In rare cases where it can't, it highlights the conflict for one of you to resolve.

Catch Up — What Changed Since Last Time

The Catch up button in the title bar is new. It summarizes:

• Comments added since you last opened
• Significant edits (paragraphs added, sections rewritten)
• @mentions directed at you

For long-running documents with many collaborators, this saves the "where did we get to" scroll-through.

Sensitivity Labels

If your IT team has enabled Microsoft Purview sensitivity labels, you'll see a sensitivity bar below the file name (e.g., Public, Internal, Confidential). To change the label:

• Click the label name
• Pick from the dropdown
• The label may apply restrictions automatically (e.g., Confidential may prevent external sharing)

If you don't see a label bar, your organization hasn't rolled out sensitivity labels yet — nothing to worry about.

Sharing a Word Doc

Click Share in the top right. The dialog has the same shape as Google Docs sharing:

1. Choose link permissions: Anyone with the link, People in your organization, or Specific people
2. Pick Can edit or Can view (Word also has Can review which is suggesting-only)
3. Optional: set an expiration date or password
4. Click Send to email the link, or Copy link to share via chat / Teams

Version History

Word stores every version automatically:

1. Click the file name in the title bar, or go to File > Info > Version History
2. The version pane shows a list with timestamp + author for each version
3. Click any version to preview, then Restore to roll back, or Save a copy to fork

Same concept as Google Docs version history — bigger emphasis on the right-side preview pane.

Google Docs to Word — Quick Reference

Tips

• Use the Home tab — it covers font, paragraph, and styles, which is most of what you need day to day
• Try the margin Copilot icon — for short rewrites or "is my grammar OK", it's faster than going to the Editor pane
• Set Track Changes by default for any doc that goes through review — flip it on early so nothing gets edited silently
• Use @mentions in comments — assigning a task is one extra checkbox and it gets things done faster than emailing
• Catch up before you scroll — it's a 5-second summary instead of reading every change

Quick Reference Downloads

• Word for the Web Quick Reference Card (coming soon)

Need Help?

If something is not working or you cannot find what you need:

1. Check the Quick Start guide on this site
2. Browse other modules — especially Office on the Web for the broader picture
3. Contact your regional IT support team (the Contact page lists the right email for your office)

See the Contact page for the AI assistant and security incident reporting.