How to use Pageless view in Google Docs

Google Docs logo on laptop
(Image credit: Shutterstock)

Rolled out by Google earlier last year, Pageless view in Google Docs is a useful new format with a number of cool benefits.

If you haven’t heard of this before, essentially, there are two main setup options to choose from in Google Docs – these being ‘Pages’ and ‘Pageless’.

The Pages view is the usual go-to word processing format which most of us are likely to be familiar with. With this, you can add all the traditional elements including headers and footers, page numbers, columns and so on. If you’re looking to print out your documents, the Pages view is generally recommended, as it splits up your content accordingly.

On the other hand, Pageless view is created for digital viewing and enables users to make the most of every bit of space on their page. It’s a brilliant option for anyone working on more complex or lengthy digital documents, as it continually scrolls without any page breaks.

With this setting enabled, images will adjust to your screen size, and you can also create wide tables and view them by scrolling left and right. So, you’ll have lots more room on your page to insert elements that are wider than the typical margins.

In a nutshell, Pageless view breaks free from the standard constraints and offers a clean, modern, and seamless way of approaching online documents.

The process for enabling Pageless view is really straightforward – simply follow the steps below.

How to use Pageless view in Google Docs

  1. Google Docs > Open Document
  2. File > Page Setup
  3. Pageless > OK

Read on to see more detailed instructions for each step.

1. Google Docs > Open Document

(Image: © Future)

Open Google Docs and Start a new document.

2. File > Page Setup

(Image: © Future)

Tap File and select Page Setup.

3. Pageless > OK

(Image: © Future)

Select Pageless then click OK or Set as Default, if you’d like this format to be your go-to.

Now you know how to use Pageless view in Google Docs, you can also boost your productivity by using features such as built-in summaries.

These are not limited to the Pageless view setup, however if you’re working on a large, interactive document with lots of text, summaries will certainly come in handy.

As it says on the tin, summaries provide a brief overview of the main points of a document. And if you’re a Google Workspace business customer, built-in intelligence will very cleverly auto-generate a summary for you, but you’ll also still have the flexibility to edit it manually, too.


And that’s the gist of the Pageless view feature in Google Docs. It’s a super useful way of making the most of space on your document – particularly if you’re working with long, lengthy texts and you’d rather avoid page breaks and margins.

On the topic of Google Docs, now that you’ve mastered this new format, why not let us get you up to speed with a few more tips and tricks? We can teach you how to do a strikethrough in Google Docs as well as how to view word count, how to use emojis and how to do a hanging indent. If you’re looking to boost your productivity, it’s also well-worth learning about Google’s huge AI upgrades for Google Docs and Gmail, too.

Are you a Google Pixel user? Get stuck into some of our brilliant tutorials on making the most out of your device. For instance, find out how to take hands-free photos on a Google Pixel, how to set Cinematic Wallpapers and read up on the best Google Pixel 7a cases in 2023.

TOPICS
Elle Redman
Contributor

Elle is a freelance journalist specialising in tech, lifestyle, travel, wellbeing, and social change. In 2022, she moved from Wales to sunny Provence, France, to join the team at Voyage Privé as UK Content Editor, where she writes and edits luxury travel content and oversees the business’ social media platforms for the UK market. As a writer, her work has been published in various titles including Culture Trip, Breathe, Happiful, Planet Mindful, The Mirror, Western Mail and WalesOnline amongst others. Outside of work, you’ll usually find her travelling around, drinking copious cups of tea, and taking photos on her trusty old film camera.

Read more
Google Drive storage change
7 ways to get the most out of Google's AI suite — and boost your productivity
Google Pixel 9 Pro XL desktop mode.
I tried this hidden desktop mode on my Pixel 9 Pro XL — Google needs to bring this to all Android phones
Google Drive storage change
Google Workspace could make it much faster to play videos — here’s how
A man staring at a phone with the Google Photos logo on it
Google Photos will soon make clearing your pictures way easier — here’s how
Gemini 2
My browser tabs were getting out of hand so I let Gemini 2.0 takeover — here's how it went
Gemini logo shown on a phone's screen
Google Gemini can now analyze and summarize documents for free — here's how
Latest in Software
Google wallet app on screen
Google Wallet now lets kids to make supervised contactless payments and use digital passes — what you need to know
and image of the Google Chrome logo on a laptop
Google Chrome just updated its rules to stop future Honey scandals: here's what's changed
How to tour the Super Bowl stadium virtually with Google Maps
Google Maps glitch is purging Timeline data — what we know
Mac Studio on a desk hooked up to a Studio DIsplay
Mac Studio M3 Ultra: 3 reasons to buy and 2 reasons to skip
Gboard app logo on mobile phone resting on a keyboard
Google Gboard redesign has already angered users — and I can see why
Waze app on iPhone in car
Forget Google Maps — Waze just got a huge upgrade that will help millions of drivers
Latest in How To
a photo of a woman looking at her fitness tracker
Forget the treadmill — I boosted my metabolism and walked 2,000 steps with this 15-minute workout
a photo of a woman out for a walk
Forget running — I did this one thing to boost the calorie burn on my daily walks
Gemini logo on smartphone
Google's Gemini Deep Research is now free — I've got 7 quick tips to start using it now
ChatGPT on iPhone
I use ChatGPT every day — here's 7 prompts I can't live without
Woman changing bedding
How to get rid of bed bugs and dust mites from your bedding and pillows if a hot wash isn’t an option
Ring Battery Doorbell next to door
Hate it when your Ring doorbell alerts you all the time? Here's how to schedule motion detection