How do you connect Google Docs as an App?

Myles Dean
Myles Dean
  • Updated

Google Docs lets you create and edit text documents. You can connect a Document by following the instructions below:

Connecting View-Only Google Docs

    1. Go to App Setup, and click Add New in the top right corner.
    2. Click Add under Google Docs
    3. Set a title and icon that represents the App.
    4. We're going to set this up as an automatic App so that we can embed the same data for every client. (If you want a specific document for each client, change to a manual App)
    5. Leave this as Show as embed so that the client isn't directed outside of the portal.
    6. Next, go to your Google Docs home page:
      • Find and open the desired document you want to embed. (You can also locate and open a Google Doc within your Google Drive)
      • To share a Document, click File>Share>Publish to Web and click Publish on the Link tab.
      • Now copy the link
    7. Go back to the App setup page and paste the copied link into the content box.
    8. Click Save.

Connecting Editable Google Docs

  1. Go to App Setup, and click Add New in the top right corner.
  2. Set a title and icon that represents the App.
  3. We're going to set this up as a manual App so that only the clients connected to the Google Doc app can edit. If you want all clients to be able to edit the document, set this up as an automatic App.
  4. Leave this as Show as embed so that the client isn't directed outside of the portal.
  5. Next, go to your Google Docs home page:
    • Find and open the desired document you want to embed. (You can also locate and open a Google Doc within your Google Drive)
    • To share a Document, click Share in the top-right of the Google Doc and set the permissions to Anyone with the link can edit.
      • Portal_Privacy_Policy_-_Google_Docs_2022-11-01_at_5.27.24_PM.jpg
    • Now copy the link and paste it into an empty text editor (you will need this link in a moment).
    • Next, copy the following code and paste this into your text editor below the link:
      • <iframe src="link" />
    • Lastly, paste the link copied from Google into the code where it says link. Be sure to keep the quotation marks around the Google Doc link!
  6. Go back to the App setup page and paste the <iframe src="link" /> (with the link replaced) into the content box.
  7. Click Save.

Client Experience

    1. To check if clients can view the App properly, click on Client Experience in the bottom of your sidebar, and the click Open portal. This will open the client experience in a new tab. You'll need to have a test client setup in order to log in as a client. Click Here to learn how to set up a test client account.
    2. Once logged in, click the App on the sidebar to preview the client view.

 

Optimizing for Mobile

Occasionally, Google Docs will appear to be narrow in the mobile client experience. To optimize your Google Doc for mobile, you'll want to go to File > Page Setup in Google Docs. Then, edit the margins to be less than the default 1-inch margins.

 

HC_article_AI_test_-_Google_Docs_2023-04-24_at_5.16.49_PM.jpg

 

We've found changing the margins to 0.1 works, but feel free to edit the margin size until your Google Doc renders well on your mobile device.

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