--- title: How to Highlight in Google Docs: Ultimate Guide --- # How to Highlight in Google Docs: Ultimate Guide Last Reviewed: March 6, 2026 6 min read [2 comments](https://www.selecthub.com/resources/how-to-highlight-in-google-docs/#comments) [ ![Pritha Basu](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/b16b903ea7247fd541fd31843cd1ab557c23474caf4dfcccd9bdd8ec91179141?s=96&d=mm&r=g) ](https://www.selecthub.com/author/pritha-basu/) [Written by Pritha Basu](https://www.selecthub.com/author/pritha-basu/) Technical Content Writer Table of Contents * [How to Highlight in Google Docs](#How%5Fto%5FHighlight%5Fin%5FGoogle%5FDocs) * [Desktop](#Desktop) * [Mobile Devices (iOS or Android)](#Mobile%5FDevices%5FiOS%5For%5FAndroid) * [Remove Highlighting](#Remove%5FHighlighting) * [Highlight Tool Add-on](#Highlight%5FTool%5FAdd-on) * [Benefits](#Benefits) * [Uses](#Uses) * [Installation](#Installation) * [Highlight Quickly](#Highlight%5FQuickly) * [Highlight an Entire Document](#Highlight%5Fan%5FEntire%5FDocument) * [Shortcuts](#Shortcuts) * [Conclusion](#Conclusion) With the extensive and constantly increasing popularity of Google Docs, it’s important to learn to use it smartly, and text highlighting is one of the most useful tricks to consider. It is undoubtedly an effective visual method to learn and categorize content. As explained in this [study](https://www.dunwoody.edu/pdfs/Elftmann%5FHighlighting.pdf), highlighting not only helps draw attention, but also helps digest and review information easily. ![How to Highlight in Google Docs]() While the end goal is to mark important text by highlighting, using random colors might lead to a messy document. Hence, it’s important to understand how to highlight in Google Docs properly and effectively. Let’s begin with the basics! ## How to Highlight in Google Docs It’s pretty easy to select and highlight text in Google Docs. Here’s how you go about it: ### Desktop 1. Select the desired words using your mouse or keyboard by holding down shift and dragging/moving your cursor across the text you wish to highlight. ![Selecting the desired text to highlight]() Selecting the desired text 2. Next, search the toolbar for a little “pencil” icon, next to the icons for bold and italic. When you hover over the “pencil” icon it should say “Highlight color.” ![Selecting the Highlight Color option]() Selecting the ‘Highlight Color’ option 3. Click on that icon and choose a color from the given options. If you don’t find the color of your choice, click on “custom” and choose a color from the available options. ![Choosing from the color options]() Choosing from the color options 4. Next, click the cursor anywhere other than the selected words, and the text will now be highlighted! ![Choosing the desired highlight color]() Choosing the desired color ### Mobile Devices (iOS or Android) If you’re using a mobile device, here’s how to accomplish highlighting in a Google Docs document: * Tap anywhere on the text that you need to highlight. Use the markers that pop up to select the entire text, and then release your finger. * Tap on the “A” next to the plus sign. * Choose “Text” from the menu that pops up and select “Highlight Color”. * Select a color of your choice from the options and the text will be highlighted! ## Remove Highlighting Now, if you wish to make your document simple and clean, without any highlights, follow these steps: * Select highlighted text by dragging your mouse over it. * Click on the highlight option from the toolbar. * When the color panel appears, choose None — usually available at the top. ## Highlight Tool Add-on While highlighting text in a Google Doc, you might end up making the doc rainbow-colored. At this point, it’s essential to organize it and use a standard. The built-in highlight tool helps you do exactly that. [Highlight Tool](https://workspace.google.com/marketplace/app/highlight%5Ftool/65634221687) is a smart add-on that helps you highlight words or sentences to emphasize them and perform certain activities for a given sentence or word. Users can share a set of personalized highlighters with others to be on the same page. ### Benefits Here are the major benefits when using this tool: * Customize and organize content into libraries. * Offer instructive feedback. * Export the highlighted text to another document based on color or sequence. * Categorize ideas or themes. * Provide user-specific feedback. * Make the feedback process easier and quicker. * Help improve the overall writing style. * Share and collaborate seamlessly ### Uses The tool proves useful for all who use Google Doc extensively, especially those who need to share feedback or edit documents. These might include: * Teachers * Content editors * Communication specialists * Students * Marketing managers * Reviewers ![Highlight Tool in Google Docs]() ### Installation * Click on “Get add-ons” from the “Add-ons” menu. * Look for the “Highlight Tool” application and install it. * Once installed, select “Start” and a menu pops up on the right side. * Click on “Highlighter Library”, create a label in the given text box and select a color for highlighting. * Export the highlighted sections in a different document by clicking on “By color” under the “Extract Highlights” button. * A new window opens for you to select a destination to generate this information. * Choose a destination and click “Extract.” * Click on “Link to document.” This opens a fresh window containing all highlighted notes, organized by color in a neat and clean document. The tool helps isolate key information in a document, making it an effective way to create a study guide or similar documents. ## Highlight Quickly * Highlight a specific section of the document. ![Select the desired text in your Google Doc]() * Go to the Highlight Tool. ![Highlight Tool in Google Doc]() Select a color of your choice. ![Selecting highlight color of your choice]() ## Highlight an Entire Document 1. Open your document. 2. Press Ctrl+A to select an entire document in Windows or press Command+A on Mac. Or: 1. Open your Google Doc. 2. Click on the Edit menu. 3. Choose the Select all option. ## Shortcuts There’s no direct keyboard shortcut available for highlighting in Google Docs. But here are a few keyboard shortcuts to select text: * Ctrl+A — Select all * Shift+Left or Right arrow — Extend selection one character left or right. * Shift+Up or Down arrow — Extend selection one line up or down. * Ctrl+Shift+Left or Right arrow — Extend selection one word left or right. * Ctrl+Shift+Up or Down arrow — Highlight everything to the beginning/end of the paragraph. ## Conclusion The Highlight Tool add-on helps add a colored highlight and lets you create a visual outline. It’s a smart trick to follow when you want to emphasize something in a document but don’t want to mention it explicitly. It also helps you keep documents organized. That’s pretty much all you need to know about how to highlight in Google Docs. Follow the steps closely and you’ll be highlighting your important text in no time. ### Trending Topics #### [Resources](https://www.selecthub.com/category/resources/) [How To Change Your Default Google Account](https://www.selecthub.com/resources/how-to-change-default-google-account/) [Are you tired of switching from an old Gmail account every time you log in?… ](https://www.selecthub.com/resources/how-to-change-default-google-account/) [ ![Olivia Edens](https://www.selecthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/cropped-Olivia-Headshot-96x96.jpg) Olivia Edens ](https://www.selecthub.com/author/olivia-edens/) Jun 30, 2026 #### [Resources](https://www.selecthub.com/category/resources/) [What is an RFP (Request for Proposal)? Ultimate Guide](https://www.selecthub.com/resources/rfp/) [Eventually, your company will need to outsource a service or product. 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Contributions from Pritha Basu. ## About the Contributors The following team members helped research, create, and review this content. [ ](https://www.selecthub.com/author/pritha-basu/) Written by [Pritha Basu](https://www.selecthub.com/author/pritha-basu/) Technical Content Writer As the Content Marketing Specialist, Pritha is the gatekeeper of SelectHub's articles and buyer's guides, ensuring the highest level of quality. She also previously held a Content Writer role in the team, creating a variety of content types for CRM and marketing automation. Outside work, she is a singer, a passionate reader and a full-time mom. [See Full Bio](https://www.selecthub.com/author/pritha-basu/) Tamoghna DasHow To Recall an Email in Outlook * ‹ * › ### Conversation (2) ![Avatar](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/281d3616cf761f3582c0d76c23517846?s=32&d=mm&r=g) Write a response [Cancel reply](https://www.selecthub.com/resources/how-to-highlight-in-google-docs/#respond) Your message Your name \* Your email \* Website Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. * ![Avatar photo](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/228e507d1694e281974934aa6f08d76749fae2f4d10211afe276b9b9557847c7?s=96&d=mm&r=g) #### **Malek Ezrael** \- November 9, 2023 By the way, I want to be able to highlight text without using the keyboard mouse (it’s annoying!!!!) The Internet is useless when I search this up. Can u please help🙏 **[Reply](#comment-184248)** * ![Avatar photo](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/8939aa72a9ae6549dd01e67da129c7a9247c23d8d0696f5d9c2e8c413ff967d7?s=96&d=mm&r=g) #### **Gary Friedland** \- December 17, 2022 If I upload to Google drive a pdf that I have highlighted (for ex. In yellow), the uploaded file creates a comment in the margin of the uploaded pdf in each location that I highlighted in the document before uploading. This pop up comment is distracting to the reader. How can I upload the highlighted pdf yet avoid the creation of a comment? Thank you **[Reply](#comment-154462)** Compare **Tier 1:** Fully/moderately supported out-of-the-box allowing for quick and easy deployment. Fully or moderately supported out-of-the-box with industry-leading capabilities and is immediately available after installation without needing any add-ons, integrations, or custom development. **Tier 2:** Supported with workarounds or add-ons that may require additional costs. Not directly available in the software, but can be accomplished using other built-in features, workarounds, or add-ons/products from the vendor with or without any additional cost. **Tier 3:** Requires partner integrations or custom development that is often at an additional cost. Requires additional integrations, plugins, marketplace applications from a third-party vendor, or custom development using the APIs, libraries, extensions, and development framework supported by the software, with or without any additional cost. 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