Start your first document
Open Compose and type in the writing area. You do not need an account for the core writing experience.
Use a separate document for each piece of work you want to manage independently. Its notes, sources, Review items, versions and settings stay with that document.
- Open Compose in a supported browser or installed app.
- Open Documents and choose New document when you want a separate piece of work.
- Give the document a useful title and start writing.
Know what Compose saves for you
Compose saves changes on your device as you write. You can close the tab and come back without pressing Save after every change.
For work you cannot afford to lose, also save a .compose file somewhere included in your normal backups. The file keeps Compose-specific information such as Shelf notes, sources, Review items and document settings.
Find the main parts of the workspace
Documents is where you switch documents, open or save files, view Versions and export. Writing Tools contains Outline, Find and Review. Shelf holds research notes for the current document.
Settings changes the writing environment and document appearance. Account is for sign-in, plans and team administration. You can hide the side panel whenever you want more room to write.
Add research, citations and feedback when you need them
Shelf is useful for material that belongs with the project but is not ready for the draft. Citations save source details and format references. Review keeps comments and suggested edits attached to the words they concern.
You can use all of these on Free, with per-document creation limits. Existing content is not removed if you later move to a plan with lower limits.
Save the working document or export a copy
Use Save, Save As or Save a Copy when you want a .compose file. Keep that format if you want to reopen the document later with all its Compose features.
Use Export when you need another format. ODT, Markdown, HTML and plain text are available on Free. The PDF designer and exact preview are also available on Free; saving a PDF file or exporting DOCX requires Pro or Teams.
- Keep a .compose file for important work.
- Use an export for sharing, publishing or continuing in another app.
- Preview a PDF before saving it when page layout matters.