How to suggest edits in Google Docs on Mac: step by step in your browser

Suggesting is how you propose changes to someone else's Google Doc without changing the text itself. Your edits show up as marked changes. The owner can keep each one or reject it. This matters when you review a draft for a manager, a client, or a co-author who wants to see your reasoning first.

Google Docs runs in a browser tab on your Mac, so every step below happens in the browser. Google's help pages for suggesting do not give version numbers, and they do not name a browser. These steps reflect Google's help as of November 7, 2026. If a label looks slightly different on your screen, look for the same idea: a mode switch at the top right, a Suggest edits button in the margin, and a comment box.

Check that you can suggest before you start

Suggesting needs Commenter or Editor access to the file. A Viewer role lets you read the document, but it does not let you propose changes. Confirm your role before you spend an hour on edits. A quick message to the owner can save a wasted afternoon.

• Commenter: you can leave comments and suggest changes.
• Editor: you can change text directly and also suggest changes.
• Viewer: you can read the document, but you cannot suggest.
• No access: click Request edit access, and the owner can share the file with you.

If you cannot suggest, Google's help says to click Request edit access. The owner then shares the file with you as a Commenter or Editor. Pick Commenter if you only plan to leave notes and small fixes. Editor gives more power, so ask for it only when the work calls for direct changes.

What your suggestion looks like on screen

Once you type, your new words appear in a color that stands apart from the owner's text. Deletions are crossed out instead of vanishing. Google's help describes this directly. The owner sees the original and your change in one view, without any extra tool.

The live text does not change until the owner accepts the suggestion. This is the main reason to use suggesting. You can propose a rewrite of a paragraph, and the author still decides what the final version says. Treat each suggestion as a question, not a finished edit.

Try a small change first. Make a copy with File > Make a copy, then practice on that copy. Select one word, switch to Suggesting, and change it. Check that the change appears in a new color before you attempt a larger edit. A practice run takes a minute and shows you the layout.

How to explain a suggestion so the owner can decide

A bare change can confuse the owner. They see the new words but not your reason. Add a short comment to every suggestion that changes meaning. Click the suggestion, type your comment, and click Reply. The owner gets an email and decides whether to keep each suggestion.

• Name the problem first: 'The claim needs a source.'
• Then name the fix: 'Shorter to fit the word limit.'
• Keep each comment to one reason, so the owner can answer it fast.
• Save style debates for a separate conversation, not the margin.

Comments also help when you make the same kind of change many times. Explain it once in a comment, then point back to that thread in later comments. The owner reads faster, and you avoid repeating the same reason beside every edit.

Review suggested edits as the document owner

If you own the document, you decide what stays. Open Tools > Review suggested edits. A box appears at the top right. Click the Down arrow to preview the document with or without the changes. Then choose Accept all or Reject all.

You can also work through suggestions one at a time. Click a comment on the suggestion, then choose Accept or Reject. Click Comments at the top right to see the full list. Work from the top of the document down, so each decision follows the one before it.

Keyboard shortcuts for suggesting on Mac

The fastest way into suggesting is ⌘⌥⇧X. Hold Command, Option, and Shift together, then press X. To go back to direct editing, press ⌘⌥⇧Z. To view the document without any marks, press ⌘⌥⇧C.

Google lists no shortcut for accepting or rejecting a suggestion. Use the Tools menu or the comment buttons instead. Google also says some shortcuts may not work for every language or keyboard, so test them on your setup before you rely on them. Some third-party sites list other Mac keys, such as ⌘⌥⇧I. Use the keys on Google's own page.

Mistakes that make suggestions hard to review

• Typing while Editing is on. Your words become direct changes with no marks. Check the dropdown before you type.
• Rewriting a whole paragraph at once. Select the exact sentence instead, so the owner sees what moved.
• Leaving a rewrite with no comment. The owner then has to guess why the change matters.
• Mixing unrelated fixes into one suggestion. Split them, so each one can be accepted or rejected alone.
• Forgetting that the owner gets an email for each suggestion. Expect a stream of notices after a long review.

Watch for shared drafts where several people suggest at the same time. Overlapping edits make the review slower. Agree on one reviewer per section when you can, and tell the others which section is theirs.

Suggesting in Word and other file formats

Many teams pass drafts between Google Docs and Microsoft Word. Google's help says that when you convert files to or from Microsoft Office, tracked changes and suggestions are converted. Open the converted file and scroll through the marked changes before you send it on.

Look for your comments in the converted file too. Google's note names tracked changes and suggestions, and it does not mention comments, so check them yourself. Keep the original Google Doc as a backup until you have confirmed the converted file looks right.

Suggesting offline in Chrome or Edge

Google's offline help covers Chrome and Edge. Offline access needs the Google Docs Offline extension, installed and turned on. Edge users are sent to the Chrome Web Store to get it. Google's page does not say whether suggesting works offline, so test that before a flight or a train ride.

Only one Google account per browser profile can have offline access. If you use a work account and a personal account, give each one its own profile. Very large files can fail to sync, so Google's help suggests splitting them into smaller documents.

Next steps after your first suggestion

After the owner answers, click Comments at the top right and read the replies. If you want to build more Docs skills on Mac, read how to add a header and footer in Google Docs. For dictating into a document, see how to use voice typing in Google Docs.

If you write for a living, the Google Docs guide for writers on Mac covers shortcuts, templates, and offline editing in one place.