Easy Tech TutsHow to Add Grammarly to Google Docs Easily 2026
By Impran M NLast checked against official docs
Adding Grammarly to Google Docs gives you real-time grammar and style feedback as you write, without leaving your document. This guide covers creating a Grammarly account, downloading the official installer, and confirming it's working once you're back in a Google Doc.
It also covers the two things that quietly stop it from working at all: an out-of-date extension, and a document set to pageless view. Setup is a one-time job. The payoff shows up on every document you write afterward, including the small verb-tense and agreement slips that are easy to miss on your own.
Before you start
- A Grammarly account, free or paid
- A browser where you can install extensions: Chrome, Edge, or Firefox
01Create a free Grammarly account
Go to grammarly.com and choose Sign up, either with an email address or the faster Sign up with Google option. The homepage previews what the assistant does once it's running: inline suggestion cards for clarity, tone, and grammar that appear next to your text. Core grammar and spelling checks are free, so nothing here requires payment details.
02Download and run the installer
After signing up, Grammarly starts a download automatically and shows a progress page confirming the file is on its way, with a note to open the Grammarly Installer from your downloads once it finishes. A "Restart the download" link sits on the same page if nothing happens after a minute, so there's no need to go hunting for the file yourself. Once the installer finishes, it adds the Grammarly extension to your browser and pins its icon to the toolbar.
03Open a Google Doc and refresh the tab
If a Google Doc was already open during installation, close and reopen it, or just refresh the tab, so the extension can attach to the page. Open any existing document; a plain untitled doc works fine for testing. Type a sentence with a subject-verb agreement slip or the wrong tense, and Grammarly should flag it shortly after the page reloads with the extension active.
04Review suggestions, inline and in the sidebar
Grammarly checks a Google Doc two ways at once. Correctness issues get a red underline and style suggestions a gray one, both visible directly in your text.
Hover over one to see the fix without opening anything else. For a fuller pass, click the Grammarly icon in the lower-right corner of the document to open the sidebar, which lists every suggestion with a short explanation.
Work through them the way you'd review a colleague's tracked changes: accept what's clearly right, dismiss what's a style preference instead of an actual error. It's faster than a manual re-read for catching mechanical slips, but it won't tell you whether the document's argument holds together.
05Set a tone and manage the sidebar's visibility
Open the sidebar's settings to choose a tone, such as formal, casual, or persuasive, so suggestions match what you're writing instead of defaulting to generic corrections. If the sidebar gets in the way of other Workspace tools, toggle it off from the extension's toolbar icon, then turn it back on before your final read-through.
When it doesn't work
No underlines or suggestion cards appear in a Google Doc
Why: Most often the extension is out of date. Documents set to pageless view can also stop the sidebar and underlines from behaving correctly.
Fix: Remove and reinstall the extension from the Chrome Web Store. If suggestions still don't show, switch the doc from pageless to standard page view.
Grammarly worked yesterday but is silent in a doc that was already open
Why: The extension attaches to a Google Docs tab on page load. A tab that was already open when Grammarly was installed doesn't pick it up automatically.
Fix: Close and reopen the tab, or just refresh it.
The toolbar icon reads Superhuman, not Grammarly
Why: Grammarly is now part of Superhuman. Accounts with Superhuman Go enabled see that branding in place of the Grammarly name.
Fix: Nothing to fix. Grammar and style checking work the same under the new branding.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a Grammarly account to use it in Google Docs?
Yes. Sign up and log into a Grammarly account before or right after installing the extension so it can actively scan your documents.
Why isn't Grammarly showing up in my document?
Check that the extension finished installing, is up to date, and that you've refreshed the Google Docs tab afterward. If the document is set to pageless view, switching it to standard page view often fixes suggestions that won't appear.
Can I use Grammarly alongside Google Docs' own spelling checker?
Yes. Both run at once, and combining Grammarly's suggestions with Google's native spellcheck catches more than either alone.
Is adding Grammarly to Google Docs free?
Signup, the installer, and core grammar and spelling checks are free. Advanced tone, clarity, and rewrite suggestions are part of the paid Pro plan.
Why does my Grammarly icon say Superhuman now?
Grammarly merged its branding with Superhuman. Accounts with Superhuman Go turned on show that name instead of Grammarly, but the underlying grammar and style checks work exactly the same.
Sources and last check
Screens and click path come from a signup and install recorded in July 2025. Re-checked in September 2026 against Grammarly's own support articles on Google Docs support and on missing underlines — that check added the pageless-mode and outdated-extension fixes and the Superhuman branding note, none of which was in the original draft.
About the author
Impran M N
I've been hooked on technology for as long as I can remember — especially the new tools and AI apps that seem to land every other week. Easy Tech Tuts is where I write up whatever I've just worked out: I do the task in the real product, record the screen, and turn it into the guide I wish I'd found first.
