Google Docs now allows third-party app integration through “smart chips”

Google Docs has now enabled third-party app “smart chips” integration, as the company announced yesterday. This feature is now available for Google Workspace users and those with personal Google accounts. Google had announced last year that it was opening the feature to third parties as part of its “smart canvas” revamp of its office suite, which includes other features like a pageless layout to Google Docs.

How it works

To use third-party smart chips, the user will have to first install the app’s add-on from the Google Workspace Marketplace. Then, a share link from the third-party app source can be grabbed and pasted into a Google Doc. After that, the user will be prompted to hit the tab key, which pops the smart chip into the document. The smart chip lets the user preview the app’s information and work status, so people collaborating within a Google Doc can quickly see where that project’s progress is without leaving the document.

The way the chips are implemented depends on the developer. For example, Figma “allows users to pull interactive previews of Figma and FigJam files into Google Docs, so that teammates can easily reference the latest designs and project work in context,” according to the apps’ Workspace Marketplace pages. Atlassian Cloud add-on can let users attach relevant Jira issues so they can track them inside a working Doc.

A user tried the integration out and was able to get it up and running with Figma in just a couple of minutes. Once the link was pasted in, they hovered over the Figma link, and after a moment, it popped up with a preview image of the project, along with who created it and when it was last updated.

This new feature is expected to enhance collaboration between team members and make it easier to track the progress of a project. The smart chips integration will reduce the need for users to switch between apps, improving productivity and efficiency.

Google Docs’ new feature of third-party app integration through “smart chips” is a welcome addition to the platform. With this feature, collaboration between team members will be enhanced, and tracking the progress of a project will be much easier. The smart chips integration will improve productivity and efficiency by reducing the need for users to switch between apps.