How to Disable the Google Docs ‘Watermark’ Feature

The Permanent Branding

Google Docs includes a feature that allows you to place a watermark—either a faded image (like a company logo) or large, diagonal text (like “CONFIDENTIAL” or “DRAFT”)—behind the text on every page of your document. This is useful for protecting intellectual property or clearly indicating the status of a file before it is printed or shared externally.

However, if you receive a document that already has a watermark applied, or if a document was created using a corporate template that enforces a watermark by default, it can make the text difficult to read on a screen. If you have editing privileges for the document, you can completely remove the watermark to clean up the visual presentation.

How to Remove a Watermark

You can delete the watermark using the Insert menu.

1. Open the document in Google Docs.
2. Look at the menu bar at the very top of the screen.
3. Click on the Insert menu.
4. Scroll down the list and click on Watermark.
5. A sidebar panel will open on the right side of your screen showing the current watermark settings.
6. At the very bottom of this sidebar panel, look for a button or text link labelled Remove watermark.
7. Click Remove watermark.

The faded image or text will instantly vanish from the background of all pages in the document. The sidebar will close, and you will be left with a clean, standard white background for your text.