How to Double Underline in Google Docs

The Missing Button in Google Docs

In Microsoft Word, applying a double underline to a piece of text is incredibly simple: you just click a small dropdown arrow next to the standard Underline button and choose the double line style. It is a fundamental formatting tool used by accountants to signify grand totals, and by academics to draw attention to specific headings.

However, if you migrate to Google Docs, you will quickly notice that this feature appears to be completely missing. There is no dropdown menu next to the underline button, and searching the Format menus yields no obvious “Double Underline” option.

Google Docs prioritises a minimalist interface, which means many advanced formatting options are either hidden inside obscure menus or require creative workarounds. While there is no native, one-click double underline button, you can achieve the exact same visual effect using two different methods.

Method 1: Using the Paragraph Borders Tool (Best for Headings and Totals)

If you need to double underline an entire heading, or if you are doing accounting work and need a double line under a grand total, the Paragraph Borders tool is the cleanest and most professional method.

1. Open your document in Google Docs.
2. Highlight the text (or the number) that you want to double underline.
3. Click on the Format menu at the very top of the screen.
4. Hover your mouse over Paragraph & spacing (or Paragraph styles, depending on your Docs version).
5. Click on Borders and shading.
6. A new menu box will appear in the middle of your screen. Look at the “Position” section at the top, and click the Bottom Border icon (it looks like a square with a thick blue line at the bottom).
7. Look for the Border dash dropdown menu (it usually displays a solid black line). Click it.
8. Select the Double Line style from the dropdown options.
9. (Optional) You can also change the “Border width” to make the double line thicker, or change the “Border color” if you prefer.
10. Click the blue Apply button.

A perfect double line will now appear underneath your text. Because this is technically a paragraph border, the line will stretch across the entire page. If you only want the line to sit directly underneath a specific word, you must use Method 2 instead.

Method 2: Using the Equation Tool (Best for Specific Words)

If you only want to double underline a single word in the middle of a sentence without the line stretching across the whole page, you have to use a slightly hidden math trick.

Google Docs contains an equation editor for writing complex math formulas, and one of its functions is a strict double underline.

1. Click the mouse exactly where you want the double-underlined word to appear.
2. Click the Insert menu at the top of the screen.
3. Click on Equation.
4. A small blue box will appear on your page where your cursor is, and a new “New equation” toolbar will appear near the top of the screen.
5. Type \underline (you must include the backslash).
6. Press the Spacebar once. (The word \underline will disappear, and the blue box will format itself).
7. Now, type the word you want to double underline (e.g., Grand Total).
8. Press the Enter key.

This math command forces Google Docs to render a tight double underline directly underneath the specific characters you typed. You can now click outside the blue box and continue typing the rest of your normal sentence.

Why Does Google Docs Make This So Difficult?

Google Docs was designed as a lightweight, collaborative alternative to the bloated, feature-heavy Microsoft Word. To keep the software running quickly inside a web browser, Google intentionally stripped out thousands of minor formatting features that the majority of users rarely touch.

While accountants and academics heavily rely on double underlines, the average user does not, which is why the feature was relegated to the Borders and Equation menus rather than being placed on the main toolbar.