What Are Google Docs Link Previews?
When you paste a URL into a Google Doc and press the spacebar, Google automatically converts the raw text into a clickable hyperlink. Recently, Google introduced “Smart Chips” and Link Previews. Now, whenever you simply hover your mouse cursor over one of these links, a massive, distracting card pops up on the screen.
This popup attempts to show a preview image of the website, a snippet of text, and a prompt to convert the link into a “Smart Chip.” If you are trying to edit a dense document with multiple citations, these large hover cards constantly get in the way of the text above and below the link. You can disable this preview feature.
How to Turn Off Link Previews in Google Docs
You can disable these popups directly from the main preferences menu in Google Docs.
- Open any document in Google Docs on your web browser.
- In the top menu bar, click on Tools.
- Select Preferences from the dropdown menu.
- A popup window will appear. Ensure you are on the General tab.
- Look for the checkbox labelled Show link details.
- Uncheck the box.
- Click the blue OK button at the bottom of the window to save your changes.
Going forward, when you hover your mouse over a hyperlink in any Google Doc, you will only see the raw URL itself in a tiny, unobtrusive tooltip, completely removing the large image previews and Smart Chip suggestions.