How to Disable the ‘Outline’ (Document Summary) Sidebar in Google Docs

What is the Google Docs Outline?

Google Docs features a built-in “Document Outline” tool that automatically appears on the left side of your screen. It scans your document for bold text and formatted headings (like Heading 1 or Heading 2) and generates a clickable table of contents, allowing you to quickly jump between sections.

However, if you are writing a short letter, a script, or a simple document without complex formatting, this outline sidebar takes up valuable screen space and serves no purpose. Fortunately, you can easily hide it from view.

How to Hide the Document Outline Sidebar

You can toggle the visibility of the outline using the main menu or a quick keyboard shortcut.

Method 1: Using the View Menu

1. Open your document in Google Docs.
2. In the top menu bar, click on View.
3. Look for the option labelled Show outline (it will have a checkmark next to it if it is currently visible).
4. Click on Show outline to uncheck it.

The left-hand sidebar will instantly vanish, expanding your document to fill the available space.

Method 2: The Quick Toggle Icon

If you only want to hide the outline temporarily, you can use the quick-hide button.

1. Look at the top-left corner of the open Document Outline sidebar.
2. You will see a small arrow pointing to the left, labelled Close document outline.
3. Click this arrow. The outline will slide away, leaving only a small, subtle icon on the far left edge of the screen.
4. To bring it back, simply click that small outline icon again.

By hiding the outline, you remove distractions and create a cleaner, more focused writing environment.