How to Use the Drawing Tool in Google Docs to Add Custom Graphics

The Limitation of Inserted Images

If you are writing a technical manual in Google Docs, you will likely need to include diagrams, flowcharts, or annotated screenshots to explain your concepts. The standard approach is to open a third-party application (like Microsoft Paint, Adobe Photoshop, or an online flowchart maker), create the graphic, save it as a PNG file, and then upload that file into your Google Doc using the Insert > Image menu.

This works, but it creates a massive workflow bottleneck. If you realize you spelled a word wrong inside the flowchart, you cannot fix it in Google Docs. You have to open the original third-party software, fix the typo, re-export the PNG, delete the old image in Google Docs, and upload the new one.

To eliminate this friction, Google Workspace includes a built-in vector graphics editor called the Drawing Tool. This allows you to create, edit, and annotate custom graphics directly inside your document without ever leaving the browser.

Step 1: Launching the Drawing Canvas

To create a new, editable graphic:

1. Open your Google Doc.
2. Place your cursor exactly where you want the graphic to appear.
3. In the top menu, click Insert, hover over Drawing, and click New.

A massive canvas with a checkered background will overlay your document, featuring its own dedicated toolbar.

Step 2: Building Flowcharts and Diagrams

The Drawing toolbar contains everything you need to build professional vector diagrams.

• Shapes: Click the Shapes icon (a circle overlapping a square) to access dozens of pre-built vector shapes, including flowchart decision diamonds, callout speech bubbles, and block arrows.
• Lines: The Line tool allows you to connect your shapes. If you select the “Elbow Connector” or “Curved Connector,” the lines will automatically snap to the edges of your shapes and intelligently route themselves around obstacles if you move the shapes later.
• Text Boxes: You can double-click inside any shape to type text directly into it, or use the Text Box tool to place floating labels anywhere on the canvas.

Step 3: Annotating Existing Images

The Drawing Tool is not just for creating things from scratch; it is incredibly useful for annotating screenshots.

1. Inside the Drawing canvas, click the Image icon on the toolbar.
2. Upload a screenshot from your computer.
3. Use the Shapes tool to draw a bright red circle around a specific button on the screenshot.
4. Use the Line tool to draw an arrow pointing to the circle, and a Text Box to explain what the button does.

Because the image and the annotations are all contained within the Drawing canvas, they are grouped together automatically.

Step 4: Saving and Future Editing

When you are finished building your diagram or annotating your screenshot, click the blue Save and Close button in the top right corner.

The canvas will disappear, and your graphic will be injected directly into your Google Doc exactly like a standard image.

The ultimate advantage: If you spot a typo in your flowchart two weeks later, you do not need to re-upload anything. Simply double-click the graphic directly inside the Google Doc. The Drawing canvas will instantly re-open, allowing you to fix the typo, adjust the arrows, or change the colors in seconds.