What Is a Google Side-Panel and How to Use Them

Have you ever been using Gmail or Google Calendar and wondered what this side panel is all about?

What is the Google side panel?

Many entrepreneurs use Google Calendar for their own busy schedules, and more than a few juggle multiple calendars for a variety of purposes. If you regularly use Google documents for any part of managing your life … (let’s face it – MOST of us have multiple Google calendars with no idea of how to manage them efficiently!) … the Google side panel may just be what you need to gain control.

Better yet – build it and book it with Builderall!

The Builderall Booking Builder, one of the 40 + tools in the Builderall digital marketing platform is a stellar booking app that fully integrates with Google Calendar, Zoom, and so much more!

Professional Booking System

Consulting

Events

Google Calendar Integration

Multiple Users

Email Integration

SMS Integration

With Google Calendar and Email Integration, you will have even more ways to make use of the Google side panel features, when you learn these simple tips and tricks.

The Google side panel is available in three different Google Apps:

• Gmail,
• Google Calendar
• Google Drive

Make Connections In Google Drive – Sheets – Docs – Slides – Gmail

If you do not see the Google side panel, you will find an icon on the lower, right-hand corner. Choose to enable SHOW SIDE PANEL.

You might see either Google Keep, Google Tasks, or Google Calendar on the right-hand side, depending on what kind of document you are viewing or working on at the time.

Some of the things you can do with this feature will help you stay focused, make connections across much of your day, and enhance your productivity … once you understand some of the basic ways it can benefit you.

From Google Calendar you can take notes as well as:

• Search Google Notes.
• Access Google Tasks.
• Access information and work within the same page-view.
• No need to add tasks directly to Google Calendar.

From the Top Menu, uncheck the Calendar View to manage your tasks on the right-hand side.

Go back to Google Keep to make a connection between documents.

For example:

To Create Private Notes:

1. Take a note. (creates a link to this particular event)

2. Type a new note.

3. Choose done.

4. At the top – the new note is related here at the top of the screen. When closed this it adds that note.

How Can I Use This?

• Create an agenda for your eyes only.
• Take notes during a meeting in progress.

Google Maps View Side-Panel App

How can using the Google Maps side panel app help you stay productive and on-target?

• Search for a location within your documents. If you are in a meeting and want information about a location, or you may be creating content and need real-time image references as inspiration.
• Show the location of events in the side panel view instead of opening a new tab.
• No need to launch an external app.
• Read about a location.
• View a location.
• Click for directions and see those directions in the panel page-view.
• View any event or appointment with an address in the side panel.

Google Side-Panel in Gmail

The same functionality exists with Google Keep. You can create a note and attach it to a specific event or message within Gmail.

You can also access and Add new Google Tasks within the email view.

You can create a task around this message and connect the email for review later. How?

• Add a task from the Google side panel. (If we add a task in the Top Menu, it is not going to have a connection with this email)
• Not all of your tasks need to have that connection.
• At the top of the email, choose to add to tasks.
• On the side-panel view of the task, you will see no date (because we haven\’t given it a date yet). When we add the date it brings in the subject line of this email and creates a link.
• Edit and name as a new task in the side-panel.

Do you ever wonder about what an event on your calendar is about?

• Click on the event to bring up that email.
• View your Task List on the same screen as your email.
• Create connections between documents.

Google Calendar View

What can you do in Google Calendar with the Google side panel features?

Follow these steps to link an email to an event in Google Calendar for reference. Do NOT send the invite and schedule a new event until/or that is your intention.

• Create a meeting.
• Bring the subject of that email into view.
• Identify guests based on your email.
• Choose your guests.
• Edit all of my other changes and options in Google Calendar from this side-panel.
• Save and choose don\’t send it this time.

Contact Form Access and Connections

• Search bar and search for a particular contact, (default brings up the contacts related to this message).
• Click for access to contact information.
• Launch the calendar.
• View message thread and history, review other calendar events and connected messages from the Google side panel view.

Using the Side-Panel Options in Google Drive

The Google side panel App is available in the following document types:

• Google Docs
• Google Sheets
• Google Slides

Powerful ways to use this feature immediately:

• Inject text into Google Keep to review for later.
• Highlight the piece of text, then right-click and SAVE to Google Keep.
• Edit from the side-panel.
• Edit text outside of Google Docs.
• Take information from a document and send it to Google Keep.
• Select that note and from the menu, select add to document.
• Save images in Google Keep to bring into documents.

Want to add more apps for even more productivity?

• Choose the plus button which says get add ons
• Customize the enabled apps for each kind of Google Document.
• Choose the apps you need to power up your day when viewing your calendar and choose a different suite of apps to use in Gmail and another for Google Sheets.

It can be easy to miss the valuable tools and features in the ever-evolving world of SAAS, and keeping up with all of the value you already have as a Builderall user is easy if you are reading the blogs and engaged in the many helpful Builderall Facebook groups. You also learn about tips and strategies like this article, and so much more.

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