How do you make a CV in Google Docs?
Click Template Gallery on the Docs home screen and choose a resume, or open a blank document in Pages format. Mark sections with Heading 1, then use File, Download, PDF Document to get the file you upload.1
Written 13 October 2026. CitedCV. How we write our guides
Open a resume template or a blank document
Google's help page on templates says the Google-made set includes resumes. On a computer, open the Docs home screen and click Template Gallery at the top right; a copy of the template you click opens for you. From inside a document, File, New, From a template opens the same gallery. Google adds that some template features are only for work or school accounts, and that templates come in 22 languages.
What to look for in the gallery
Prefer a template where the text runs in one column from top to bottom and the name and contact lines are ordinary text at the top of the page. Greenhouse, an applicant tracking system, lists columned layouts and contact details placed in a header, footer or text box among the reasons a resume does not parse. If no template fits, a blank document and five styles get you there.
Set the page before you type: Pages, paper size, margins
Google Docs has two page formats, chosen under File, Page setup. Pages has page breaks, headers, footers, page numbers and margins. Pageless scrolls continuously, and Google says headers, footers, page numbers and columns cannot be added in it.
Why a CV belongs in Pages format
A CV is read as pages: one or two of them, printed or opened as a PDF. In Pages format you see where page one ends while you write. Paper size, orientation and margins are also available only there, according to Google's page settings help, and you can click Set as default so the next document starts the same way.
The header you can no longer see
Google warns that when a document with a header or footer is switched to Pageless, those elements are hidden until you switch back. If a template put your email in the header, you might edit the whole CV in Pageless without noticing it is still there. Switch to Pages, double-click the header area, and if your details are in it, move them into the body and use Options, Remove header.
A4 or Letter
Under File, Page setup, Paper size, choose the paper of the country you apply in. A page laid out for one size and printed on the other moves its line breaks.
Styles and the document outline
Select a line, open Format, Paragraph styles and pick Normal text, Title, Subtitle or Heading 1 to 6. To change how every Heading 1 looks, format one, then choose Format, Paragraph styles, Heading 1, Update 'Heading 1' to match. Google notes that changing Normal text also changes the heading fonts.
A style plan for Docs
| Line on the CV | Docs style | Shows in the outline |
|---|---|---|
| Your name | Title | Not needed there |
| Email, phone, city, link | Normal text, under the name | No |
| Profile, Experience, Education, Skills | Heading 1 | Yes |
| Job title, employer, dates | Heading 2 | Yes, nested under its section |
| Results under each job | Normal text with bullets | No |
| A tagline under your name | Avoid Subtitle; Google says subtitles do not appear in the outline | No |
Read the outline as a checklist
Open View, Show outline. Google builds it from your headings, so it should list every section and every job in order. A section missing from it was typed as bold Normal text, which looks right on screen but carries no structure. Fonts and point sizes are covered in the guide on CV font and size, including how to save your styles as the default.
Keep one master and a copy per application
- Name the master clearly: click 'Untitled document' at the top and type, for example, Master CV.
- For each application, open the master and choose File, Make a copy; type a name with the employer in it.
- Edit the copy for that posting. The master keeps every line you might need later.
- If you over-edit, click Last edit at the top right to see earlier versions, choose one and click Restore this version.
- Before a big rewrite, name the current version from the same panel so it is easy to find again.
Google notes that you need edit permission to browse a file's earlier versions, which you have on your own CV.
Download the file you will upload
On a computer, open the CV and choose File, Download, then the file type. PDF Document (.pdf) is the one to upload unless the posting asks for Word, in which case choose Microsoft Word (.docx). Google gives a fallback for a large document in Chrome: File, Print, then Save as PDF next to Destination, then Save.
Export options by device
| Device | Formats Google lists | Where to find it |
|---|---|---|
| Computer | PDF, Word (.docx) and other types in the list | File, Download |
| Android phone or tablet | DOCX, EPUB, RTF, TXT, PDF, ODT, web page (HTML as ZIP) | More next to the file, Download; Share & export for Save as Word or Send a copy |
| iPhone or iPad | DOCX or PDF | Open the file, More, Share & export; Google names Save as Word and Send a copy there |
Check the PDF, not the document
Open the downloaded PDF, select a line, copy the whole page and paste it into a plain text editor. Your name and contact details should come out first and each job should keep its title, employer and dates together. The guide on converting a CV to PDF compares the same step in Word, LibreOffice and Pages.
Sending a link instead of a file
Some people paste a Docs link into an application. Google's sharing help explains what that link does:
- Under General access you choose Restricted (only people you add), Anyone with the link (no sign-in needed) or, on some accounts, Public, which Google says lets anyone find the file through search.
- Viewers and commenters can download, print and copy by default; the owner can switch that off in the sharing settings.
- When you share a link, Google shows your name and email as the owner of the file.
- A link opens the live document, so edits you make for the next employer show up for the last one too.
For an upload field or an email, a PDF is the safer file: it does not change after you send it. Use a link only when someone asks for one, set to Viewer.
Where Google Docs is the wrong tool
- You need precise control over the PDF itself, such as accessibility tags or what goes in the file properties. Word desktop has an Options dialog for that; Docs has a single download.
- Your template is a two-column design you are attached to. Docs can lay out columns in Pages format, but the parsers that read your upload may not keep their order.
- You are on a phone with no signal. Docs saves changes to the device and syncs later, but check the file before you rely on it; the Turkish phone guide covers working only on a phone.
Other ways to the same result
- Microsoft Word, desktop or web: templates, styles and a PDF dialog with more settings; its guide follows the same order as this one.
- Free CV builders such as Europass or FlowCV: compared, with what each gives free, in the free CV builders guide.
- CitedCV: it builds a one-column CV from facts you confirm and exports PDF, DOCX or TXT at no credit cost; you can import the DOCX into Docs afterwards.
Sources, read on 13 October 2026
- Google Docs Editors Help: Create a file from a template; Change a document's page setup: Pages or Pageless; Change page settings; Use headers, footers, page numbers and footnotes.
- Google Docs Editors Help: Add a title, heading, or table of contents; Use a document outline.
- Google Docs Editors Help: Create, view, or download a file (computer and Android); How to use Google Docs (Android and iPhone export formats); Work with Office files (Share & export).
- Google Docs Editors Help: Share files from Google Drive; Find what's changed in a file.
- Greenhouse Support, Unsuccessful resume parse, updated 2 March 2026.
Questions people ask
How do I make a CV on Google Docs?
Open Docs, click Template Gallery and choose a resume, or start a blank document. Use File, Page setup to choose Pages format, mark sections with Heading 1, and download it as a PDF.
Does Google Docs have resume templates?
Yes. Google's help says its own templates include resumes; click Template Gallery at the top right of the Docs home screen, or File, New, From a template inside a document.
How do I download a Google Docs CV as a PDF?
Choose File, Download, PDF Document (.pdf). For a large document in Chrome, Google suggests File, Print and Save as PDF as the destination instead.
Is a Google Docs resume ATS friendly?
It can be; the template decides it, not Docs. Pick one column, keep contact details in the body rather than the header, then check the downloaded PDF by copying its text into a plain editor.
Should I use pageless format for my CV?
No, use Pages. Pageless hides headers and footers, has no page numbers or page breaks, and does not let you set paper size or margins, so you cannot see where page one ends.
Can I send my Google Docs CV as a link?
Yes, if someone asks for one: Share, General access, Anyone with the link, Viewer. Google shows your name and email as the owner, and the link always opens the latest version.
Can I make a Google Docs CV on my phone?
Yes. The Android app exports PDF and DOCX among other formats, and the iPhone app exports DOCX or PDF, according to Google. Editing long lines is easier on a computer.
Why did my header disappear in Google Docs?
Because the document is in Pageless format, which hides headers and footers. Choose Format, Switch to Pages format and they come back.
Sources
- Google Docs Editors Help, Create a file from a templatesupport.google.com/docs/answer/148833?hl=en
- Google Docs Editors Help, Change a document's page setup: Pages or Pagelesssupport.google.com/docs/answer/11528737?hl=en
- Google Docs Editors Help, Change page settings on Google Docssupport.google.com/docs/answer/10296604?hl=en
- Google Docs Editors Help, Use headers, footers, page numbers and footnotessupport.google.com/docs/answer/86629?hl=en
- Google Docs Editors Help, Add a title, heading, or table of contentssupport.google.com/docs/answer/116338?hl=en
- Google Docs Editors Help, Use a document outlinesupport.google.com/docs/answer/6367684?hl=en
- Google Docs Editors Help, Create, view, or download a filesupport.google.com/docs/answer/49114?hl=en
- Google Docs Editors Help, How to use Google Docs (Android)support.google.com/docs/answer/7068618?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DAndroid
- Google Docs Editors Help, How to use Google Docs (iPhone and iPad)support.google.com/docs/answer/7068618?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DiOS
- Google Docs Editors Help, Work with Office filessupport.google.com/docs/answer/6055139?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DAndroid
- Google Docs Editors Help, Share files from Google Drivesupport.google.com/docs/answer/2494822?hl=en
- Google Docs Editors Help, Find what's changed in a filesupport.google.com/docs/answer/190843?hl=en
- Greenhouse Support, Unsuccessful resume parsesupport.greenhouse.io/hc/en-us/articles/200989175-Unsuccessful-resume-parse