Google Basics: Search, Mail, Maps & More

PDF download Download Article
A complete tour of Google's many products and services
PDF download Download Article

Google may be synonymous with searching the Internet. Still, the services they offer are far broader than simple searching. From email to document creation, calendars to music, Google products can be used for almost every aspect of life online. Follow this guide to not only get the most relevant search results but also get the most use out of all of the products Google offers.

Quickly Find What You’re Looking for with Google

Enter your search in the bar at the top of your page and press Enter to initiate a search if Google is your default search engine. If not, go to "google.com" to start your search. Use keywords to find what you're looking for quickly.

Section 1 of 6:

How to Search the Web with Google

PDF download Download Article
  1. Formatting your search in different ways will affect the results that you receive. Try to keep your search terms simple to get the best results. Search using the important words, and leave out the question. The “I'm Feeling Lucky” button will take you to a random search result based on the popularity of similar searches.
    • You can also search Google using the web browser on your phone or tablet.
  2. Once you’ve entered your search, you can narrow down the results by clicking on the tabs at the top of the results list.
    • The default is the All tab, which is a mix of results based on what you search. For example, searching "pictures of cats in hats" will result in more images appearing in the All tab while "voter turnout" will result in more blog or news articles than images.
    • Images show a list of images that correspond to your search. If your search result matches a lot of images, the most popular ones will be displayed as a search result in the All tab.
    • Maps show your search result on a map. Usually, when you enter a location into the search, a map will appear in the All tab.
    • The shopping tab will show products available in your area or online that relate to your search.
    • Blogs will show any blog posts that relate to your search.
    • You can click the More tab to search through other Google services, such as the Play Store, Recipes, and more.
    Advertisement
  3. You can add specific parameters to your search by opening the Advanced Search tool. You can open this by clicking Tools to the right of All , Images , and More .
    • Use the "Any time" drop-down to quickly narrow your search to a more relevant time range.
    • Use the "All results" drop-down to quickly narrow your search results to the type of web content you're looking for, like similar or verbatim searches.
    • Click Advanced Search to narrow down your results further with more filters.
    • On mobile, scroll through the menu starting with All and Forums and tap on Search tools for all the same options.
  4. Click "Sign In" in the top-right corner to sign in with your Google account. This will help tailor searches to you as well as allow you to save your searching preferences. If you see your name and picture in the top-right corner, you are successfully signed in.
    • Your Google account is the same across all Google products, including Gmail, Drive, Maps, YouTube, and more.
  5. Click your profile icon to choose your search settings. You'll see a few options immediately available:
    • You can choose to filter or blur explicit results, toggle search personalization, or use your search history.
    • Click More Settings to see more Search Settings, like languages, and if you want results to open in a new window when you click them.
    • These settings will not be saved when you exit Google unless you are signed in with your Google account.
    6. Advertisement
Section 2 of 6:

Google Tips and Tricks

PDF download Download Article
  1. Start your search with the most basic topic and add descriptive words later. For example, search for "butterfly" to find general and basic information about butterflies, then specify the term to learn about a kind of butterfly, like "Monarch butterfly."
  2. Talking is sometimes more natural than typing, so you can use the microphone on your device to search with your voice. For help on using voice-to-text, see this wikiHow article .
  3. If you have a book title or a song title, use quotation marks to search the entire title.
  4. Instead of searching Google for "my head hurts," try "headache" since that's the most popular term that describes "my head hurts." You will get more and more accurate results that way!
  5. Google has a spell checker that automatically applies to your search, no matter if you spell a word incorrectly; searching "battery" will give you results for "battery".
    • Capitalization is also included; searching "the new york times" will result in "The New York Times."
  6. Use certain words to trigger short and quick responses. Here are some common ones:
    • +define : will quickly get you the definition of the word you're looking for. For example, enter example define to get the definition of "example."
    • weather + location : This gets you the weather for a specific place. For example, if you want to see the weather in Asheville, NC, you'd enter weather Asheville, NC .
    • Enter a math equation to get a quick answer. You can enter "3+9" to get a quick result.
    • Add a conversion unit to see the answer. For example, enter "$2 in Euros."
    • Use a tracking number or flight number to keep tabs on its status.
    • Search for the name of a sports team to see results for recent games or events.
    • Get quick facts about a celebrity, movie, location, song, or lyrics by searching that keyword. [1]
    7. Advertisement
Section 3 of 6:

How to Send and Receive Mail with Gmail

PDF download Download Article
  1. You can access the Gmail homepage from the menu bar at the top of the Google search engine. You will need to sign in with your Google account in order to access your Gmail inbox.
  2. Your inbox is automatically sorted into tabs. The default tabs are Primary, Social, and Promotions. You can add Updates and Forums tabs to further sort your email.
    • Primary is your personal emails between people.
    • Social are emails from social networking services such as Facebook and Twitter.
    • Promotions are emails that you receive from marketing that you have signed up for.
  3. Any replies to an email are grouped together into a single conversation. The most recent reply will be shown first, and previous emails in the conversation can be expanded with the Expand icon.
  4. You can send older messages to the Archive to store them but keep them from cluttering up your inbox. Archived mail can be found in the All Mail label in the left menu.
    • If someone replies to an archived mail, the conversation will be moved back to your inbox.
  5. Although Google provides a lot of free storage, you may want to delete messages to free up some space. Select the messages that you want to delete and click the Trash Can icon. These emails will be permanently deleted after 30 days.
  6. You can add a Star to emails that you want to remember for later. This will mark the email with a Star icon, and you can use the left menu to browse only your Starred emails. Use this to mark emails that you need to reply to later or emails that you don’t want to have to dig for.
    • You can add more icons by clicking the Gear menu and selecting Settings. In the General tab, look for the Stars section. Drag icons to In Use that you want to add. Once they’ve been added, click the Star icon multiple times on an email to scroll through the available icons.
  7. In the Settings menu, click the Labels tab. Here you can browse through the preexisting labels, which will be listed in the left menu of Gmail. Click the “Create new label” button to create a new label.
    • Click the Filters button to create a rule that will sort incoming mail into the labels you’ve created. Click the “Create a new filter” link to set up a new rule.
      • You can have a filter set by who the email is from, who it is to, words in the subject, and words in the body. Once you have designated your filter, click “Create filter with this search”.
    • Apply a rule to the filter. Once you have set the filter, check the “Apply the label:” box and select the label that you want. If you want it to go straight into the label and not appear in your inbox, check the “Skip Inbox” box.
  8. To write an email, click the Compose button at the top of the left menu. A New Message window will open. Enter the address into the “To” field. If you have the person saved as a contact, you can enter their name and select them from the dropdown menu that appears.
    • “Cc” will send a copy to another recipient. “Bcc” will send a copy to another recipient without any of the other recipients knowing.
    • If you have multiple accounts linked to your Gmail account, you can choose which one you want to send the message from by clicking the arrow next to your address in the “From” field.
    • You can change the formatting of your text by clicking on the “A” button next to the send button. This will open a small menu that allows you to change the font, size, and color, as well as create lists and indents.
    • You can attach a file to the email by clicking the paperclip icon. This will open a window that will allow you to browse your computer for a file to attach. There is a 25MB file size limit for attached files.
    • You can send money using Google Wallet by hovering over the + sign and clicking the $ icon. Google will ask you to verify your identity if you have not already.
    • You can insert images and Google Drive documents into your email by hovering over the + sign as well.
    9. Advertisement
Section 4 of 6:

How to Create and Share Files with Google Drive

PDF download Download Article
  1. You can access it from the top menu bar above Google Sites. You can create, edit, and share documents, as well as store files from your computer to be accessed anywhere.
    • You will need to log in with your Google account. Google Drive is free with all Google accounts.
    • You can also use the Google Drive mobile app on your smartphone or tablet.
  2. Click the red Create button to start a new document. A list will open, allowing you to choose from a word-processing document, a spreadsheet, a presentation, or a drawing.
    • You can add more functionality by clicking the “Connect more apps” button at the bottom of the list. You can browse other add-ons from Google as well as third-party developers.
  3. Once you’ve chosen your format, you can start editing your document. Click on the title at the top to change it. Use the toolbar to make formatting adjustments.
    • The toolbar options will change depending on the type of file that you are creating.
    • All changes are saved automatically as you work.
  4. If you want to download your document to your computer, click File and then select “Download as”. You will be given an option of file formats. Pick the one that matches the programs that you use.
  5. You can share the document with other Google Drive users by clicking File and selecting “Share…” This will open the Sharing Settings. Here you can add people to the list of collaborators, as well as link to the document using popular services such as Facebook and Twitter.
  6. You can upload files that you want to back up from your computer to Google Drive. Click the New button next to the Create button. You can choose to upload individual files or entire folders.
    • Any file type can be uploaded to Google Drive. Certain files, such as Word documents, can be converted into Google documents by clicking the Settings menu in the Upload window. Your uploaded documents will be added to your Google Drive list.
    • You can download the Google Drive program for your computer that will allow you to create a shared folder that syncs with Drive automatically. Click the “Connect Drive to your desktop” button to download it.
    • All free Google Drive accounts come with 15 GB of storage (shared across all of your Google services). If you run out of space, delete unwanted files and emails, or purchase more storage from Google for a monthly fee.
  7. Click the Add Folder button at the top of Google Drive to create a custom folder. You can then drag and drop files into the folder, cleaning up your Drive interface.
    8. Advertisement
Section 5 of 6:

How to Get Around with Google Maps

PDF download Download Article
  1. Maps can be accessed from the top menu bar on any Google site. By default, Maps should open showing your current location, or a close approximation.
    • If you're not at a computer, you can use the Google Maps mobile app for smartphones. You can get it for free from the Google Play Store or the App Store.
  2. You can search for businesses, landmarks, cities, addresses, map coordinates, and more in the map search. Google will attempt to provide the most relevant results, which will be listed in the left frame.
  3. Use your mouse and keyboard to move around the map.
    • You can zoom in and out of the map by dragging the slider, or by scrolling your mouse wheel up and down. The + and – keys on the keyboard will also move the map.
    • Click and drag the map to move it around, or use the arrow keys to scroll. You can also click the four-directional button in the top corner to scroll around the map.
    • Alternatively, you can also navigate the map using your fingers if you're using the app on your smartphone or tablet. Zoom in and out by pinching or pulling your fingers apart and dragging the map to move it.
  4. Right-click on the location of the map and select “What’s Here” from the menu. This will place a pin on the map, and nearby listed businesses and locations will appear in the left frame.
    • Click the “Search nearby” link to search for other locations near the pin that you placed.
    • Alternatively, if you're using the mobile app, tap Parks , Gas or Hotels at the top to search the area where the map is currently centered.
  5. Click on any location in the map to pull up its information. From the Information window, click on the Directions link to open the navigation interface. In the left menu, you can designate your starting point, and choose your method of transportation. When you click “Get directions” turn-by-turn directions will be displayed, and the route will appear on the main map.
    • If you're using the mobile app, tap the location, then tap Directions .
    • Estimated travel time, adjusted for current traffic, will be displayed next to each suggested route.
    • You can adjust your route by clicking and dragging on any part of it. The route will be recalculated to go as close to the new point as possible.
    • Alternatively, you can right-click anywhere on the map and select “Directions to here” to open the navigation interface.
    6. Advertisement
Section 6 of 6:

How to Get the Most from Google Services

PDF download Download Article
  1. Use the Calendar to sync all of your important dates across Google’s services. You can share your calendars and events with others, and create multiple calendars for different aspects of your life.
  2. Google Scholar will provide search results from peer-reviewed journals and articles. You can use these for research papers and presentations.
  3. Google News allows you to create a personalized news feed with the latest stories from every major and minor news source.
    4. Advertisement

Community Q&A

Search
Add New Question
  • Question
    How to google a song using its lyrics only?
    Ruby
    Top Answerer
    If you are trying to find a song by its lyrics alone, go for the most unusual lyrics you can remember from the song, searching for generic lyrics will probably give multiple results. You can search the specific results by putting the lyrics in quotes "like this", which means it will only show exact results. .
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
    Yes No
    Not Helpful 1 Helpful 2
Ask a Question
200 characters left
Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.
Submit
      Advertisement

      Tips

      • With Google, you can also search for images and audio/video results using the same box. Instead of using the Google search, click on the appropriate tab for the type of media you want.
        Thanks
        Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
      • If you have McAfee Site Advisor installed on your computer, there will either be a green check mark, a yellow "!", or a red X next to the search result. Make sure you click on a search result that has a green check mark on it.
        Thanks
        Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
      • Try to use the simplest form of the word possible. For example, instead of ships , use ship . Instead of John's bar , use John bar .
        Thanks
        Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
      Show More Tips
      Submit a Tip
      All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published
      Name
      Please provide your name and last initial
      Submit
      Thanks for submitting a tip for review!
      Advertisement

      Warnings

      • For search controls with pictures, click on the tab on the top of the Images page that reads SafeSearch.
        Thanks
        Helpful 6 Not Helpful 1
      • Make sure to look over the information before clicking on any search result. Use your best judgment when you're using certain sources.
        Thanks
        Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
      Advertisement

      You Might Also Like

      How to
      Improve Search Engine Optimization
      How to
      Use the Google Calculator
      How to
      Delete Google Photos and Keep Them on Your iPhone
      How to
      Restore Google Authenticator if You Lost or Reset Your Phone
      How to
      Sign Up for a New Google Voice Phone Number
      How to
      Disable Google Safe Search
      2 Easy Ways to Permanently Delete (or, Hide) Your YouTube Channel
      Dark Mode in Google Docs: Easy Steps for Desktop & Mobile
      How to
      Sign Out of Your Google Account on All Devices at Once
      2 Simple Ways to Unsync Google Photos
      Google Docs: 4 Ways to Delete Extra Pages in Your Document
      How to
      Fix the "Google Play Store Has Stopped" Error
      How to
      Use Google Translate: Complete Beginner's Guide
      Reverse Image Search in Google Lens: Android, iPhone, & Desktop
      Advertisement

      References

      1. ↑ https://support.google.com/websearch/answer/134479?hl=en

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      To use Google to search the internet, navigate to the Google homepage where the search bar is located. Next, type in simple search terms and avoid using punctuation to get the best results. If you need very precise results, put quotations marks around your search terms and Google will only search for those exact words or phrases. Once you’ve entered your search, you can narrow down the results by clicking on tabs like "Web," "Image," and "Video" at the top of the results list. For tips on using other Google tools, such as email, maps, and Google Docs, read on!

      Did this summary help you?
      In other languages
      Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 195,496 times.

      Is this article up to date?

      Advertisement