This menu is about the content, rather than the document as a whole that the items in the File menu deal with. It has items for modifying the content of a document. This includes cutting, copying, and pasting text.
Click a link in the below menu to jump to a section, or scroll down to the section.
Undo
This item simply un-does the last change made to a document. This includes the addition of text, an image, or a table. It also will restore the last deletion.
In addition to being in the Edit menu, it is also the first icon from the left in the toolbar. The following keystrokes also perform the function:
- Ctrl Z: Windows and Linux distro users
- Cmd Z: Mac users
Undos can be performed until the page is blank.
Click here to return to the menu.
Redo
This item reverses the undo action. It also can add another character or item that has just been inserted. The last character typed will be inserted at the cursors location. Insert an image, then perform this function. An identical image will be inserted where the cursor is located
In addition to being in the Edit menu, it is also the second icon from the left in the toolbar.
The following keystrokes also perform the function:
- Ctrl Y: Windows and Linux distro users
- Cmd Y: Mac users
Click here to return to the menu.
Cut
NOTE: Cut, copy, paste, and paste without formatting do not work in Firefox, Safari, and several other Web browsers unless keystrokes are used. The keystrokes are covered in the description for each item below.
These menu items function in Google Chrome, Opera, Microsoft Edge and other Web browsers. They typically will work in browsers based on the Chromium Project.
A cut will remove highlighted text or an object, such as a table or image, and place it on the operating system’s clipboard so it can be pasted in another document (Google Docs or other) or elsewhere in the document.
The item also is in the right-click menu. However, the Edit menu item and the right-click menu item may not work in some Web browsers. See the above note.
The following keystrokes also perform the function:
- Ctrl X: Windows and Linux distro users
- Cmd X: Mac users
Click here to return to the menu.
Click here to watch the video about pasting. It is only available to subscribers.
Copy
Copying will place highlighted text or an object, such as a table or image, and on the operating system’s clipboard so it can be pasted in another document (Google Docs or other) or elsewhere in the document.
The item also is in the right-click menu. However, the Edit menu item and the right-click menu item may not work in some Web browsers. See the above note.
The following keystrokes also perform the function:
- Ctrl C: Windows and Linux distro users
- Cmd C: Mac users
Click here to return to the menu.
Click here to watch the video about pasting. It is only available to subscribers.
Paste
This places the item in the operating system’s clipboard where the cursor is located in the document.
The item also is in the right-click menu. However, the Edit menu item and the right-click menu item may not work in some Web browsers. See the above note.
The following keystrokes also perform the function:
- Ctrl V: Windows and Linux distro users
- Cmd V: Mac users
Click here to return to the menu.
Click here to watch the video about pasting. It is only available to subscribers.
Paste without formatting
This pastes text in the operating system’s clipboard to where the cursor is located. It will be in the same format of the paragraph where the cursor is located. If the cursor is on a paragraph that is set to Heading 1, for example, the clipboard text will be in the style of Heading 1.
It only works with text. The Edit menu item and the right-click menu item may not work in some Web browsers. See the above note.
The following keystrokes also perform the function:
- Ctrl V: Windows and Linux distro users
- Cmd V: Mac users
Click here to return to the menu.
Delete
This removes highlighted text, images, and other objects. This item also is in the right-click menu. There is not a keystroke for this function.
Click here to return to the menu.
Find and replace
Clicking this item launches a Find and replace dialog. The following keystrokes will open the dialog:
- Ctrl H: Windows and Linux distro users
- Cmd H: Mac users
Click here to return to the menu.