Google’s ‘smart chips’ enhance Google Docs with third-party app data integration

Google has introduced a new feature that allows users of Google Workspace and personal Google accounts to embed third-party app “smart chips” into their Google Docs. This feature was made available as part of the company’s “smart canvas” revamp, which includes other enhancements like a pageless layout.

To use third-party smart chips, users need to have the app’s add-on installed from the Google Workspace Marketplace. Once installed, users can paste a share link from the third-party app into their document and hit the tab key to add the smart chip. This allows collaborators to quickly view the app’s information and work status without leaving the document.

The implementation of smart chips varies depending on the developer. For example, Figma’s add-on allows users to preview Figma and FigJam files within Google Docs, making it easier to reference the latest designs and project work. On the other hand, the Atlassian Cloud add-on enables users to attach relevant Jira issues to track them directly in a working Doc.

I personally tested this feature with Figma and found it incredibly easy to integrate. After pasting the link, a preview image of the project, along with its creator and last update, appeared when hovering over the Figma link. It was a pretty cool experience that took only a couple of minutes to set up.