Google Goes Public With Template Gallery

Google has expanded the template gallery it launched a year ago by giving users the option to make their own creations available to other Google Docs users.

The Gallery Page now includes a new “Submit a Template” button in the upper right of the screen.

Google Docs templates can be documents, presentations, spreadsheets or forms. Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) also give users the ability to rate templates as a guide to potential users. Users pick “preview” and then click “use this template” to create their own copy for personal use.

The company has been on a strong push to expand the utility and features of its Google Apps suite in a bid to make inroads against established competitors like Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT).

Google suggested a few examples of template submissions in a blog post today.

“If you have a great spreadsheet for planning a family vacation or a tried and tested form for collecting customer feedback, you can now submit your template to the gallery and anyone using Google Docs will be able to try it out,” said Valerie Blechar, a Google software engineer.

Among other current examples shown at the site are resume and cover letter templates.

As with the first round of templates by Google, users can sort and browse the public template gallery by category, usage, rating and document type.

Template submissions should appear shortly after being filed. Google doesn’t screen submissions. A spokesperson confirmed the company relies on the community to flag anything inappropriate (hate speech, adult content, etc.), which could then lead to removal. A Google Web site describes the search giant’s content policies and guidelines.

Sharing templates with an organization

Earlier this month, Google unwrapped the ability to share template galleries within an organization or department. These can be anything from branded presentations to document letterhead and spreadsheets.

This more private template sharing is available to Google Apps Premier and Education Edition customers. The templates are not visible outside the company or organization’s domain.