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To stop Google Docs from capitalizing words, creating links, fixing spelling, or converting straight quotes into curly ones, open the document on a computer and go to Tools > Preferences > Substitutions. Autocorrect can only be managed there. Google’s help page states that you can’t manage Autocorrect in Google Docs on an Android or an iPhone and iPad, so the change has to be made in a web browser on a desktop or laptop.
Turn off one behavior without losing the others
The Substitutions pane lists each automatic change as its own checkbox. Unchecking one turns off only that behavior, and the rest keep working. That is usually the right choice, because spelling corrections and similar fixes are often useful even when a single change is unwanted.
- Open the document in Google Docs in a desktop browser.
- Click Tools, then Preferences, then select the Substitutions tab.
- Uncheck the behavior you want to stop, then click OK.
Stop automatic capitalization
Uncheck Automatic capitalization and leave the other controls enabled. Google’s help page describes Autocorrect as the feature that fixes spelling and capitalization, so this checkbox targets only the capital-letter changes while spelling corrections stay active.
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Uncheck Link detection. With this off, text that looks like a web address stays plain text instead of being turned into a clickable link. Existing links in the document are not removed by this change; you still need to unlink them manually.
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Stop spelling corrections
Uncheck Spelling corrections if Docs keeps replacing words you intended to type. The change applies to future typing only.
Turn off all automatic substitutions at once
If you don’t want any automatic changes, uncheck Automatic substitution at the top of the Substitutions pane, then click OK. This is a broader switch than the individual checkboxes. It can also stop behaviors you wanted to keep, such as spelling corrections or list and link handling, so use it only when you want Docs to leave your typing alone.
Stop smart quotes
A Google Docs Editors Community answer dated May 23, 2023, recommends a different menu for smart quotes: Tools > Preferences > General, then uncheck Use smart quotes. That answer was written by a volunteer community expert, not published as an official Google instruction, and the current official Autocorrect help page does not name this control. If the menu label or location on your screen differs, look through the Preferences dialog for a quotes option, since Google may have moved or renamed it.
Replace curly quotes that are already in a document
Turning off smart quotes changes only what you type from now on. To convert curly quotes that are already in the text, use Find and replace. The same community answer advises covering both directions for each quotation mark type, because the document may contain opening and closing marks.
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- Click Edit > Find and replace.
- Paste a left double quotation mark (“) into the Find box and a straight double quote (“) into the Replace box, then click Replace all.
- Repeat with the right double quotation mark (”) to the straight double quote.
- Repeat for the left single quotation mark (‘) and the right single quotation mark (’) using the straight single quote (‘).
Be aware that the single-quote step also changes curly apostrophes, such as the one in “don’t,” so the result is consistent but may not match a document that deliberately uses typographic quotes. Check a few changed sentences after replacing.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Remove one unwanted replacement
When Docs keeps swapping a particular word or symbol, you do not need to turn off everything. In the Substitutions pane, find the entry for that replacement and remove it from the list, or uncheck the individual substitution. Google’s help page notes that readers can remove a substitution from the list. Other automatic changes continue to work.
What to check if the menu looks different
- Confirm you are in a desktop browser. The Docs mobile apps do not offer these settings.
- Make the change in a document you are editing, then type a test sentence to confirm the behavior has stopped.
- If Substitutions does not appear under Preferences, reload the page and try again, then check whether your account is using a managed Google Workspace configuration that restricts these options.
- Google’s Autocorrect help page did not show a publication or update date in the version consulted, so treat the menu steps as current for the interface you see on screen and adjust if labels differ.
Turning off a checkbox affects future typing only. Once you have stopped the behavior, Find and replace is the only built-in way to clean up text that has already changed.
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