Feature Request: Native option to export or print Google Docs to PDF with side-margin comments

Google Workspace Developers Q&A
1

Summary / Issue Description:

Google Docs is an amazing collaborative tool, but it currently lacks a basic feature available in other word processors: the ability to print or export a document to PDF with comments visible in the side margin.

Currently:

  • File > Download > PDF Document removes all comments completely.
  • File > Print shows inline edits/suggestions, but completely hides the sidebar comment text.

The Current Workaround (The Pain Point):

To generate a simple PDF record that includes full comment threads (e.g., for meeting minutes, ISO audits, compliance, or client reviews), users are forced to follow a roundabout process:

  1. Download the document as a .docx file.
  2. Open it in Microsoft Word.
  3. Use Microsoft Word’s print engine to print to PDF with “Print Markup / Comments” enabled.

It feels counterintuitive that users have to rely on a competitor’s desktop software just to print comments created natively inside Google Docs.

Requested Feature / Expected Behavior:

  1. Add an option under File > Print (or in the Print settings sidebar):
  • [x] Include comments in margins
  1. Add a toggle under File > Download > PDF Document:
  • Include comments in the generated PDF.

Use Case & Business Impact:

This feature is critical for team reviews, audit trails (e.g., Quality Management Systems, ISO certification records), academic feedback, and client sign-offs, where preserving the discussion context alongside the text in a fixed PDF format is mandatory.

2

Adding an example to make it clearer

direct download.pdf (71.6 KB)

printing as PDF.pdf (70.4 KB)

world printing.pdf (328.5 KB)

libreoffice printing.pdf (1.2 MB)