Google Docs, a versatile tool used by over a billion users globally, offers a variety of formatting options to tailor your lists to specific needs. Although directly adding prefixes or suffixes to lists isn't a built-in feature in Google Docs, users can employ creative formatting techniques or simple text additions before or after items to achieve the desired effect.
Adding a prefix or suffix to a list in Google Docs can greatly enhance the clarity and functionality of your document, particularly when organizing content or emphasizing specific elements. Here we'll learn How to Add a Prefix or Suffix to a Google Docs List.
Prefix or Suffix to a list in Google Docs
A numbered list in Google Docs usually has numbers or alphabets as ordered followed by a period. Sometimes we would like to change the period to a round bracket or any other symbols or letters of our choice. This can be done in Google Docs by editing our numbered list. Also, the left side of the numbers in the numbered list is always empty. This also can be made to appear with any letters words or symbols of the user's choice. This helps customize the documents we are working on to our preferences and styles. Google Docs has made it quite a simple task to add a prefix or suffix to a list.
In Google Docs, a prefix or suffix to a list refers to any text you add before (prefix) or after (suffix) each item in a list to provide additional context or structure. For example, adding "Step" before each number in an instructional list (e.g., Step 1, Step 2, Step 3) serves as a prefix, while adding "cm" after numbers in a list of measurements (e.g., 15 cm, 20 cm, 25 cm) serves as a suffix. These additions help clarify the information or specify the type of data presented in the list, making the document easier to read and understand.
How to Create a Numbered List
Initially let us create a numbered list in Google Docs on which we can add prefixes or suffixes in the following paragraphs.
Step 1: Open Google Docs and Open a Document
Open Google Docs in any modern web browser on your desktop or laptop device, and open a document.
Step 2: Locate the Cursor
Place the cursor anywhere you want in the document to start creating a numbered list at that place.
Step 3: Click on the Numbered List Icon
To create a numbered list, click on the numbered list icon which is in the toolbar of Google Docs.
Step 4: A numbered list is created
Now the numbered list is started.
Start typing the list of content and press the "Enter" key to create a numbered list in the next line.
How to Add a Prefix or Suffix to a Google Docs List
There are two ways to add a prefix or suffix to a list in Google Docs. They are,
How to Add a Prefix or Suffix to a Google Docs list using the Menu bar
Step 1: Open Google Docs and open the document
Open Google Docs in your web browser on your desktop or laptop device. Open the document in which you want to add prefixes or suffixes.
Step 2: Click on any number in the numbered list
Click on the any number in the numbered list.
After clicking, all the numbers in the numbered list appear to be highlighted.
Step 3: Click on "Format", Select Bullets & Numbering" and Click "List options"
In the menu bar of Google Docs, click the "Format" tab. A dropdown opens, click on "Bullets & Numbering". A sub dropdown opens up. Click on "List options". Another sub dropdown opens up. Click on "Edit prefix and suffix".
Step 4: Type the Prefix
A dialog box appears. Type the prefix you want to add to the number in the numbered list in the prefix box.
Here we are adding the word 'option ' in the prefix box.
Step 5: Type the Suffix
By default, the full stop(period) is in the suffix box. Type the suffix you want to add to the number in the numbered list in the suffix box.
Here we have added some symbols '=>' in the suffix box.
Step 6: Click on the checkbox to add prefix and suffix
Click on the checkbox if you want to add prefixes and suffixes to all the numbers in the numbered list. Here we have checked the checkbox to add the prefix and suffix to all lines in the list.
Step 7: Click on "OK"
Click on the "OK" button to confirm.
Step 8: Prefix and suffix added to the list
Now the list has prefixes and suffixes added to it.
How to Add a Prefix or Suffix to a Google Docs list by Right-clicking
Step 1: Open Google Docs and open the document
Open Google Docs in your web browser on your desktop or laptop device. Open the document in which you want to add prefixes or suffixes.
Step 2: Click on any number
Click on the any number in the numbered list.
After clicking, all the numbers in the numbered list appear to be highlighted.
Step 3: Right-click on the highlighted numbers and Click on 'Edit prefix and suffix'
Right-click on the highlighted numbers in the numbered list. A menu of options appears. Click on "Edit prefix and suffix" in the menu.
Step 4: Type the prefix you want to add
A dialog box appears. Type the prefix you want to add to the number in the numbered list in the prefix box.
Here we are adding the word 'option ' in the prefix box.
Step 5: Type the suffix you want to add in the suffix box
By default, the full stop(period) is in the suffix box. Type the suffix you want to add to the number in the numbered list in the suffix box.
Here we have added some symbols '=>' in the suffix box.
Step 6: Click on the checkbox to add prefix and suffix
Click on the checkbox if you want to add prefixes and suffixes to all the numbers in the numbered list. Here we have checked the checkbox to add the prefix and suffix to all lines in the list.
Step 7: Click on the "OK" button
Click on the "OK" button to confirm.
Step 8: Prefix and suffix added to the list
Now the list has prefixes and suffixes added to it.
How to Remove Prefix or Suffix from a Google Docs List
Step 1: Open the document in Google Docs
Open Google Docs on your desktop or laptop device. Open the document to remove the prefix or suffix in a numbered list.
Step 2: Click on the prefix or suffix in the numbered list
Click on any prefix or suffix in the numbered list.
Now the prefix or suffix in the whole list gets highlighted and selected automatically.
Step 3: Click on the downward-facing arrow
Click on the downward-facing arrow attached to the numbered list icon in the toolbar of Google Docs.
Step 4: Click on the first box in the dropdown opened
A dropdown opens with different varieties of numbered list headers. Click on the first box in the dropdown to remove the prefix or suffix in the numbered list back to the original numbered list without the prefix or suffix.
Step 5: Prefix or suffix in the numbered list is removed successfully
The prefix or suffix present in the numbered list is removed now.
Conclusion
In this article, we have discussed adding prefixes and suffixes to lists in Google Docs. Also, we have seen the detailed step-by-step approach in two ways to add prefixes and suffixes to the list i.e., either by using the Menu Bar or right-clicking the numbers. We have also explained the steps to remove the added prefix or suffix from the numbered list in Google Docs.
