Google adds comments and suggested edits to Workspace APIs
By Automate Basics, written with AI from Google's original
Google has added comment support to the Docs, Sheets and Slides APIs, plus suggested edits in the Docs API. Teams can use these features to connect review tools to Workspace files while leaving proposed document changes for people to review.
What changed in the Workspace APIs
Google says developers can now use the Docs, Sheets and Slides APIs to add, read and respond to comments. In Sheets, comments can be attached to particular cells. In Slides, they can be associated with a slide or a specific presentation element.
The Docs API also lets an automated tool submit a proposed text change as a suggestion, rather than directly changing the document. That distinction matters for a review process: a tool can put a revision in front of a person without making the revision final. Google says the additions are intended to help organizations connect their review tools, content workflows and project tracking systems to Workspace files. Comment support in the related MCP servers remains in developer preview.
Who can use the new Workspace API features?
Google says the API features are available to all Google Workspace customers and people with personal Google accounts. The gradual rollout began on September 30, 2026, for both Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains, and Google says visibility can take up to 15 days. The announcement does not state a separate price for these features.
These are capabilities for apps built with the APIs, not new controls that a document owner must turn on. Google says there is no admin control or end-user setting specifically for the features. Admins can still control which apps access Workspace data, and users can manage connections between their Google Account and apps from other developers.
How do I try automated review at work?
A useful first trial is a document review that already involves an internal tool or an app connected to Google Workspace. Ask whoever manages that connection whether it can place feedback in a Docs comment or submit a proposed text change as a suggestion. For a spreadsheet or presentation, the comparable trial is feedback on a specific cell, slide or presentation element.
Check whether the comment appears on the intended part of the file and whether the person responsible for the work can understand and respond to it. In Docs, check that a proposed revision remains a suggestion for review instead of becoming an unrequested change to the text. Google describes API support, but does not say that existing tools will adopt it automatically.
Frequently asked questions
Can an automated tool suggest edits in Google Docs without changing the text?
Yes. Google says the Docs API now supports proposed text changes as suggestions, so a tool can present a revision for a person to review rather than changing the document directly. The announcement does not say that every app connected to Docs already offers this option.
Do Google Sheets and Slides also support suggested edits through their APIs?
Google announced suggested edits for the Docs API, not for the Sheets or Slides APIs. The Sheets API can handle comments on specific cells, while the Slides API can handle comments associated with slides or particular presentation elements.
Is there a setting to turn on API comments?
Google says there is no dedicated admin control or end-user setting for these features. Admins can control which apps access Workspace data, and users can manage connections to apps from other developers. The announcement does not describe a separate setup step for comments or suggestions.
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Written with AI from Google's original and published after automatic checks: every figure here appears in the original, and no sentence is copied from it. The picture is AI-generated. The original is the authority.
Source: Programmatic comment and suggestion support now available in the Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides APIs, Google, 30 Sept 2026.