Screenplay Template for Google Docs and Word (and Why to Switch)

To make a screenplay template in Google Docs or Word, set US Letter pages with a 1.5 inch left margin and 1 inch elsewhere, use Courier 12 point, and save one paragraph style per screenplay element (scene heading, action, character, parenthetical, dialogue, transition) with the indents below. It works well for a short script. For anything longer, dedicated screenwriting software handles page breaks, revisions and production steps that a word processor cannot.

What are the screenplay format settings?

These are the common settings for a US spec screenplay. Indents are measured from the left margin, which is what Google Docs and Word use. The "from page edge" column is how screenwriting guides often describe the same positions.

Element	Left indent (from margin)	Right indent	From page edge	Other settings
Page	Margins: left 1.5 in, right 1 in, top 1 in, bottom 1 in			US Letter, single spacing, Courier 12 pt
Scene heading	0 in	0 in	1.5 in	ALL CAPS, blank line before
Action	0 in	0 in	1.5 in	Blank line before
Character	2.2 in	0 in	3.7 in	ALL CAPS, blank line before, keep with next
Parenthetical	1.6 in	2.0 in	3.1 in	Keep with next
Dialogue	1.0 in	1.5 in	2.5 in	No blank line after the character cue
Transition	Right aligned	0 in	Ends at right margin	ALL CAPS, blank line before, for example CUT TO:
Page number	Header, right aligned		About 0.5 in from top	Number followed by a period; usually none on page one

Small differences between guides (a tenth of an inch here or there) are normal. What readers notice is consistency and a page count that matches the story's length. Our guide on how to format a screenplay explains each element in detail.

How do you set up a screenplay template in Google Docs?

Google Docs does not let you create new named styles, so the trick is to redefine the built-in heading styles as screenplay elements.

1. Set the page. File, then Page setup. Choose Letter, and set margins to top 1, bottom 1, left 1.5, right 1.
2. Pick the font. Use Courier Prime (find it under More fonts) or Courier New, 12 point. Set line spacing to single and spacing before and after to 0.
3. Map each element to a style. A simple mapping: Normal text for action, Heading 1 for scene headings, Heading 2 for character, Heading 3 for dialogue, Heading 4 for parenthetical, Heading 5 for transition.
4. Format one line per element. Type a sample line, apply the indents from the table using Format, then Align and indent, then Indentation options. Set the font to Courier 12, black, not bold.
5. Update the style. With the line selected, choose the style's menu in the style dropdown and pick "Update Heading 2 to match" (or whichever style). Repeat for each element.
6. Turn on keep with next. For character and parenthetical lines, use Format, then Line and paragraph spacing, then Keep with next, so a character name does not sit alone at the bottom of a page.
7. Save the styles. In the style dropdown, open Options and choose Save as my default styles, or keep the file as a template and make a copy for each new script.
8. Add page numbers. Insert, then Page numbers, top right, and choose the option that skips the first page.

Now use keyboard shortcuts to switch elements as you type: Ctrl+Alt+1 to 5 on Windows and ChromeOS, or Cmd+Option+1 to 5 on Mac, for Heading 1 to 5, and Ctrl+Alt+0 or Cmd+Option+0 for Normal text. A useful side effect: scene headings set as Heading 1 show up in the document outline, so you can jump between scenes.

How do you set up a screenplay template in Word?

Word is easier because it allows custom styles and lets each style choose the next one.

1. Set Letter size and the margins from the table under Layout.
2. In the Styles pane, create a new style for each element: Scene Heading, Action, Character, Parenthetical, Dialogue, Transition. Set the font, indents and spacing from the table.
3. Set "Style for following paragraph" so pressing Enter moves you along: Scene Heading to Action, Character to Dialogue, Parenthetical to Dialogue, Dialogue to Action.
4. Turn on "Keep with next" for Character and Parenthetical in the paragraph settings.
5. Save the file as a Word template (.dotx) and start each script from it.

What does a scene look like in the template?

Here is a short sample with each element labeled, so you can check your styles against it.

[Scene heading] INT. NIGHT BUS - MOVING - NIGHT

[Action] Rain streaks the windows. BEATRIZ (30s), in a nurse's uniform, fights sleep. Across the aisle, OKONKWO (70s) watches her.

[Character] OKONKWO

[Parenthetical] (quietly)

[Dialogue] You missed your stop. Two stops back.

[Transition] CUT TO:

With correct settings, one page of this format runs close to a minute of screen time. Our guide on how long a screenplay is covers page counts by format.

What are the limits of a Google Docs or Word screenplay?

A template gets the look right but not the behavior. These are the gaps you will hit.

• Dialogue across page breaks. Screenwriting software splits long speeches with (MORE) and (CONT'D) automatically. In Docs or Word you have to do it by hand or push the whole speech to the next page.
• No smart element switching in Docs. You pick each style yourself, which slows down drafting.
• No character name completion. Typos in names (BEATRIZ, BEATRICE) cause problems later in the breakdown.
• No scene numbers or revision pages. Once a script goes into production, changed pages are issued in colored revisions with locked scene numbers. A word processor cannot manage that.
• No exchange formats. You can export PDF, but not Final Draft (.fdx) or Fountain files that other screenwriting tools read as structured scripts.
• Page count drift. Small spacing differences add up, so your page count stops matching screen time.

Many writers start in Docs because it is free and shareable, then switch once the script passes ten or fifteen pages. If cost is the reason, see our list of free screenwriting software.

How do you move a Google Docs screenplay into Lowerated?

Lowerated imports PDF, Final Draft, Fountain and Celtx scripts. From Google Docs, the simplest route is PDF.

1. Download as PDF. In Google Docs, File, then Download, then PDF document.
2. Import the PDF into Lowerated. Then read the first few pages and fix any element that landed in the wrong place. Our guide to importing a script covers what to check.
3. Keep writing in the editor. Lowerated formats to industry standard as you type, so scene headings, character cues and dialogue fall into place without styles.
4. Export a clean PDF when you need to send it out.

A scene being written in the Lowerated editor, with screenplay formatting applied as you type.

The clip shows a finished script exported from Lowerated as a clean PDF.

The same script then feeds tagging, the breakdown and the schedule. Lowerated does not edit video or handle color, sound or VFX. See the Scriptwriter page for the full feature list.

FAQ

Does Google Docs have a built-in screenplay template?

Google Docs has no standard screenplay template in its gallery. Build your own with the settings above, or use a third-party add-on.

Which font should a screenplay use?

Courier 12 point. Courier Prime and Courier New are both common. Keep the size at 12 so page counts stay accurate.

Can I submit a screenplay written in Word or Google Docs?

Yes. Readers and contests receive a PDF and cannot tell which program made it, as long as the format is correct.

Can I write in Fountain inside Google Docs?

Yes. Write in Fountain's plain-text style, download as plain text, and save the file with a .fountain extension. Many screenwriting apps, Lowerated included, import Fountain.

Key takeaways

• Use Letter pages, 1.5 inch left margin, 1 inch elsewhere, Courier 12 point.
• In Google Docs, redefine Heading 1 to 5 as screenplay elements; in Word, create custom styles with a following style.
• Turn on keep with next for character and parenthetical lines.
• Word processors cannot handle (MORE) and (CONT'D), scene numbers or revision pages.
• When the script grows, download it as PDF and import it into screenwriting software.