Google Introduces a Priority Inbox for Your Documents

Google Docs just announced a user interface overhaul of its documents list. This new interface makes it easier to organize and find the documents you upload to Google Docs. Google introduced a set of filters that now allow you to organize your files by type, visibility state (whether you shared it online, with friends, etc.), last modified date and, of course, by name.

In addition, Google Docs can now organize files by priority – similar to Gmail’s Priority Inbox. Just like in Gmail, this new feature looks at a number of signals to evaluate how important a file is to you and moves the most relevant documents to the top of your list.

Google Docs now also features a preview pane that shows thumbnails of your documents and some basic information about them. Next to this, Google also renamed “Folders” to “Collections.” Files, according to the company, can “live in multiple collections.” All of this culminates in the new “Home” screen that allows you to quickly access the documents you access the most often.

Another welcome new feature that makes the web app even more like a desktop app is that you can now use your Shift or Control keys to select multiple files.

The refresh will be rolling out over the next few days. For Google Apps for Business users, the roll-out will take a bit longer if your administrator hasn’t enabled pre-release features for your company.