A GDOCX file is a pointer file created by Google Docs, an online document editor included with Google Drive. It contains information that points to the location of a word processing document stored in Google Drive. GDOCX files do not store actual document content, only the location of a word processing document stored in Google Drive.

GDOCX files are similar to shortcut files. When you double-click a GDOCX file, it opens the actual word processing document stored in Google Drive. Instead of a GDOCX file, you may see a .GDOC file, which stores the same information but is more common. Google Drive is a file storage service that can be downloaded and installed in Windows or macOS as a desktop client for synchronizing remote Google Drive files with a local computer. If you install the Google Drive desktop client, your Google Docs documents are accessible within a special folder named Google Drive, which is on the local hard drive. This folder is used to synchronize files with the remote Google Drive. When you double-click a GDOCX file, the document is opened in Google Drive in your default web browser. NOTE: In 2018, the Google Drive desktop applications were discontinued but you can still access Google Drive online.