Add ‘New Document’ Option in Right-Click Menu in Ubuntu

If you’ve just installed Ubuntu and noticed there’s no “New Document” option when you right-click on the desktop or inside a folder, you’re not alone. This small missing feature can be surprisingly frustrating, especially for users switching from Windows or looking for a quick way to create text files.

Fortunately, adding it back is simple. Here’s how you can do it in under a minute.

Why It’s Missing

Ubuntu (and other Linux distros using GNOME) hides the “New Document” option by default unless there’s at least one template file in your Templates folder. GNOME looks in that folder to populate the “New Document” submenu.

How to Fix It

Step 1: Open Your Home Directory

1. Press Super (Windows key) + E to open your file manager.
2. Navigate to your Home folder.

Step 2: Find or Create the Templates Folder

1. Look for a folder named Templates.
2. If it doesn’t exist, right-click and create a new folder called Templates (exact spelling and case-sensitive).

Step 3: Add a Blank Document

1. Open a text editor like Gedit, Mousepad, or nano.
2. Save a blank file with a name like New Document.txt into the Templates folder.

That’s it.

What Happens Next

Now when you right-click anywhere in the file manager (Nautilus), you’ll see a “New Document” option. Clicking it will create a copy of your template file. You can rename it, edit it, and use it like any normal file.

Optional: Add More Templates

You can put other file types in the Templates folder too—like .odt, .docx, or even .py scripts—and they’ll all show up in the right-click menu.

Quick Terminal Command (If You Prefer)

If you’d rather skip the GUI steps, run this in the terminal:

mkdir -p ~/Templates && touch ~/Templates/'New Document.txt'

Final Thoughts

It’s a small tweak, but it makes a big difference in your day-to-day workflow. Ubuntu gives you control—it just doesn’t always explain how. Now you know.

Have any Ubuntu tips or tricks you want to share? Drop them in the comments!