A group chat initiation method based on a shared document, characterized in that the method is performed by an application program that is used for accessing the shared document and run on a computer, and the method comprises: determining a first user account that accesses the shared document; searching the shared document to obtain an identifier of a chat group inserted into the shared document by a second user account that accesses the shared document; displaying, according to a state of whether the first user account has joined into the chat group, a group chat control corresponding to the state in the shared document, wherein the group chat control is displayed as a first type of group chat control for the first user account to join the chat group when it is determined that the first user account has not joined into the chat group or is displayed as a second type of group chat control for displaying an interface of the chat group when it is determined that the first user account has joined into the chat group; and sending, in response to an operation of confirmation performed by a first user of the first user account on the group chat control, a group chat request to a server of a social application when the group chat control is displayed as the first type of group chat control for the first user account to join the chat group, or to a client of the social application when the group chat control is displayed as the second type of group chat control for displaying the interface of the chat group, wherein the group chat request received by the client of the social application carries the identifier of the chat group, such that the client of the social application switches the interface of the chat group to a foreground display state according to the identifier of the chat group, wherein before displaying, according to the state of whether the first user account has joined into the chat group, the group chat control corresponding to the state in the shared document, the method further comprises: sending a query request to the server of the social application, wherein the query request is used by the server to query the state of whether the first user account has joined into the chat group and to generate a query response according to the state; and receiving the query response sent by the server, and determining the state of whether the first user account has joined into the chat group according to the query response. determining a first user account that accesses the shared document; searching the shared document to obtain an identifier of a chat group inserted into the shared document by a second user account that accesses the shared document; displaying, according to a state of whether the first user account has joined into the chat group, a group chat control corresponding to the state in the shared document, wherein the group chat control is displayed as a first type of group chat control for the first user account to join the chat group when it is determined that the first user account has not joined into the chat group or is displayed as a second type of group chat control for displaying an interface of the chat group when it is determined that the first user account has joined into the chat group; and sending, in response to an operation of confirmation performed by a first user of the first user account on the group chat control, a group chat request to a server of a social application when the group chat control is displayed as the first type of group chat control for the first user account to join the chat group, or to a client of the social application when the group chat control is displayed as the second type of group chat control for displaying the interface of the chat group, wherein the group chat request received by the client of the social application carries the identifier of the chat group, such that the client of the social application switches the interface of the chat group to a foreground display state according to the identifier of the chat group, wherein before displaying, according to the state of whether the first user account has joined into the chat group, the group chat control corresponding to the state in the shared document, the method further comprises: sending a query request to the server of the social application, wherein the query request is used by the server to query the state of whether the first user account has joined into the chat group and to generate a query response according to the state; and receiving the query response sent by the server, and determining the state of whether the first user account has joined into the chat group according to the query response. sending a query request to the server of the social application, wherein the query request is used by the server to query the state of whether the first user account has joined into the chat group and to generate a query response according to the state; and receiving the query response sent by the server, and determining the state of whether the first user account has joined into the chat group according to the query response.