Welcome to the exciting world of Google Apps Script! Before we dive into automating your workflows, let's set up your development environment. The beauty of Google Apps Script is its simplicity – you don't need to install any complex software. Everything you need is readily available within your Google Workspace.
The primary way to write and manage your Apps Script code is through the built-in Script editor. This editor is accessible from various Google applications like Sheets, Docs, Forms, and more. We'll primarily focus on accessing it from Google Sheets for this introduction.
Here's how to access the Script editor from Google Sheets:
graph TD;
A[Open a Google Sheet] --> B(Go to Extensions);
B --> C(Select Apps Script);
Once you click on 'Apps Script' under the Extensions menu, a new browser tab will open, displaying the Script editor. This is where you'll write, edit, and run your Google Apps Script code. You'll see a default project with a function named myFunction. This is your starting point!
function myFunction() {
// Log 'Hello, World!' to the execution log.
Logger.log('Hello, World!');
}The Logger.log() function is your best friend for debugging and understanding what your script is doing. When you run your script, the output of Logger.log() will be visible in the execution log.
To save your script, simply click the floppy disk icon (Save project) in the toolbar or press Ctrl + S (or Cmd + S on Mac). It's a good practice to give your project a meaningful name. You can do this by clicking on 'Untitled project' at the top left of the Script editor and renaming it.
Running your script is as straightforward as saving it. You'll find a play button (Run) in the toolbar. When you click it, Google Apps Script will execute the currently selected function. If you have multiple functions, you can choose which one to run from the dropdown menu next to the Run button.