Sharing Scripts with Collaborators

Once you've developed your Apps Script project, you'll likely want to share it with others for collaboration, to let them use your tool, or simply to get feedback. Google Apps Script offers several ways to share your projects, allowing you to control who can view, edit, or run your scripts. Understanding these options is crucial for effective teamwork and for distributing your automated solutions.

The primary method for sharing is through the script editor's built-in sharing features, which are very similar to how you share documents in Google Drive. This allows for granular control over permissions.

graph TD
    A[Script Editor]
    B{Sharing Options}
    A --> B
    B --> C[View Access]
    B --> D[Comment Access]
    B --> E[Edit Access]
    B --> F[Run Access (for deployed web apps/add-ons)]

To share your script:

1. Open your Apps Script project in the script editor.
2. Click the 'Share' button in the top-right corner. This button is identical to the one found in Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, etc.
3. A sharing dialog box will appear. Here, you can:
   • Add specific people or Google Groups: Enter their email addresses. You can then choose their permission level: 'Viewer', 'Commenter', or 'Editor'.
   • Change link-sharing settings: Control who can access the script by sharing a link. Options typically include 'Restricted' (only explicitly added people), 'Anyone with the link', or specific domain-wide sharing.

When you grant 'Editor' access, collaborators can open the script, view the code, make changes, and even deploy it if they have the necessary permissions for the underlying Google services. 'Viewer' access allows them to see the code but not make any modifications.

For deployed web apps or add-ons, sharing is managed through the deployment settings rather than direct script editing permissions. Once deployed, you can share the deployed URL or install the add-on, and its accessibility is governed by how you configured the deployment.

Best Practices for Collaboration:

• Use Version History: Always leverage the 'Version history' feature (File > Version history > See version history) to track changes made by different collaborators. This allows you to revert to previous versions if something goes wrong and see who made specific edits.
• Communicate: Discuss changes and responsibilities with your collaborators. Use comments within the script editor or external communication tools for clearer coordination.