AI-generated Key Takeaways
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Standalone Google Apps Scripts are independent scripts not tied to any specific Google file like Sheets, Docs, or Slides, and they reside in your Google Drive.
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You can effortlessly create a standalone script by visiting script.google.com or through Google Drive by navigating to New > More > Google Apps Script.
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Standalone scripts are often utilized as utilities to automate tasks, such as searching and deleting files, or deployed as web apps or triggered automatically.
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They can be run directly from the script editor by selecting the desired function and clicking Run.
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Additionally, add-ons for Google Workspace can now be published using standalone scripts.
A standalone script is any script that is not bound to a Google Sheets, Docs, Slides, or Forms file. These scripts appear among your files in Google Drive.
Creating a standalone script
The easiest way to create a standalone script is to visit
script.google.com
and at the top left, click New project.
You can also create standalone scripts from Google Drive. Go to Google Drive and click New > More > Google Apps Script.
Running a standalone script
To run a function from the script editor, at the top, select the name of the function you want to execute and click Run.
Using a standalone script
Many standalone scripts are utility scripts — for example, to search your Google Drive for old files whose name contains "untitled" so that you can delete them.
A standalone script can also be deployed as a web app or set up to run automatically from an installable trigger.
Apps Script standalone scripts are suitable for lightweight add-on development for yourself, your team, or your organization. For larger projects, consider building a Google Workspace add-on on a different runtime environment.