Quickstart: Automation

Build and run a simple automation that creates a Google Doc and emails you a link to it.

Before you begin

To use this sample, you need the following prerequisites:

  • A Google Account (Google Workspace accounts might require administrator approval)
  • A web browser with access to the internet

Set it up

To build the automation, take the following steps:

New editor

  1. Sign in to your Google Account.
  2. To open the script editor, go to script.google.com. If this is the first time you've been to script.google.com, click View Dashboard.
  3. At the top left, click New project.

  4. Delete any code in the script editor and paste in the code below.

    templates/standalone/helloWorld.gs
    /**
 * Creates a Google Doc and sends an email to the current user with a link to the doc.
 */
function createAndSendDocument() {
  try {
    // Create a new Google Doc named 'Hello, world!'
    const doc = DocumentApp.create('Hello, world!');

    // Access the body of the document, then add a paragraph.
    doc.getBody().appendParagraph('This document was created by Google Apps Script.');

    // Get the URL of the document.
    const url = doc.getUrl();

    // Get the email address of the active user - that's you.
    const email = Session.getActiveUser().getEmail();

    // Get the name of the document to use as an email subject line.
    const subject = doc.getName();

    // Append a new string to the "url" variable to use as an email body.
    const body = 'Link to your doc: ' + url;

    // Send yourself an email with a link to the document.
    GmailApp.sendEmail(email, subject, body);
  } catch (err) {
    // TODO (developer) - Handle exception
    Logger.log('Failed with error %s', err.message);
  }
}

  5. At the top, click Save .

  6. At the top left, click Untitled project.

  7. Enter a name for your script and click Rename.

Legacy editor

  1. Sign in to your Google Account.
  2. To open the script editor, go to script.google.com. If this is the first time you've been to script.google.com, click View Dashboard.

  3. Delete any code in the script editor and paste in the code below.

    templates/standalone/helloWorld.gs
    /**
 * Creates a Google Doc and sends an email to the current user with a link to the doc.
 */
function createAndSendDocument() {
  try {
    // Create a new Google Doc named 'Hello, world!'
    const doc = DocumentApp.create('Hello, world!');

    // Access the body of the document, then add a paragraph.
    doc.getBody().appendParagraph('This document was created by Google Apps Script.');

    // Get the URL of the document.
    const url = doc.getUrl();

    // Get the email address of the active user - that's you.
    const email = Session.getActiveUser().getEmail();

    // Get the name of the document to use as an email subject line.
    const subject = doc.getName();

    // Append a new string to the "url" variable to use as an email body.
    const body = 'Link to your doc: ' + url;

    // Send yourself an email with a link to the document.
    GmailApp.sendEmail(email, subject, body);
  } catch (err) {
    // TODO (developer) - Handle exception
    Logger.log('Failed with error %s', err.message);
  }
}

  4. Select the menu item File > Save. Name your new script and click OK.

Try it out

To run the script, take the following steps:

New editor

  1. At the top of the editor, click Run.
  2. In the first dialog box that appears, click Review permissions. In the second dialog box, review the permissions your script uses and click Allow.
  3. When the script execution completes, check your Gmail inbox for the new email.
  4. Open the email and click the link to open the Google Doc you created.

Legacy editor

  1. To execute the script, either click run ▶ or select the menu item Run > createAndSendDocument.
  2. A dialog box will appear and tell you that the script requires authorization. Click Continue. A second dialog box will then request authorization for specific Google services. Read the notice carefully, then click Allow.
  3. A yellow bar at the top of the script editor will indicate when the script is running. When the yellow bar disappears, the script has finished.
  4. Check your Gmail inbox for the new email, then click the link to open the Google Doc you created.
  5. Open your Google Drive. You'll see that both the script and the document are stored there.

To continue learning about Apps Script, take a look at the following resources: