Google Apps Script Quickstart

Complete the steps described in the rest of this page, and in about five minutes you'll have a simple Google Apps Script that makes requests to the Gmail API.

Prerequisites

To run this quickstart, you'll need:

A Google account with Gmail enabled.

Access to Google Drive.

Step 1: Create the script

1. Open Google Drive in your web browser.
2. Click New > More > Google Apps Script.

   If Google Apps Script isn't listed, you can install it by clicking the Connect more apps option instead. Search for "Google Apps Script" and click the +CONNECT button. Click the OK button in the popup, click the X icon to close the dialog, and repeat the step above.

3. If you are presented with a welcome screen, click Blank Project.

4. Replace the contents of the script editor with the following code:

   /**
    * Lists the labels in the user's account.
    */
   function listLabels() {
     var response = Gmail.Users.Labels.list('me');
     if (response.labels.length == 0) {
       Logger.log("No labels found.");
     } else {
       Logger.log("Labels:");
       for (var i = 0; i < response.labels.length; i++) {
         var label = response.labels[i];
         Logger.log("- %s", label.name);
       }
     }
   }
   quickstart.gs
   

5. Click File > Save, name your project “Quickstart”, and click OK.

Step 2: Turn on the Gmail API

1. In the Apps Script editor, click Resources > Advanced Google Services.
2. Locate Gmail API in the dialog and click the corresponding toggle, setting it to on.
3. Click the Google API Console link.
4. Enter "Gmail API" into the search box and click on the corresponding entry in the results.
5. Click the Enable API button.
6. Return to the Apps Script editor and click the OK button on the Advanced Google Services dialog.

Step 3: Run the sample

In the Apps Script editor, click Run > listLabels.

The first time you run the sample, it will prompt you to authorize access:

1. Click the Continue button.
2. Click the Accept button.

To view the script's output, click View > Logs.

It worked!

Great! Check out the further reading section below to learn more.

I got an error

Bummer. Check out our troubleshooting section below for some common errors and solutions. Let us know what went wrong and we'll work to fix this quickstart.

Further reading

• Google Apps Script Advanced Services documentation
• Gmail API reference documentation

Troubleshooting

ReferenceError: "[API NAME]" is not defined

This error occurs when the API hasn't been toggled on in the Apps Script code editor. Revisit Step 2.b and ensure the corresponding toggle is set to on.