Learning Google Apps Script: Automate Google Apps Course

Lesson 1 • Navigating Script Project Settings

Covers project properties, time zone settings, and the manifest file. Proper project configuration prevents common runtime errors.

Lesson 2 • Setting Up the Script Editor

Walks through accessing the Apps Script IDE from Google Drive and Workspace apps. Students configure their environment before writing any code.

Lesson 3 • Understanding Authorization and Permissions

Explains OAuth scopes and the consent screen that appears when a script accesses Google data. Students learn to grant and review permissions safely.

Lesson 4 • Writing and Running Your First Script

Guides students through authoring a simple function and executing it manually. Connects the edit-run cycle to all future development work.

Lesson 1 • Control Flow and Conditional Logic

Teaches if/else statements, switch blocks, and ternary expressions to control script behaviour. Enables scripts to make decisions based on data conditions.

Lesson 2 • Functions and Scope

Explains function declarations, expressions, arrow functions, and variable scope. Clean function design keeps Apps Script projects maintainable.

Lesson 3 • Arrays and Objects

Covers array methods and object literals as the primary data structures in Apps Script. Spreadsheet data is almost always handled as two-dimensional arrays.

Lesson 4 • Variables, Data Types, and Operators

Covers var, let, and const declarations alongside primitive data types and arithmetic operators. Provides the vocabulary for all subsequent scripting tasks.

Lesson 1 • Reading and Writing Cell Data

Covers getRange, getValue, getValues, setValue, and setValues for efficient data transfer. Batch reads and writes minimise API calls and improve performance.

Lesson 2 • Formatting Cells Programmatically

Teaches font, colour, border, and number-format methods on Range objects. Automated formatting ensures consistent report styling without manual effort.

Lesson 3 • Sorting, Filtering, and Data Validation

Covers sort(), setDataValidation(), and filter views to enforce data quality rules. These techniques prepare spreadsheet data for downstream processing.

Lesson 4 • Working with Formulas and Named Ranges

Shows how to insert and read formulas via setFormula and getFormula, and manage named ranges. Scripts can dynamically generate complex formulas based on data conditions.

Lesson 1 • Searching and Reading Gmail Threads

Uses GmailApp.search and thread/message methods to extract email data programmatically. Enables scripts to react to incoming messages and log communication history.

Lesson 2 • Searching and Sharing Drive Files

Covers DriveApp.searchFiles, file metadata retrieval, and sharing permission methods. Scripts can audit access and enforce sharing policies across a Drive.

Lesson 3 • Combining Gmail and Drive Workflows

Builds end-to-end scripts that attach Drive files to emails or save email attachments to Drive. Integration patterns here recur throughout advanced automation projects.

Lesson 4 • Managing Files with DriveApp

Demonstrates creating, copying, moving, and deleting files and folders via DriveApp. File management automation keeps shared drives organised without manual intervention.

Lesson 1 • Simple vs. Installable Triggers

Contrasts built-in simple triggers like onOpen and onEdit with installable triggers that require authorization. Choosing the right trigger type prevents permission errors.

Lesson 2 • Error Handling in Triggered Scripts

Covers try/catch blocks, email failure notifications, and execution transcript review. Robust error handling prevents silent failures in unattended automation.

Lesson 3 • Event Objects and Trigger Context

Explains the event object passed to trigger functions, including range, value, and user properties. Accessing event data lets scripts respond precisely to what changed.

Lesson 1 • Cross-Service Workflow Integration

Combines Forms, Docs, Calendar, and Sheets into a single end-to-end automation. Students see how services chain together to replace multi-step manual processes.

Lesson 2 • Automating Google Calendar

Uses CalendarApp to create, update, and delete events and manage attendees. Calendar automation supports scheduling workflows triggered by form submissions or Sheets data.

Lesson 3 • Mail Merge from Sheets to Docs

Builds a complete mail-merge workflow that populates a Docs template with Sheets row data. This pattern is reusable for invoices, letters, and personalised reports.

Lesson 4 • Automating Google Forms

Uses FormApp to create forms, add items, and read responses programmatically. Form automation enables dynamic survey generation and response processing pipelines.

Lesson 1 • Sending POST, PUT, and DELETE Requests

Builds requests with JSON payloads, custom headers, and muteHttpExceptions for full CRUD operations. POST and PUT requests enable writing data to external platforms.

Lesson 2 • Building a Webhook Receiver with doPost

Deploys a script as a web app to receive incoming webhook POST requests from external services. Webhooks enable real-time event-driven automation without polling.

Lesson 3 • Parsing and Storing API Data

Covers extracting nested JSON fields and writing structured API data to Sheets. Storing fetched data locally reduces redundant API calls and improves performance.

Lesson 4 • Introduction to UrlFetchApp

Covers UrlFetchApp.fetch syntax, HTTP methods, and response handling. External API calls unlock data sources beyond Google's native services.

Lesson 1 • Building HTML Service Interfaces

Uses HtmlService to render interactive HTML panels inside Google Workspace apps. HTML interfaces allow form-based input and richer user experiences than native dialogs.

Lesson 2 • Script Properties and Cache Service

Demonstrates PropertiesService for persistent key-value storage and CacheService for temporary data. Proper storage strategy reduces API calls and protects sensitive credentials.

Lesson 3 • Creating and Using Script Libraries

Explains how to publish a script as a library and import it into other projects. Libraries promote code reuse and consistent logic across multiple automation projects.

Lesson 4 • Custom Menus and UI Dialogs

Builds custom menus in Sheets, Docs, and Forms and launches modal dialogs via SpreadsheetApp.getUi(). Custom UI elements make scripts accessible to non-technical users.