Google Workspace development
Google Apps Script Guides and Examples
A curated collection of 27 practical guides from building with Apps Script: runtime behavior, APIs, storage, authentication, Gemini, MCP, security, and production automation.
Start with the core guides below, or browse by problem. Every article includes working code, implementation details, or measurements from real projects.
Start here
The broadest guides for HTTP requests, storage, AI, and external databases.
- UrlFetchApp: The Unofficial Documentation
The unofficial guide to Google Apps Script UrlFetchApp. Master authentication, fetchAll for parallelism, web scraping, and debugging "Address Unavailable".
- Storage Wars: CacheService vs. PropertiesService vs. Firestore Benchmarks
Comparison and benchmarks of Google Apps Script storage options. See why CacheService is slightly faster than PropertiesService and when to use Firestore.
- Using Gemini in Apps Script
Learn how to use the new built-in Vertex AI Advanced Service in Google Apps Script to access Gemini models directly, without the need for complex UrlFetchApp calls.
- How to Connect PostgreSQL to Google Apps Script (JDBC Guide)
Connect Google Apps Script to PostgreSQL via JDBC. Covers connection strings, JSONB/UUID workarounds, parameterized queries, transactions, and PostGIS.
Core platform and runtime
Understand Apps Script's runtime, HTTP client, storage, caching, web apps, and WebAssembly support.
- UrlFetchApp: The Unofficial Documentation
The unofficial guide to Google Apps Script UrlFetchApp. Master authentication, fetchAll for parallelism, web scraping, and debugging "Address Unavailable".
- Apps Script V8 Runtime Limitations
A comparison of the WinterCG Minimum Common Web Platform API draft with the Apps Script V8 runtime.
- Promises, async and await in Google Apps Script
Understand async/await and Promises in Google Apps Script. Learn why most APIs remain synchronous and how WebAssembly is the exception.
- Apps Script and WebAssembly - A comprehensive guide
You can use WebAssembly with Google Apps Script! This post will cover how to do that and provide a comprehensive guide on how to get started.
- Storage Wars: CacheService vs. PropertiesService vs. Firestore Benchmarks
Comparison and benchmarks of Google Apps Script storage options. See why CacheService is slightly faster than PropertiesService and when to use Firestore.
- Apps Script CacheService: Unofficial Documentation and Limits
The unofficial documentation for the Apps Script CacheService. Learn about key/value constraints, size limits, and the undocumented FIFO batch eviction policy.
- Memoization in Apps Script
A generic Apps Script memoization function can be written to cache any function.
- google.script.run vs. doGet/doPost
Compare google.script.run vs doGet/doPost endpoints for Apps Script web apps. Choose the best method for simple apps or complex frameworks like React/Vue.
AI and agents
Use Gemini, Vertex AI, MCP, and Model Armor from Apps Script.
- Using Gemini in Apps Script
Learn how to use the new built-in Vertex AI Advanced Service in Google Apps Script to access Gemini models directly, without the need for complex UrlFetchApp calls.
- Building a MCP Client in Google Apps Script
Learn how to communicate with Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers using Apps Script and UrlFetchApp. Incorporate the MCP client into Vertex AI tool calling.
- Using Vertex AI in Apps Script
How to use the Vertex AI API in Apps Script to make predictions on your data or use it in any of your other Google Workspace processes.
- Generating Text with Gemini Pro in Apps Script
A short code snippet demonstrating how to generate text with the Gemini Pro Rest API in Apps Script.
- Securing Gmail AI Agents against Prompt Injection with Model Armor
Securing Gmail AI agents against Prompt Injection and untrusted content using Google Cloud Model Armor.
Data, authentication, and integrations
Connect databases, manage credentials and OAuth scopes, and work with Drive, Docs, and Forms.
- How to Connect PostgreSQL to Google Apps Script (JDBC Guide)
Connect Google Apps Script to PostgreSQL via JDBC. Covers connection strings, JSONB/UUID workarounds, parameterized queries, transactions, and PostGIS.
- Using Firestore in Apps Script
Use the Firestore REST API from Google Apps Script when CacheService, PropertiesService, or Sheets cannot meet your storage requirements.
- Apps Script Service Account Impersonation
Avoid downloading private service account keys by using impersonation in Apps Script to obtain access tokens.
- Secure Secrets in Google Apps Script
Do not hardcode secrets in Google Apps Script. Use Properties Service or Google Cloud Secret Manager.
- Currentonly Scopes in Google Apps Script
Learn about the @OnlyCurrentDoc annotation and currentonly scopes in Google Apps Script. Understand why and how to use them, along with their critical limitations regarding Advanced Services and external APIs.
- Drive File Get Blob and Scopes in Google Apps Script
Working with binary files like PDFs or images in Google Drive with Google Apps Script can be a bit tricky due to scopes. Here is a comparison of the three main ways to get the Blob of a file in Google Drive and the scopes required.
- Convert docx to Google Docs with Apps Script
Programmatically convert, open, and edit Microsoft Word .docx files in Google Apps Script using the Drive API and DocumentApp.
- Google Forms - title vs name vs documentTitle
Recently I had to clarify some confusion around the title and name of a Google Form. Here is a quick explanation of the difference between the two.
Automation, add-ons, and field notes
Practical automations, add-on architecture, performance measurements, and conference material.
- Combining Google Workspace Add-ons and Editor Add-ons
Both Add-on types have their own strengths and weaknesses. Combining them could be a powerful way to build Add-ons for Google Workspace but with some caveats.
- Archiving Dependabot Emails with Apps Script
Archive Dependabot and Semantic Release emails automatically using Google Apps Script cron jobs to declutter your inbox.
- Google Cloud Region Latency in Google Apps Script
Ping results to Google Cloud regions and short code snippet demonstrating how to measure latency from Google Apps Script.
- Google Next 24 - Rust, Python, and WASM in Apps Script
I will be giving a talk at Google Next 2024 on how to use Rust, Python and WASM to extend Google Apps Script.
- Google Workspace Developer Summits - 2024 - Boston and Berlin
Save the date for the Google Workspace Developer Summits in 2024! Boston - September 12, 2024 and Berlin - September 17, 2024.