1. Getting Started with Apps Script
Open your spreadsheet, go to Extensions > Apps Script. This opens the script editor. Scripts run on Google's servers and can access all Google Workspace services.
2. Triggers and Automation
Set up triggers to run scripts automatically: on edit, on form submit, time-driven (hourly, daily), or on spreadsheet open. Time-driven triggers are perfect for scheduled reports.
javascript
function onEdit(e) {
// Runs when any cell is edited
const sheet = e.source.getActiveSheet();
const range = e.range;
if (sheet.getName() === 'Orders' && range.getColumn() === 5) {
// Status column changed, send notification
sendNotification(e.value);
}
}3. Connecting External Services
Use UrlFetchApp to call external APIs. Send data to webhooks, fetch information from services, and integrate Sheets with virtually any web application.
Wrap-up
Apps Script extends Sheets far beyond its native capabilities. For non-coders, consider Make or Zapier for similar results without writing code.