Class DocumentApp

  • The Document service allows for creating and opening editable Google Documents using Apps Script.

  • You can create a new document with a specified name or open an existing document by its ID or URL.

  • The service provides access to various properties representing document formatting and structure enumerations.

  • Methods are available to get the active document to which a script is bound or to interact with the document's user interface for custom features.

DocumentApp

The document service creates and opensDocuments that can be edited.

// Open a document by ID.// TODO(developer): Replace the ID with your own.letdoc=DocumentApp.openById('DOCUMENT_ID');// Create and open a document.doc=DocumentApp.create('Document Name');

Properties

PropertyTypeDescription
AttributeAttributeTheAttribute enumeration.
ElementTypeElementTypeTheElementType enumeration.
FontFamilyFontFamilyTheFontFamily enumeration.
GlyphTypeGlyphTypeTheGlyphType enumeration.
HorizontalAlignmentHorizontalAlignmentTheHorizontalAlignment enumeration.
ParagraphHeadingParagraphHeadingTheParagraphHeading enumeration.
PositionedLayoutPositionedLayoutThePositionedLayout enumeration.
TextAlignmentTextAlignmentTheTextAlignment enumeration.
VerticalAlignmentVerticalAlignmentTheVerticalAlignment enumeration.

Methods

MethodReturn typeBrief description
create(name)DocumentCreates and returns a new document.
getActiveDocument()DocumentReturns the document to which the script iscontainer-bound.
getUi()UiReturns an instance of the document's user-interface environment that allows the script to addfeatures like menus, dialogs, and sidebars.
openById(id)DocumentReturns the document with the specified ID.
openByUrl(url)DocumentOpens and returns the document with the specified URL.

Detailed documentation

create(name)

Creates and returns a new document.

// Create and open a new document.constdoc=DocumentApp.create('Document Name');

Parameters

NameTypeDescription
nameStringThe new document's name.

Return

Document — The new document instance.

Authorization

Scripts that use this method require authorization with one or more of the followingscopes:

  • https://www.googleapis.com/auth/documents

getActiveDocument()

Returns the document to which the script iscontainer-bound. To interact with document to whichthe script is not container-bound, useopenById(id) oropenByUrl(url)instead.

// Get the document to which this script is bound.constdoc=DocumentApp.getActiveDocument();

Return

Document — the document instance

Authorization

Scripts that use this method require authorization with one or more of the followingscopes:

  • https://www.googleapis.com/auth/documents.currentonly
  • https://www.googleapis.com/auth/documents

getUi()

Returns an instance of the document's user-interface environment that allows the script to addfeatures like menus, dialogs, and sidebars. A script can only interact with the UI for thecurrent instance of an open document, and only if the script isbound to the document. For more information, see theguides tomenus anddialogs and sidebars.

// Add a custom menu to the active document, including a separator and a// sub-menu.functiononOpen(e){DocumentApp.getUi().createMenu('My Menu').addItem('My menu item','myFunction').addSeparator().addSubMenu(DocumentApp.getUi().createMenu('My sub-menu').addItem('One sub-menu item','mySecondFunction').addItem('Another sub-menu item','myThirdFunction'),).addToUi();}

Return

Ui — an instance of this document's user-interface environment

openById(id)

Returns the document with the specified ID. If the script is container-bound to the document,usegetActiveDocument() instead.

// Open a document by ID.// TODO(developer): Replace the ID with your own.constdoc=DocumentApp.openById('DOCUMENT_ID');

Parameters

NameTypeDescription
idStringThe ID of the document to open.

Return

Document — The document instance.

Authorization

Scripts that use this method require authorization with one or more of the followingscopes:

  • https://www.googleapis.com/auth/documents

openByUrl(url)

Opens and returns the document with the specified URL. If the script is container-bound to thedocument, usegetActiveDocument() instead.

// Open a document by URL.constdoc=DocumentApp.openByUrl('https://docs.google.com/document/d/1234567890abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz_a1b2c3/edit',);

Parameters

NameTypeDescription
urlStringthe URL of the document to open

Return

Document — the document instance

Authorization

Scripts that use this method require authorization with one or more of the followingscopes:

  • https://www.googleapis.com/auth/documents

Except as otherwise noted, the content of this page is licensed under theCreative Commons Attribution 4.0 License, and code samples are licensed under theApache 2.0 License. For details, see theGoogle Developers Site Policies. Java is a registered trademark of Oracle and/or its affiliates.

Last updated 2025-12-11 UTC.