Class GmailApp Stay organized with collections Save and categorize content based on your preferences.
Page Summary
The
GmailAppclass in Google Apps Script provides methods to interact with Gmail, managing threads, messages, and labels.Key functionalities include managing drafts, retrieving threads and messages by various criteria, and handling labels.
You can use
GmailAppto get unread counts, mark items as read/unread or important/unimportant, and move items to different folders like trash, archive, inbox, or spam.The service allows refreshing item states from Gmail, searching threads using queries, and sending emails with various options including attachments and HTML bodies.
Most methods return a
GmailAppobject or specific Gmail objects, and all methods require authorization with thehttps://mail.google.com/scope.
Provides access to Gmail threads, messages, and labels.
Methods
| Method | Return type | Brief description |
|---|---|---|
create | Gmail | Creates a draft email message. |
create | Gmail | Creates a draft email message with optional arguments. |
create | Gmail | Create a new user label of the given name. |
delete | Gmail | Deletes the specified label. |
get | String[] | Gets a list of the emails that are set up as aliases for this account in Gmail. |
get | Gmail | Retrieve an email message draft by ID. |
get | Gmail | Retrieves all draft messages. |
get | Gmail | Gets all Gmail draft messages. |
get | Gmail | Retrieves all Inbox threads irrespective of labels. |
get | Gmail | Retrieves a range of Inbox threads irrespective of labels. |
get | Integer | Gets the number of unread threads in the inbox. |
get | Gmail | Gets a message by ID. |
get | Gmail | Retrieve all messages in the specified thread. |
get | Gmail | Retrieve all messages in the specified threads. |
get | Gmail | Retrieves all Priority Inbox threads irrespective of labels. |
get | Gmail | Retrieves a range of Priority Inbox threads irrespective of labels. |
get | Integer | Gets the number of unread threads in the Priority Inbox. |
get | Gmail | Retrieves all spam threads irrespective of labels. |
get | Gmail | Retrieves a range of spam threads irrespective of labels. |
get | Integer | Gets the number of unread threads that are spam. |
get | Gmail | Retrieves all starred threads irrespective of labels. |
get | Gmail | Retrieves a range of starred threads irrespective of labels. |
get | Integer | Gets the number of unread threads that are starred. |
get | Gmail | Gets a thread by ID. |
get | Gmail | Retrieves all trash threads irrespective of labels. |
get | Gmail | Retrieves a range of trash threads irrespective of labels. |
get | Gmail | Retrieves a label given the label name. |
get | Gmail | Retrieves a list of user-created labels. |
mark | Gmail | Marks this message read and forces the message to refresh. |
mark | Gmail | Marks this message unread and forces the message to refresh. |
mark | Gmail | Marks these messages read and forces the messages to refresh. |
mark | Gmail | Marks these messages unread and forces the messages to refresh. |
mark | Gmail | Marks this thread as important and forces the thread to refresh. |
mark | Gmail | Marks this thread as read and forces the thread to refresh. |
mark | Gmail | Marks this thread as unimportant and forces the thread to refresh. |
mark | Gmail | Marks this thread unread and forces the thread to refresh. |
mark | Gmail | Marks these threads as important and forces the threads to refresh. |
mark | Gmail | Marks these threads as read and forces the threads to refresh. |
mark | Gmail | Marks these threads as unimportant and forces the threads to refresh. |
mark | Gmail | Marks these threads as unread and forces the threads to refresh. |
move | Gmail | Moves the message to the trash and forces the message to refresh. |
move | Gmail | Moves the specified messages to the trash and forces the messages to refresh. |
move | Gmail | Moves this thread to the archive and forces the thread to refresh. |
move | Gmail | Moves this thread to the inbox and forces the thread to refresh. |
move | Gmail | Moves this thread to spam and forces the thread to refresh. |
move | Gmail | Moves this thread to the trash and forces the thread to refresh. |
move | Gmail | Moves these threads to the archive and forces the threads to refresh. |
move | Gmail | Moves these threads to the inbox and forces the threads to refresh. |
move | Gmail | Moves these threads to spam and forces the threads to refresh. |
move | Gmail | Moves these threads to the trash and forces the threads to refresh. |
refresh | Gmail | Reloads the message and associated state from Gmail (useful in case the labels, read state,etc., have changed). |
refresh | Gmail | Reloads the messages and associated state from Gmail (useful in case the labels, read state,etc., have changed). |
refresh | Gmail | Reloads the thread and associated state from Gmail (useful in case the labels, read state,etc., have changed). |
refresh | Gmail | Reloads the threads and associated state from Gmail (useful in case the labels, read state,etc., have changed). |
search(query) | Gmail | Search Gmail with the given query. |
search(query, start, max) | Gmail | Search Gmail with the given query. |
send | Gmail | Sends an email message. |
send | Gmail | Sends an email message with optional arguments. |
set | void | Sets thecurrent messageaccess token that enables the script to access the currentGmail properties. |
star | Gmail | Adds a star to this message and forces the message to refresh. |
star | Gmail | Adds stars to these messages and forces the messages to refresh. |
unstar | Gmail | Removes a star from this message and forces the message to refresh. |
unstar | Gmail | Removes stars from these messages and forces the messages to refresh. |
Deprecated methods
| Method | Return type | Brief description |
|---|---|---|
| Gmail | Gets all classic Google Hangouts threads and Google Chat threads until Google switches allusers of classic Hangouts to Chat later this year. |
| Gmail | Gets a range of classic Google Hangouts threads and Google Chat threads until Google switchesall users of classic Hangouts to Chat later this year. |
Detailed documentation
createDraft(recipient, subject, body)
Creates a draft email message. The size of the email (including headers) isquota limited.
// The code below creates a draft email with the current date and time.constnow=newDate();GmailApp.createDraft('mike@example.com','current time',`The time is:${now.toString()}`,);
Parameters
| Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
recipient | String | comma separated list of email addresses |
subject | String | subject of the email |
body | String | body of the email |
Return
Gmail — the newly created GmailDraft
Authorization
Scripts that use this method require authorization with one or more of the followingscopes or appropriate scopes from therelated REST API:
https://mail.google.com/
See also
createDraft(recipient, subject, body, options)
Creates a draft email message with optional arguments. The email can contain plain text or anHTML body. The size of the email (including headers, but excluding attachments) isquota limited.
// Create a draft email with a file from Google Drive attached as a PDF.constfile=DriveApp.getFileById('1234567890abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz');GmailApp.createDraft('mike@example.com','Attachment example','Please see attached file.',{attachments:[file.getAs(MimeType.PDF)],name:'Automatic Emailer Script',},);
Parameters
| Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
recipient | String | the addresses of the recipient |
subject | String | the subject line |
body | String | the body of the email |
options | Object | a JavaScript object that specifies advanced parameters, as listed below |
Advanced parameters
| Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
attachments | Blob | an array of files to send with the email |
bcc | String | a comma-separated list of email addresses to BCC |
cc | String | a comma-separated list of email addresses to CC |
from | String | the address that the email should be sent from, which must be one of the values returned byget |
html | String | if set, devices capable of rendering HTML will use it instead of the required body argument; you can add an optionalinline field in HTML body if you have inlined images for your email |
inline | Object | a JavaScript object containing a mapping from image key (String) to image data (Blob); this assumes that thehtml parameter is used and contains references to these images in the format<img src="cid:imageKey" /> |
name | String | the name of the sender of the email (default: the user's name) |
reply | String | an email address to use as the default reply-to address (default: the user's email address) |
Return
Gmail — the newly created GmailDraft
Authorization
Scripts that use this method require authorization with one or more of the followingscopes or appropriate scopes from therelated REST API:
https://mail.google.com/
See also
createLabel(name)
Create a new user label of the given name.
// Creates the label @FOO and logs label: FOOLogger.log(`label:${GmailApp.createLabel('FOO')}`);
Parameters
| Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
name | String | the name of the new label |
Return
Gmail — the newly created label
Authorization
Scripts that use this method require authorization with one or more of the followingscopes or appropriate scopes from therelated REST API:
https://mail.google.com/
See also
deleteLabel(label)
Deletes the specified label.
// Have to get the label by name firstconstlabel=GmailApp.getUserLabelByName('FOO');GmailApp.deleteLabel(label);
Parameters
| Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
label | Gmail | the label to delete |
Return
Gmail — the Gmail service, useful for chaining
Authorization
Scripts that use this method require authorization with one or more of the followingscopes or appropriate scopes from therelated REST API:
https://mail.google.com/
See also
getAliases()
Gets a list of the emails that are set up as aliases for this account in Gmail.
You can send a message from any of these aliases by using the "from" optional argument.
// Log the aliases for this Gmail account and send an email as the first one.constme=Session.getActiveUser().getEmail();constaliases=GmailApp.getAliases();Logger.log(aliases);if(aliases.length >0){GmailApp.sendEmail(me,'From an alias','A message from an alias!',{from:aliases[0],});}else{GmailApp.sendEmail(me,'No aliases found','You have no aliases.');}
Return
String[] — an array of aliases for this account
Authorization
Scripts that use this method require authorization with one or more of the followingscopes or appropriate scopes from therelated REST API:
https://mail.google.com/
See also
getDraft(draftId)
Retrieve an email message draft by ID.
Use this in conjunction with getId() on Gmail drafts.
// Get the first draft message in your drafts folderconstdraft=GmailApp.getDrafts()[0];// Get its IDconstdraftId=draft.getId();// Now fetch the same draft using that ID.constdraftById=GmailApp.getDraft(draftId);// Should always log true as they should be the same messageLogger.log(draft.getMessage().getSubject()===draftById.getMessage().getSubject(),);
Parameters
| Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
draft | String | the ID of the draft to retrieve |
Return
Gmail — the draft with the given ID
Throws
Error — if no draft with the given ID can be found
Authorization
Scripts that use this method require authorization with one or more of the followingscopes or appropriate scopes from therelated REST API:
https://mail.google.com/
getDraftMessages()
Retrieves all draft messages.
// Logs the number of draft messagesconstdrafts=GmailApp.getDraftMessages();Logger.log(drafts.length);
Return
Gmail — an array of draft Gmail messages
Authorization
Scripts that use this method require authorization with one or more of the followingscopes or appropriate scopes from therelated REST API:
https://mail.google.com/
getDrafts()
Gets all Gmail draft messages.
constdrafts=GmailApp.getDrafts();for(leti=0;i <drafts.length;i++){Logger.log(drafts[i].getId());}
Return
Gmail — an array of Gmail draft messages
Authorization
Scripts that use this method require authorization with one or more of the followingscopes or appropriate scopes from therelated REST API:
https://mail.google.com/
getInboxThreads()
Retrieves all Inbox threads irrespective of labels.
This call will fail when the size of all threads is too large for the system to handle.Where the thread size is unknown, and potentially very large, please use the 'paged' call, andspecify ranges of the threads to retrieve in each call.
// Log the subject lines of your Inboxconstthreads=GmailApp.getInboxThreads();for(leti=0;i <threads.length;i++){Logger.log(threads[i].getFirstMessageSubject());}
Return
Gmail — an array of Gmail threads in the Inbox
Authorization
Scripts that use this method require authorization with one or more of the followingscopes or appropriate scopes from therelated REST API:
https://mail.google.com/
getInboxThreads(start, max)
Retrieves a range of Inbox threads irrespective of labels.
// Log the subject lines of up to the first 50 emails in your Inboxconstthreads=GmailApp.getInboxThreads(0,50);for(leti=0;i <threads.length;i++){Logger.log(threads[i].getFirstMessageSubject());}
Parameters
| Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
start | Integer | the index of the first thread to retrieve |
max | Integer | the maximum number of threads to retrieve |
Return
Gmail — an array of Gmail threads in the Inbox
Authorization
Scripts that use this method require authorization with one or more of the followingscopes or appropriate scopes from therelated REST API:
https://mail.google.com/
getInboxUnreadCount()
Gets the number of unread threads in the inbox.
Logger.log(`Messages unread in inbox:${GmailApp.getInboxUnreadCount()}`);
Return
Integer — the number of threads in the inbox that have unread messages
Authorization
Scripts that use this method require authorization with one or more of the followingscopes or appropriate scopes from therelated REST API:
https://mail.google.com/
getMessageById(id)
Gets a message by ID.
Use this in conjunction with getId() on Gmail messages.
// Get the first message in the first thread of your inboxconstmessage=GmailApp.getInboxThreads(0,1)[0].getMessages()[0];// Get its IDconstmessageId=message.getId();// Now fetch the same message using that ID.constmessageById=GmailApp.getMessageById(messageId);// Should always log true as they should be the same messageLogger.log(message.getSubject()===messageById.getSubject());
Parameters
| Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
id | String | the ID of the message to retrieve |
Return
Gmail — the message with the given ID
Throws
Error — if no message with the given ID can be found
Authorization
Scripts that use this method require authorization with one or more of the followingscopes or appropriate scopes from therelated REST API:
https://mail.google.com/
See also
getMessagesForThread(thread)
Retrieve all messages in the specified thread.
// Log all the subject lines in the first thread of your inboxconstthread=GmailApp.getInboxThreads(0,1)[0];constmessages=GmailApp.getMessagesForThread(thread);for(leti=0;i <messages.length;i++){Logger.log(`subject:${messages[i].getSubject()}`);}
Parameters
| Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
thread | Gmail | the thread of messages to retrieve |
Return
Gmail — array of messages corresponding to this thread
Authorization
Scripts that use this method require authorization with one or more of the followingscopes or appropriate scopes from therelated REST API:
https://mail.google.com/
See also
getMessagesForThreads(threads)
Retrieve all messages in the specified threads.
// Log the subject lines of all messages in the first two threads of your inboxconstthread=GmailApp.getInboxThreads(0,2);constmessages=GmailApp.getMessagesForThreads(thread);for(leti=0;i <messages.length;i++){for(letj=0;j <messages[i].length;j++){Logger.log(`subject:${messages[i][j].getSubject()}`);}}
Parameters
| Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
threads | Gmail | the threads of messages to retrieve |
Return
Gmail — an array of arrays of messages, where each item in the outer array corresponds to a thread and the inner array contains the messages in that thread
Authorization
Scripts that use this method require authorization with one or more of the followingscopes or appropriate scopes from therelated REST API:
https://mail.google.com/
See also
getPriorityInboxThreads()
Retrieves all Priority Inbox threads irrespective of labels.
This call will fail when the size of all threads is too large for the system to handle.Where the thread size is unknown, and potentially very large, please use the 'paged' call, andspecify ranges of the threads to retrieve in each call.
Logger.log(`# of messages in your Priority Inbox:${GmailApp.getPriorityInboxThreads().length}`,);
Return
Gmail — an array of Gmail threads in the Priority Inbox
Authorization
Scripts that use this method require authorization with one or more of the followingscopes or appropriate scopes from therelated REST API:
https://mail.google.com/
getPriorityInboxThreads(start, max)
Retrieves a range of Priority Inbox threads irrespective of labels.
// Will log some number 2 or lessLogger.log(`# of messages in your Priority Inbox:${GmailApp.getPriorityInboxThreads(0,2).length}`,);
Parameters
| Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
start | Integer | the index of the first thread to retrieve |
max | Integer | the maximum number of threads to retrieve |
Return
Gmail — an array of Gmail threads in the Priority Inbox
Authorization
Scripts that use this method require authorization with one or more of the followingscopes or appropriate scopes from therelated REST API:
https://mail.google.com/
getPriorityInboxUnreadCount()
Gets the number of unread threads in the Priority Inbox.
Logger.log(`Number of unread emails in your Priority Inbox :${GmailApp.getPriorityInboxUnreadCount()}`,);
Return
Integer — the number of threads in the Priority Inbox that have unread messages
Authorization
Scripts that use this method require authorization with one or more of the followingscopes or appropriate scopes from therelated REST API:
https://mail.google.com/
getSpamThreads()
Retrieves all spam threads irrespective of labels.
This call will fail when the size of all threads is too large for the system to handle.Where the thread size is unknown, and potentially very large, please use the 'paged' call, andspecify ranges of the threads to retrieve in each call.
Logger.log(`# of total spam threads:${GmailApp.getSpamThreads().length}`);
Return
Gmail — an array of Gmail threads in the spam folder
Authorization
Scripts that use this method require authorization with one or more of the followingscopes or appropriate scopes from therelated REST API:
https://mail.google.com/
getSpamThreads(start, max)
Retrieves a range of spam threads irrespective of labels.
// Will log a number at most 5Logger.log(`# of total spam threads:${GmailApp.getSpamThreads(0,5).length}`);
Parameters
| Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
start | Integer | the index of the first thread to retrieve |
max | Integer | the maximum number of threads to retrieve |
Return
Gmail — an array of Gmail threads in the spam folder
Authorization
Scripts that use this method require authorization with one or more of the followingscopes or appropriate scopes from therelated REST API:
https://mail.google.com/
getSpamUnreadCount()
Gets the number of unread threads that are spam.
// Unless you actually read stuff in your spam folder, this should be the same// as the number of messages in your spam folder.Logger.log(`# unread threads that are spam:${GmailApp.getSpamUnreadCount()}`);
Return
Integer — the number spam threads that have unread messages
Authorization
Scripts that use this method require authorization with one or more of the followingscopes or appropriate scopes from therelated REST API:
https://mail.google.com/
getStarredThreads()
Retrieves all starred threads irrespective of labels.
This call will fail when the size of all threads is too large for the system to handle.Where the thread size is unknown, and potentially very large, please use the 'paged' call, andspecify ranges of the threads to retrieve in each call.
// Logs the number of starred threadsLogger.log(`# Starred threads:${GmailApp.getStarredThreads().length}`);
Return
Gmail — an array of starred Gmail threads
Authorization
Scripts that use this method require authorization with one or more of the followingscopes or appropriate scopes from therelated REST API:
https://mail.google.com/
getStarredThreads(start, max)
Retrieves a range of starred threads irrespective of labels.
// Logs the number of starred threads to a maximum of 5Logger.log(`# Starred threads:${GmailApp.getStarredThreads(0,5).length}`);
Parameters
| Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
start | Integer | the index of the first thread to retrieve |
max | Integer | the maximum number of threads to retrieve |
Return
Gmail — an array of starred Gmail threads
Authorization
Scripts that use this method require authorization with one or more of the followingscopes or appropriate scopes from therelated REST API:
https://mail.google.com/
getStarredUnreadCount()
Gets the number of unread threads that are starred.
Logger.log(`# unread and starred:${GmailApp.getStarredUnreadCount()}`);
Return
Integer — the number of starred threads that have unread messages
Authorization
Scripts that use this method require authorization with one or more of the followingscopes or appropriate scopes from therelated REST API:
https://mail.google.com/
getThreadById(id)
Gets a thread by ID.
Use this in conjunction with getId() on Gmail threads.
// Gets the first inbox thread.constfirstThread=GmailApp.getInboxThreads(0,1)[0];// Gets the same thread by ID.constthreadById=GmailApp.getThreadById(firstThread.getId());// Verifies that they are the same.console.log(firstThread.getFirstMessageSubject()===threadById.getFirstMessageSubject(),);
Parameters
| Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
id | String | The ID of the thread to retrieve. |
Return
Gmail — The thread with the given ID ornull if not found.
Authorization
Scripts that use this method require authorization with one or more of the followingscopes or appropriate scopes from therelated REST API:
https://mail.google.com/
See also
getTrashThreads()
Retrieves all trash threads irrespective of labels.
This call will fail when the size of all threads is too large for the system to handle.Where the thread size is unknown, and potentially very large, please use the 'paged' call, andspecify ranges of the threads to retrieve in each call.
Logger.log(`# of total trash threads:${GmailApp.getTrashThreads().length}`);
Return
Gmail — an array of Gmail threads in the trash
Authorization
Scripts that use this method require authorization with one or more of the followingscopes or appropriate scopes from therelated REST API:
https://mail.google.com/
getTrashThreads(start, max)
Retrieves a range of trash threads irrespective of labels.
// Will log a number at most 5Logger.log(`# of total trash threads:${GmailApp.getTrashThreads(0,5).length}`,);
Parameters
| Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
start | Integer | the index of the first thread to retrieve |
max | Integer | the maximum number of threads to retrieve |
Return
Gmail — an array of Gmail threads in the trash
Authorization
Scripts that use this method require authorization with one or more of the followingscopes or appropriate scopes from therelated REST API:
https://mail.google.com/
getUserLabelByName(name)
Retrieves a label given the label name.
constlabelObject=GmailApp.getUserLabelByName('myLabel');
Parameters
| Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
name | String | the name of the label to retrieve |
Return
Gmail — the Gmail label with the given name
Authorization
Scripts that use this method require authorization with one or more of the followingscopes or appropriate scopes from therelated REST API:
https://mail.google.com/
getUserLabels()
Retrieves a list of user-created labels.
// Logs all of the names of your labelsconstlabels=GmailApp.getUserLabels();for(leti=0;i <labels.length;i++){Logger.log(`label:${labels[i].getName()}`);}
Return
Gmail — array of user created labels
Authorization
Scripts that use this method require authorization with one or more of the followingscopes or appropriate scopes from therelated REST API:
https://mail.google.com/
markMessageRead(message)
Marks this message read and forces the message to refresh.
// Mark the first message in the first thread of your inbox as readconstmessage=GmailApp.getInboxThreads(0,1)[0].getMessages()[0];GmailApp.markMessageRead(message);
Parameters
| Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
message | Gmail | the message to mark as read |
Return
Gmail — the Gmail service, useful for chaining
Authorization
Scripts that use this method require authorization with one or more of the followingscopes or appropriate scopes from therelated REST API:
https://mail.google.com/
See also
markMessageUnread(message)
Marks this message unread and forces the message to refresh.
// Mark the first message in the first thread of your inbox as unreadconstmessage=GmailApp.getInboxThreads(0,1)[0].getMessages()[0];GmailApp.markMessageUnread(message);
Parameters
| Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
message | Gmail | the message to mark as unread |
Return
Gmail — the Gmail service, useful for chaining
Authorization
Scripts that use this method require authorization with one or more of the followingscopes or appropriate scopes from therelated REST API:
https://mail.google.com/
See also
markMessagesRead(messages)
Marks these messages read and forces the messages to refresh.
// Mark first three messages in the first inbox thread as read.// Assumes that the first inbox thread has 3 messages in it.constthreadMessages=GmailApp.getInboxThreads(0,1)[0].getMessages();constmessages=[threadMessages[0],threadMessages[1],threadMessages[2]];GmailApp.markMessagesRead(messages);
Parameters
| Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
messages | Gmail | an array of messages to mark as read |
Return
Gmail — the Gmail service, useful for chaining
Authorization
Scripts that use this method require authorization with one or more of the followingscopes or appropriate scopes from therelated REST API:
https://mail.google.com/
See also
markMessagesUnread(messages)
Marks these messages unread and forces the messages to refresh.
// Mark first three messages in the first inbox thread as unread.// Assumes that the first inbox thread has 3 messages in itconstthreadMessages=GmailApp.getInboxThreads(0,1)[0].getMessages();constmessages=[threadMessages[0],threadMessages[1],threadMessages[2]];GmailApp.markMessagesUnread(messages);
Parameters
| Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
messages | Gmail | an array of messages to mark as unread |
Return
Gmail — the Gmail service, useful for chaining
Authorization
Scripts that use this method require authorization with one or more of the followingscopes or appropriate scopes from therelated REST API:
https://mail.google.com/
See also
markThreadImportant(thread)
Marks this thread as important and forces the thread to refresh.
// Marks first inbox thread as importantconstthread=GmailApp.getInboxThreads(0,1)[0];GmailApp.markThreadImportant(thread);
Parameters
| Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
thread | Gmail | the thread to mark as important |
Return
Gmail — the Gmail service, useful for chaining
Authorization
Scripts that use this method require authorization with one or more of the followingscopes or appropriate scopes from therelated REST API:
https://mail.google.com/
See also
markThreadRead(thread)
Marks this thread as read and forces the thread to refresh.
// Marks first inbox thread as readconstthread=GmailApp.getInboxThreads(0,1)[0];GmailApp.markThreadRead(thread);
Parameters
| Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
thread | Gmail | the thread to mark as read |
Return
Gmail — the Gmail service, useful for chaining
Authorization
Scripts that use this method require authorization with one or more of the followingscopes or appropriate scopes from therelated REST API:
https://mail.google.com/
See also
markThreadUnimportant(thread)
Marks this thread as unimportant and forces the thread to refresh.
// Marks first inbox thread as unimportantconstthread=GmailApp.getInboxThreads(0,1)[0];GmailApp.markThreadUnimportant(thread);
Parameters
| Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
thread | Gmail | the thread to mark as unimportant |
Return
Gmail — the Gmail service, useful for chaining
Authorization
Scripts that use this method require authorization with one or more of the followingscopes or appropriate scopes from therelated REST API:
https://mail.google.com/
See also
markThreadUnread(thread)
Marks this thread unread and forces the thread to refresh.
// Marks first inbox thread as unreadconstthread=GmailApp.getInboxThreads(0,1)[0];GmailApp.markThreadUnread(thread);
Parameters
| Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
thread | Gmail | the thread to mark as unread |
Return
Gmail — the Gmail service, useful for chaining
Authorization
Scripts that use this method require authorization with one or more of the followingscopes or appropriate scopes from therelated REST API:
https://mail.google.com/
See also
markThreadsImportant(threads)
Marks these threads as important and forces the threads to refresh.
// Marks first two threads in inbox as importantconstthreads=GmailApp.getInboxThreads(0,2);GmailApp.markThreadsImportant(threads);
Parameters
| Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
threads | Gmail | an array of threads to mark as important |
Return
Gmail — the Gmail service, useful for chaining
Authorization
Scripts that use this method require authorization with one or more of the followingscopes or appropriate scopes from therelated REST API:
https://mail.google.com/
See also
markThreadsRead(threads)
Marks these threads as read and forces the threads to refresh.
// Marks first two threads in inbox as readconstthreads=GmailApp.getInboxThreads(0,2);GmailApp.markThreadsRead(threads);
Parameters
| Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
threads | Gmail | an array of threads to mark as read |
Return
Gmail — the Gmail service, useful for chaining
Authorization
Scripts that use this method require authorization with one or more of the followingscopes or appropriate scopes from therelated REST API:
https://mail.google.com/
See also
markThreadsUnimportant(threads)
Marks these threads as unimportant and forces the threads to refresh.
// Marks first two threads in inbox as unimportantconstthreads=GmailApp.getInboxThreads(0,2);GmailApp.markThreadsUnimportant(threads);
Parameters
| Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
threads | Gmail | an array of threads to mark as unimportant |
Return
Gmail — the Gmail service, useful for chaining
Authorization
Scripts that use this method require authorization with one or more of the followingscopes or appropriate scopes from therelated REST API:
https://mail.google.com/
See also
markThreadsUnread(threads)
Marks these threads as unread and forces the threads to refresh.
// Marks first two threads in inbox as unreadconstthreads=GmailApp.getInboxThreads(0,2);GmailApp.markThreadsUnread(threads);
Parameters
| Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
threads | Gmail | an array of threads to mark as unread |
Return
Gmail — the Gmail service, useful for chaining
Authorization
Scripts that use this method require authorization with one or more of the followingscopes or appropriate scopes from therelated REST API:
https://mail.google.com/
See also
moveMessageToTrash(message)
Moves the message to the trash and forces the message to refresh.
// Move the first message in your inbox to trashconstfirstThread=GmailApp.getInboxThreads(0,1)[0];constfirstMessage=firstThread.getMessages()[0];GmailApp.moveMessageToTrash(firstMessage);
Parameters
| Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
message | Gmail | the message to be trashed |
Return
Gmail — the Gmail service (useful for chaining)
Authorization
Scripts that use this method require authorization with one or more of the followingscopes or appropriate scopes from therelated REST API:
https://mail.google.com/
See also
moveMessagesToTrash(messages)
Moves the specified messages to the trash and forces the messages to refresh.
// Move first two messages in your inbox to trashconstfirstThread=GmailApp.getInboxThreads(0,1)[0];constmessages=firstThread.getMessages();consttoDelete=[messages[0],messages[1]];GmailApp.moveMessagesToTrash(toDelete);
Parameters
| Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
messages | Gmail | the messages to be trashed |
Return
Gmail — the Gmail service (useful for chaining)
Authorization
Scripts that use this method require authorization with one or more of the followingscopes or appropriate scopes from therelated REST API:
https://mail.google.com/
See also
moveThreadToArchive(thread)
Moves this thread to the archive and forces the thread to refresh.
// Archive the first thread in your inboxconstfirstThread=GmailApp.getInboxThreads(0,1)[0];GmailApp.moveThreadToArchive(firstThread);
Parameters
| Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
thread | Gmail | the thread to be archive |
Return
Gmail — the Gmail service, useful for chaining
Authorization
Scripts that use this method require authorization with one or more of the followingscopes or appropriate scopes from therelated REST API:
https://mail.google.com/
See also
moveThreadToInbox(thread)
Moves this thread to the inbox and forces the thread to refresh.
// Find a thread not already in your inboxconstthread=GmailApp.search('-in:inbox')[0];// Get the first oneGmailApp.moveThreadToInbox(thread);
Parameters
| Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
thread | Gmail | the thread to be moved to the inbox |
Return
Gmail — the Gmail service, useful for chaining
Authorization
Scripts that use this method require authorization with one or more of the followingscopes or appropriate scopes from therelated REST API:
https://mail.google.com/
See also
moveThreadToSpam(thread)
Moves this thread to spam and forces the thread to refresh.
// Tag first thread in inbox as spamconstfirstThread=GmailApp.getInboxThreads(0,1)[0];GmailApp.moveThreadToSpam(firstThread);
Parameters
| Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
thread | Gmail | the thread to be moved to spam |
Return
Gmail — the Gmail service, useful for chaining
Authorization
Scripts that use this method require authorization with one or more of the followingscopes or appropriate scopes from therelated REST API:
https://mail.google.com/
See also
moveThreadToTrash(thread)
Moves this thread to the trash and forces the thread to refresh.
// Move first thread in inbox to trashconstfirstThread=GmailApp.getInboxThreads(0,1)[0];GmailApp.moveThreadToTrash(firstThread);
Parameters
| Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
thread | Gmail | the thread to be trashed |
Return
Gmail — the Gmail service, useful for chaining
Authorization
Scripts that use this method require authorization with one or more of the followingscopes or appropriate scopes from therelated REST API:
https://mail.google.com/
See also
moveThreadsToArchive(threads)
Moves these threads to the archive and forces the threads to refresh.
// Move first two threads in your inbox to the archiveconstfirstTwoThreads=GmailApp.getInboxThreads(0,2);GmailApp.moveThreadsToArchive(firstTwoThreads);
Parameters
| Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
threads | Gmail | an array of threads to be archived |
Return
Gmail — the Gmail service, useful for chaining
Authorization
Scripts that use this method require authorization with one or more of the followingscopes or appropriate scopes from therelated REST API:
https://mail.google.com/
See also
moveThreadsToInbox(threads)
Moves these threads to the inbox and forces the threads to refresh.
// Find two threads not already in your inboxconstfirstTwoThreads=GmailApp.search('-in:inbox',0,2);GmailApp.moveThreadsToInbox(firstTwoThreads);
Parameters
| Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
threads | Gmail | an array of threads to be moved to the inbox |
Return
Gmail — the Gmail service, useful for chaining
Authorization
Scripts that use this method require authorization with one or more of the followingscopes or appropriate scopes from therelated REST API:
https://mail.google.com/
See also
moveThreadsToSpam(threads)
Moves these threads to spam and forces the threads to refresh.
// Move first two threads in your inbox to spamconstfirstTwoThreads=GmailApp.getInboxThreads(0,2);GmailApp.moveThreadsToSpam(firstTwoThreads);
Parameters
| Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
threads | Gmail | an array of threads to be moved to spam |
Return
Gmail — the Gmail service, useful for chaining
Authorization
Scripts that use this method require authorization with one or more of the followingscopes or appropriate scopes from therelated REST API:
https://mail.google.com/
See also
moveThreadsToTrash(threads)
Moves these threads to the trash and forces the threads to refresh.
// Move first two threads in your inbox to trashconstfirstTwoThreads=GmailApp.getInboxThreads(0,2);GmailApp.moveThreadsToTrash(firstTwoThreads);
Parameters
| Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
threads | Gmail | an array of threads to be trashed |
Return
Gmail — the Gmail service, useful for chaining
Authorization
Scripts that use this method require authorization with one or more of the followingscopes or appropriate scopes from therelated REST API:
https://mail.google.com/
See also
refreshMessage(message)
Reloads the message and associated state from Gmail (useful in case the labels, read state,etc., have changed).
constfirstThread=GmailApp.getInboxThreads(0,1)[0];constfirstMessage=firstThread.getMessages()[0];// ...Do something that may take a while here....GmailApp.refreshMessage(firstMessage);// ...Do more stuff with firstMessage...
Parameters
| Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
message | Gmail | the message to be refreshed |
Return
Gmail — the Gmail service, useful for chaining
Authorization
Scripts that use this method require authorization with one or more of the followingscopes or appropriate scopes from therelated REST API:
https://mail.google.com/
See also
refreshMessages(messages)
Reloads the messages and associated state from Gmail (useful in case the labels, read state,etc., have changed).
constfirstThread=GmailApp.getInboxThreads(0,1)[0];constcoupleOfMessages=firstThread.getMessages().slice(0,2);// ...Do something that may take a while here....GmailApp.refreshMessages(coupleOfMessages);// ...Do more stuff with coupleOfMessages...
Parameters
| Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
messages | Gmail | the messages to be refreshed |
Return
Gmail — the Gmail service, useful for chaining
Authorization
Scripts that use this method require authorization with one or more of the followingscopes or appropriate scopes from therelated REST API:
https://mail.google.com/
See also
refreshThread(thread)
Reloads the thread and associated state from Gmail (useful in case the labels, read state,etc., have changed).
constfirstThread=GmailApp.getInboxThreads(0,1)[0];// ...Do something that may take a while here....GmailApp.refreshThread(firstThread);// ... Do more stuff with the thread ...
Parameters
| Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
thread | Gmail | the thread to be refreshed |
Return
Gmail — the Gmail service, useful for chaining
Authorization
Scripts that use this method require authorization with one or more of the followingscopes or appropriate scopes from therelated REST API:
https://mail.google.com/
See also
refreshThreads(threads)
Reloads the threads and associated state from Gmail (useful in case the labels, read state,etc., have changed).
constthreads=GmailApp.getInboxThreads(0,3);// ...Do something that may take a while here....GmailApp.refreshThreads(threads);// ... Do more stuff with threads ...
Parameters
| Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
threads | Gmail | the threads to be refreshed |
Return
Gmail — the Gmail service, useful for chaining
Authorization
Scripts that use this method require authorization with one or more of the followingscopes or appropriate scopes from therelated REST API:
https://mail.google.com/
See also
search(query)
Search Gmail with the given query.
This call will fail when the size of all threads is too large for the system to handle.Where the thread size is unknown, and potentially very large, please use the 'paged' call, andspecify ranges of the threads to retrieve in each call.
// Find starred messages with subject IMPORTANTconstthreads=GmailApp.search('is:starred subject:"IMPORTANT"');
Parameters
| Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
query | String | the search query, as you would type it into Gmail |
Return
Gmail — an array of Gmail threads matching this query
Authorization
Scripts that use this method require authorization with one or more of the followingscopes or appropriate scopes from therelated REST API:
https://mail.google.com/
search(query, start, max)
Search Gmail with the given query.
// Find starred messages with subject IMPORTANT and return second batch of 10.// Assumes there are at least 11 of them, otherwise this will return an empty// array.constthreads=GmailApp.search('is:starred subject:"IMPORTANT"',10,10);
Parameters
| Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
query | String | the search query, as you would type it into Gmail |
start | Integer | the index of the starting thread |
max | Integer | the maximum number of threads to return |
Return
Gmail — an array of Gmail threads matching this query
Authorization
Scripts that use this method require authorization with one or more of the followingscopes or appropriate scopes from therelated REST API:
https://mail.google.com/
sendEmail(recipient, subject, body)
Sends an email message. The size of the email (including headers) isquota limited.
// The code below will send an email with the current date and time.constnow=newDate();GmailApp.sendEmail('mike@example.com','current time',`The time is:${now.toString()}`,);
Parameters
| Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
recipient | String | comma separated list of email addresses |
subject | String | subject of the email (250 characters maximum) |
body | String | body of the email |
Return
Gmail — the Gmail service, useful for chaining
Authorization
Scripts that use this method require authorization with one or more of the followingscopes or appropriate scopes from therelated REST API:
https://mail.google.com/
See also
sendEmail(recipient, subject, body, options)
Sends an email message with optional arguments. The email can contain plain text or an HTMLbody. The size of the email (including headers, but excluding attachments) isquota limited.
// Send an email with a file from Google Drive attached as a PDF.constfile=DriveApp.getFileById('1234567890abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz');GmailApp.sendEmail('mike@example.com','Attachment example','Please see the attached file.',{attachments:[file.getAs(MimeType.PDF)],name:'Automatic Emailer Script',},);
Parameters
| Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
recipient | String | the addresses of the recipient |
subject | String | the subject line (250 characters maximum) |
body | String | the body of the email |
options | Object | a JavaScript object that specifies advanced parameters, as listed below |
Advanced parameters
| Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
attachments | Blob | an array of files to send with the email |
bcc | String | a comma-separated list of email addresses to BCC |
cc | String | a comma-separated list of email addresses to CC |
from | String | the address that the email should be sent from, which must be one of the values returned byget |
html | String | if set, devices capable of rendering HTML will use it instead of the required body argument; you can add an optionalinline field in HTML body if you have inlined images for your email |
inline | Object | a JavaScript object containing a mapping from image key (String) to image data (Blob); this assumes that thehtml parameter is used and contains references to these images in the format<img src="cid:imageKey" /> |
name | String | the name of the sender of the email (default: the user's name) |
no | Boolean | true if the email should be sent from a generic no-reply email address to discourage recipients from responding to emails; this option is only possible for Google Workspace accounts, not Gmail users |
reply | String | an email address to use as the default reply-to address (default: the user's email address) |
Return
Gmail — the Gmail service, useful for chaining
Authorization
Scripts that use this method require authorization with one or more of the followingscopes or appropriate scopes from therelated REST API:
https://mail.google.com/
See also
setCurrentMessageAccessToken(accessToken)
Sets thecurrent messageaccess token that enables the script to access the currentGmail properties.
OnlyGoogle Workspace add-on projects using Gmailcurrent message scopesrequire this method.
functionhandleAddonActionEvent(e){GmailApp.setCurrentMessageAccessToken(e.messageMetadata.accessToken);constmailMessage=GmailApp.getMessageById(e.messageMetadata.messageId);// Do something with mailMessage}
Parameters
| Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
access | String | the temporary access token obtained from a Gmail add-onaction event object. |
Authorization
Scripts that use this method require authorization with one or more of the followingscopes or appropriate scopes from therelated REST API:
https://mail.google.com/
starMessage(message)
Adds a star to this message and forces the message to refresh.
// Stars the first message in the first thread in your inboxconstfirstThread=GmailApp.getInboxThreads(0,1)[0];constmessage=firstThread.getMessages()[0];GmailApp.starMessage(message);
Parameters
| Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
message | Gmail | the message to star |
Return
Gmail — the Gmail service, useful for chaining
Authorization
Scripts that use this method require authorization with one or more of the followingscopes or appropriate scopes from therelated REST API:
https://mail.google.com/
See also
starMessages(messages)
Adds stars to these messages and forces the messages to refresh.
// Stars the first three messages in the first thread in your inboxconstfirstThread=GmailApp.getInboxThreads(0,1)[0];constcoupleOfMessages=firstThread.getMessages().slice(0,3);GmailApp.starMessages(coupleOfMessages);
Parameters
| Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
messages | Gmail | an array of messages to star |
Return
Gmail — the Gmail service, useful for chaining
Authorization
Scripts that use this method require authorization with one or more of the followingscopes or appropriate scopes from therelated REST API:
https://mail.google.com/
See also
unstarMessage(message)
Removes a star from this message and forces the message to refresh.
// Unstars the first message in the first thread in your inboxconstfirstThread=GmailApp.getInboxThreads(0,1)[0];constmessage=firstThread.getMessages()[0];GmailApp.unstarMessage(message);
Parameters
| Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
message | Gmail | the message to unstar |
Return
Gmail — the Gmail service, useful for chaining
Authorization
Scripts that use this method require authorization with one or more of the followingscopes or appropriate scopes from therelated REST API:
https://mail.google.com/
See also
unstarMessages(messages)
Removes stars from these messages and forces the messages to refresh.
// Unstars the first three messages in the first thread in your inboxconstfirstThread=GmailApp.getInboxThreads(0,1)[0];constcoupleOfMessages=firstThread.getMessages().slice(0,3);GmailApp.unstarMessages(coupleOfMessages);
Parameters
| Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
messages | Gmail | an array of messages to unstar |
Return
Gmail — the Gmail service, useful for chaining
Authorization
Scripts that use this method require authorization with one or more of the followingscopes or appropriate scopes from therelated REST API:
https://mail.google.com/
See also
Deprecated methods
getChatThreads()
getChatThreads() Deprecated. This function is deprecated and should not be used in new scripts.
Gets all classic Google Hangouts threads and Google Chat threads until Google switches allusers of classic Hangouts to Chat later this year. To learn more, seeLearnabout the switch from classic Hangouts to Google Chat.
This call fails when the size of all threads is too large for the system to handle. Wherethe thread size is unknown, and potentially very large, use the 'paged' call, and specifyranges of the threads to retrieve in each call.
constthreads=GmailApp.getChatThreads();Logger.log(`# of chat threads:${threads.length}`);
Return
Gmail — An array of chat threads from Gmail.
Authorization
Scripts that use this method require authorization with one or more of the followingscopes or appropriate scopes from therelated REST API:
https://mail.google.com/
getChatThreads(start, max)
getChatThreads(start, max) Deprecated. This function is deprecated and should not be used in new scripts.
Gets a range of classic Google Hangouts threads and Google Chat threads until Google switchesall users of classic Hangouts to Chat later this year. To learn more, seeLearnabout the switch from classic Hangouts to Google Chat.
// Get first 50 chat threadsconstthreads=GmailApp.getChatThreads(0,50);// Will log no more than 50.0Logger.log(threads.length);Logger.log(threads[0].getFirstMessageSubject());
Parameters
| Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
start | Integer | the index of the first thread to retrieve |
max | Integer | the maximum number of threads to retrieve |
Return
Gmail — an array of chat Gmail threads
Authorization
Scripts that use this method require authorization with one or more of the followingscopes or appropriate scopes from therelated REST API:
https://mail.google.com/
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Last updated 2025-12-11 UTC.