Standalone Scripts

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AI-generated Key Takeaways

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• Standalone scripts are not bound to specific Google Workspace files like Sheets or Docs and are found in Google Drive.

• You can easily create a standalone script by visiting script.google.com or through Google Drive.

• Functions within a standalone script can be executed directly from the script editor.

• Standalone scripts are often used as utility scripts or can be deployed as web apps or triggered automatically.

• For larger projects, consider alternative development environments instead of Apps Script standalone scripts.

A standalone script is any script that is not bound to a Google Sheets, Docs, Slides, or Forms file. These scripts appear among your files in Google Drive.

Creating a standalone script

The easiest way to create a standalone script is to visit script.google.com and at the top left, click addNew project.

You can also create standalone scripts from Google Drive. Go to Google Drive and click New > More > Google Apps Script.

Running a standalone script

To run a function from the script editor, at the top, select the name of the function you want to execute and click Run.

Using a standalone script

Many standalone scripts are utility scripts — for example, to search your Google Drive for old files whose name contains "untitled" so that you can delete them.

A standalone script can also be deployed as a web app or set up to run automatically from an installable trigger.

Apps Script standalone scripts are suitable for lightweight add-on development for yourself, your team, or your organization. For larger projects, consider building a Google Workspace add-on on a different runtime environment.