class SpreadsheetApp method .getActiveSpreadsheet()

SpreadsheetApp is the Apps Script service.

.getActiveSpreadsheet() is the method name you will see after a dot in your code.

What it does

Returns the spreadsheet the user currently has open.

Why it's used

Nearly every bound script starts here so you can read or write the sheet the user has open.
Custom menus and sidebar tools need this before they can touch any data.

Common errors

Forgetting parentheses on getActiveSpreadsheet. Write SpreadsheetApp.getActiveSpreadsheet(), not SpreadsheetApp.getActiveSpreadsheet or getActiveSpreadsheet by itself.
Skipping dots between chained calls. Each step needs a dot, like SpreadsheetApp.getActiveSpreadsheet().getSheetByName('Data').getActiveSpreadsheet().
Adding spaces where they do not belong. Write SpreadsheetApp.getActiveSpreadsheet(), not SpreadsheetApp .getActiveSpreadsheet(), SpreadsheetApp.getActiveSpreadsheet (), or SpreadsheetApp . getActiveSpreadsheet().
Wrong capitalization. Use SpreadsheetApp and getActiveSpreadsheet, not spreadsheetapp or getactivespreadsheet.

Snippets using this method

Official Google docs

Explore

Related methods

.getActive()
Returns the range the user currently has selected.
.getActiveSheet()
Returns the sheet tab the user is viewing right now.
.activate()
Makes a sheet or range the active selection.
.openByUrl()
Opens an existing spreadsheet from its full URL.
.openById()
Opens an existing spreadsheet using its Drive file ID.

More Apps Script

Better Sheets tutorials

2 New Ways To Add Emoji Reactions

Revolutionize the way you react with emojis! Discover two new methods t...

5 Ways To Use Google Sheets for Advanced Project Management

Here are 5 advanced ways to manage projects inside of Google Sheets Man...

Intermediate

COUNTIF() FILTER() IF() INDEX() ISBLANK() +3 more

Access the Dictionary API to get Definitions for Words in Google Sheets

Advanced

Activate A Certain Sheet When Opening a Spreadsheet

Create a short function that runs every time a spreadsheet file is open....

Intermediate

Add Click Tracking To Your Google Sheets | Bitly in a Google Sheet

Create a click Edit: Google changed how the redirect is handled. It no l...

Advanced

HYPERLINK()

Add NPS to Your Google Site

Create buttons on your Google Site to get an NPS, or Net Promoter Score ...

Intermediate

AVERAGE()

Advanced Coding in Google Sheets for Programmers

Add a Custom Menu Create Native-like Functions Get URL and Sheet ID's vi...

Advanced Intermediate

Americano Tournament Template With Four Automations

Created a tournament template with 4 automations. So tabs can be copied ...

Intermediate

SORT() SUM() SUMIF() UNIQUE()

Automated Project Management in Google Sheets

Create automatic notifications when a project is assigned, a project nee...

Intermediate

Automate Emails

Set up automated email notifications based on Google Sheets data. Super ...

Beginner

Automate Form Response to Confirmation Email

Create an email automatically when someone fills out a google form. incl...

Advanced

Automate Google Sheets With Zero Experience

By the end of this video you should be knowledgeable about how to automa...

Beginner

Automate Help Desk Ticket Closing

Create a simple automated help desk ticketing system. • Create tickets C...

Advanced

AVERAGE() COUNTA() COUNTIF() FILTER() IF()

Automate Move Blank Rows

Automate the apps script we just created that moves blank rows from one ...

Intermediate

Automatically Backup a Spreadsheet

Make a copy and rename to BACKUP plus the Date of the backup. Execute th...

Intermediate

Automatically Check Past Stages

Create an automation that runs whenver we check off a checklist item the...

Beginner

Automatically Clear Content | Refresh Reuse Recycle Templates

Create automatic functions to clear content.

Intermediate

Automatically Copy Spreadsheet Tab to New File with Values Only, No Formulas

Automatically copy a spreadsheet tab to a whole new spreadsheet file, ge...

Intermediate

Automatically Delete All Sheets If Not Listed Name

A raw, 1 shot take of figuring out how to automatically delete all sheet...

Advanced

Automatically Uncheck A Daily Checklist

Create an automatic unchecker for a daily checklist. Fun way to learn Ap...

Beginner

Automatic Calculations

Create custom scripts to make your spreadsheets more like tools.

Beginner

Automatic Screenshots in Apps Script

Advanced

Automatic Weekly Backup of Google Sheets

Discover how to Save Your Sheets Every Week Automatically

Intermediate

Basic CRM - Add a Powerful Script To Move Row Based on Status

we're going to be adding a very powerful script to our CRMs or any datab...

Advanced

Better Email Form on Google Sites

Submit email from a Google Sites to Google Sheets with this easy to embe...

Advanced Intermediate

Bjarne Asks: Can I show the Last Time of the Last Edit in a sheet?

ow do I show the date and time for the last time something was changed i...

NOW()

Breaking Through Errors In Apps Script

See where to find errors in your apps script and how to fix them. You wi...

Intermediate

Brighten Up Your Checklist Automatically

Create a cool function that brightens your sheet background from white t...

Intermediate

Build a Book Recommender with AI in Google Sheets

Create an Email form that sends a few books to AI and gets back a book r...

Advanced

Build a Case Converter From Scratch

Create a little web app, or a tool inside of Google Sheets that can take...

Intermediate

IF() LOWER() PROPER() UPPER()

Build a Job Status Checker API in 15 Minutes

The video tutorial demonstrates how to leverage Google Sheets and Google...

Advanced

IF() IFNA() ISBLANK()

Build a License Key Generator and API in 20 Minutes

How to leverage Apps Script to create an API in less than 20 minutes. Cr...

Advanced

Build a Startup Pitch Generator in 20 minutes

Build a fully functioning AI powered startup pitch generator in 20 minut...

Intermediate

Building an AI Prompts Playground

Access the OpenAI API, walkthrough of the way we engineer the Apps Scrip...

Advanced

Build Your Own AI Writer in Google Sheets

Create your own AI writer with these google sheets tips and tricks and c...

Advanced

SUBSTITUTE()

Build Your Own Free Domain Availability Checker

Built a Domain Availability Checker in Google Sheets. You can build your...

Advanced

ARRAYFORMULA() FILTER() IF() ISBLANK()

Build Your Own Net Promoter Score (NPS) Survey on a Web Site

Create an embeddable NPS system on a web page.

Advanced

AVERAGE() DCOUNTA() ROUND()

Built a Cookie Clicker Clone in Google Sheets

I built a clone of Cookie Clicker, live on YouTube. Watch the full 1 hou...

Advanced

Can I Automatically Rename a Sheet based on a Date?

Change the title of a spreadsheet from within a cell in the spreadsheet.

Intermediate

DAY() MONTH() TODAY() YEAR()

Can I get alerted when a tab name is changed?

Find out in this quick experiment if a tab name can be alerted to the ow...

Capture Emails from Website Form to a Google Sheet (Without Zapier)

Embed a little HTML into your site to capture Emails straight to a Googl...

SUBSTITUTE()

Celebrate Your Completed Checklists

Learn how to use apps script to add emoji animations when you complete a...

Advanced Intermediate

COUNTA() COUNTIF() FILTER() IF() IFNA() +3 more

ChatGPT Clone in Google Sheets Part 1

In this tutorial, learn how to create a ChatGPT-like interface using Goo...

ChatGPT Clone in Google Sheets Part 2

We fix the problem of OpenAI's API not remembering our last questions. A...

Advanced

Close Form After Certain Number of Responses

Create automatic triggers that close a form after a certain number of re...

Intermediate

Convert Google Sheets into a REST API

How to use Google Sheets as a database by turning it into a REST API wit...

Advanced

Copy That, From One Sheet to Another - Learn to Code in Google Sheets Part 4

Learn to code in sheets. Automate Your Daily Sales Report with Google Sh...

Advanced

NOW()

Create a ChatGPT Cheat Sheet Spreadsheet

Walk through step-by-step going from a blank sheet to an AI powered prom...

Intermediate

CONCATENATE() COUNTIF() IF() ISBLANK() LEN() +2 more

Create an Automated Task List

I've created simple automations to make an awesome automatic task list. ...

Intermediate

Create a new Spreadsheet from just a Name in a Sheet.

Create the Apps Script to create a new sheet from some data inside your ...

Advanced

Create a PR Agency From Scratch

Go from nothing to a working PR agency. Capture sites, and Send email vi...

Intermediate

ARRAYFORMULA() FILTER() JOIN() SPLIT()

Create a Radio Button From Checkboxes Using Google Apps Script

Let's code a Radio button that turns off all checkboxes except the one c...

Data validation Advanced

IFS() NOT() OR()

Create a Stop Watch in a Google Sheet

We'll create a stop watch from scratch. Including Apps Script. What it w...

Create a Timer with Apps Script

Create a start time and end time and duration of that, with a little bit...

Intermediate

IF() ISBLANK()

Create a Tracking Number Fetcher with Google Sheets and Google Sites

Build a tracking number google site with Google Sheets as a backend.

Advanced

Create a Vote Button from Google Sites to Google Sheets

Connect your published Google Site to Google Sheets with Apps Script and...

Intermediate

Create a Waterfall of AI Prompts and Responses

This is an attempt to create a waterfall effect in sheets. Where an AI r...

Advanced

IF() INDIRECT() ISBLANK()

Create Navigation Like A Book or Presentation

A pretty cool script I came up with to click and set active the next tab...

Advanced

Create New Worksheet When Google Form Submitted

Automate copying a template for new form submissions with user data inse...

Advanced

Create Your Own NIGHT Mode (like PRIDE)

Create easter eggs in your sheets.

Conditional Formatting Intermediate

AND()

Creating a Custom URL Link for Your Spreadsheet

Create an apps script function that gets the url of your spreadsheet int...

CONCAT() HYPERLINK()

CRM Automations

Simple automations you can add you to your CRM to keep it clean and look...

Intermediate

DATEDIF() IF() ISBLANK() WORKDAY()

Curate Google Sheets Easily - Automatic Bookmarklet Maker

Curated sites, articles, and more web resources super easily into a Goog...

Beginner

Daily Writer's Word Count Tracker

Walk through creating an awesome automatic word count tracker that's eas...

Intermediate

CONCATENATE() COUNTIF() ROUND() SUM() TEXT() +1 more

Different Kinds of Automation

A brief description of types of automation. I go way more in depth in “M...

Beginner

IF()

Don't Delete My Formulas

How to prevent someone from deleting your formulas. Beyond protecting yo...

Dylan Asks: How to Automatically Delete Rows If Cell Contains Value

Find out how to automatically delete rows based on a cell's value. We do...

Advanced

Email Certain Department Based on Google Form Entries

Message a certain department when google form is submitted.

Advanced

Email Myself a Daily Random Motivational Quote

Quickly make a daily email to myself with a motivational quote.

Beginner

Email Yourself a Cell from a Google Sheet, Every Day

Learn how to email yourself a cell from a Google sheet every day in just...

Beginner

Embed a Headline in a Website from Google Sheets

One of the most requested videos, Ever. How to put data, a number, some ...

Advanced

SUBSTITUTE()

Embed a Number in a Website from a Google Sheet

Ever wanted to display some data from a google sheet on your site? Witho...

Advanced

Embed Email Form and Name Form into Website to Google Sheets

Add names to the Email2Sheet apps script and code.

Advanced

Embed Quote and Author to Daily Quote Website

Step by step tutorial to update random quote site to show both Quote and...

Advanced

Every Google Drive File Created in Last 24 Hours

Create a simple report in a Google Sheet that documents every file in yo...

Intermediate

Every Locale Listed in Google Sheets and a Tool to Save Your Sanity

How to change your locale and figure out what changing locales means for...

Expense Tracker Template with Data Entry Form Inside Sheets

Create a data entry form for an expense tracker. Simple dashboard too wi...

Intermediate

FILTER() IFNA() SUM()

Fast FAQS

New Tool for you: Fast FAQs. Create a quick 10 question FAQ for any new ...

Form Automations: Close Multiple Forms When Over Limit

Adding to the Form Automations: Allow User to Reopen form without Apps ...

Advanced

From Sheet to Script And Back Again - Learn to Code In Google Sheets Part 3

In this video, I'm going to share with you how to go basically from shee...

Beginner

Get Every Editor on Every Google File I Own

Get every editor if you're looking for the sheets and documents you've s...

Getting Started Coding in Apps Script

A short 10 minute video to get you started with Apps Script. Showing you...

Beginner

Google Maps Scraper for Outreach

Get this fun template to search on google maps via API, and quickly mess...

Intermediate

Google Sheets Stories? No! But we'll add timestamped video notes to your google sheets.

There was a stories craze. Every app/platform/business was adding 24 hou...

CONCATENATE() IF() IMAGE() INDEX() ISBLANK() +1 more

Hold a Giveaway Raffle in a Google Sheet

Get a random winner from a list of names. Also great to randomize tasks ...

How do I reference a different spreadsheet in Apps Script?

I'll show you how to get text from one spreadsheet file to another with ...

Intermediate

IMPORTRANGE()

How To Change Date Format Automatically

Create automations to change date format based on the format you want, i...

Advanced

How to Copy To New Tab When Checked

Copy text from one tab to another based on a checkbox being checked.

Beginner

How to Create a Google Form Automatically

How to create a form programmatically using Google Apps Script. I show y...

Intermediate

How to Create AI Images From Google Sheets

Use the Open AI API and Dall-e-3 to create image in Sheets

Intermediate

How To Duplicate a Tab and Move it to the End in Google Sheets

Learn how to automate creating a template and moving the tab to the far ...

Intermediate

How To Format Sheets for Notes

Create sortable notes in Three ways. 1. By adding the original word ove...

How to Merge Cells in Google Sheets

A master class on merging cells. How to merge two cells. How to merge mu...

Beginner

CONCATENATE() JOIN()

How to Move Tab To End Easily with Apps Script

Create an apps script to move active tab to the far right.

How to Power Testimonials with Google Forms and Sheets

I show you how I use a Google Form and a Google Sheet to power the testi...

Advanced

FILTER() IFNA()

How To Send Two Emails in Same Trigger

Without having to create two functions and two triggers you can combine ...

Intermediate

How to Turn Background Color to Text

This tutorial showcases a practical solution to convert visual cues into...

Intermediate

How to Validate Email Addresses

I will show you how to validate email addresses using the Mailboxlayer ...

Intermediate

I Built a SEO Meta Description Writer

Unlock the Secrets of SEO Meta Descriptions! Learn how to craft compelli...

Advanced

IF() IMPORTXML() INDEX() ISBLANK() LEN() +1 more

I Created an Automatic Emailer

While creating SheetOps, a new product, I came up with this idea of an a...

Advanced Intermediate

Idea Graveyard - Create a Decaying Checklist

Build a simple function that deletes undone items in our checklist.

Intermediate

Introducing SheetFools

Free google sheets automations pranks you can use right now. Launching p...

Intermediate

Iterate Numbers with a Simple Apps Script

You're joining a company and they have some Google Sheets already create...

Beginner

Laziest Checklist Ever

Get your spreadsheet to check off your checklist for you. Dive into spr...

Intermediate

Learn to Code in Google Sheets, For Programmers

Google Sheets uses a scripting language called Google Apps Script, which...

Intermediate

IMAGE()

LinkTree in a Google Sheet

This tool will allows you to share multiple links on your social media.

Advanced

Make AI-generated Poems Based on Name

Create simple poems based on someone's name with AI. AI Apps Script Code...

Intermediate

Make a Tour of Your Sheet

create a tour of your sheet for users who might be using your sheet and ...

Advanced

Manage Your Wedding Guest List in Google Sheets

Learn how to manage any event with RSVPs and multiple organizers. Use Go...

COUNTA() COUNTIF() FILTER() IFERROR() MATCH() +1 more

MicroManager: Hourly Email Reminders

I'll show you how to set up a super powered checklist that can act like ...

Advanced

Move Blank Rows

Apps Script function to move all blank rows if a certain column is not f...

Intermediate

Move Entire Row when a Cell is changed to "Yes" - The $75,000 Google Script

This is one of the most popular asked first "automations". How to move a...

Mr. Beast Renamed My YouTube Titles

I need help to supercharge my YouTube channel! Are you struggling to fin...

Advanced

INDEX() JOIN() ROW()

Now Do It Every Damn Day - Learn to Code in Google Sheets Part 5

Now that we have a script that we wanna run every day, how do we run thi...

Advanced

Onboarding Scheduler

I will guide you through the process of creating an onboarding scheduler...

Intermediate

One Million Checkboxes

Check out this fun onEdit() counting you can do with checkboxes in a fun...

Beginner

One Weird Google Sheet Formula for Bulk Publishing With AI

'll show you a game-changing Google Sheet formula that will make your da...

Intermediate

IF() ISBLANK() SUBSTITUTE()

OpenAI API Prompt with Array of Cells

Create a prompt to OpenAI with an array of cells

Intermediate

CONCATENATE()

Open Spreadsheet to Motivational Quote Automatically

Create a simple script to open a particular tab. In this case we're open...

Beginner

COUNTA() INDEX() RAND() ROUNDUP()

Password Protecting Data In a Google Sheet

A funky way to password protect some data in a sheet, 3 ways to do it: w...

Advanced

IF() IMPORTRANGE()

Password Protecting Data In a Google Sheet Part 2 The Basics

Covering some of the basics I skipped over in the part 1 video.

Advanced

IF() IMPORTRANGE()

Prompt Parade

Create an epic writing tool to generate text from AI with a parade of pr...

Advanced

CONCATENATE() IF() ISBLANK() JOIN()

Proof of Life

Create a script that sends an email to ask for proof of life every month...

Advanced

Quickly Build a Daily Random Motivational Quote Website

Build a website from scratch using a little bit of Google Sheets as the ...

Intermediate

Quickstart Tutorial OpenAI API in Google Sheets

Use the power of OpenAI's GPT-3 inside of Google Sheets. In this quick s...

Richard Asks: Copy Template Tab and Rename to Date Every Week

Member Richard asks this question. Answer: use Google Script and a Trigger.

Run 100 ChatGPTs at One Time

Create a ChatGPT prompt inside a sheet, edit that prompt with a single i...

Intermediate

IF() ISBLANK() SUBSTITUTE()

Saving OpenAI API Calls inside of Google Sheets

Copy text output and input into a google sheet from your OpenAI API call...

Intermediate

Scrape Google Maps

Scrape any query in Google Maps into your Google Sheets. Enter your API ...

Intermediate

Scrape Google Maps Added Phone and Reviews

Added two helper functions to get Phone numbers and reviews of the Googl...

Self Destructing Google Sheet

Create a sheet that can trash itself. It can delete itself instantly or ...

Intermediate

Send a Button from Google Sheets in an Email

quick fun video to show you how to add a button to emails when you send ...

Intermediate

Send a Daily Email with Inspiring Quote - A Little Pick Me Up

Created a daily email with a motivational quote in the subject.

Intermediate

ARRAYFORMULA() COUNTA() IF() LEN() RANDBETWEEN()

Send Better Email When Google Form Filled Out

Find out how to email all the form entries each time your form is filled...

Intermediate

Send Daily Email Updates

extending Google Sheets in a really fun way. We're gonna be sending emai...

Advanced

Shaman: AI Blog Writer

I will introduce you to the power of AI writing in Google Sheets using a...

Intermediate

Sheet Stories / Video Notes + Clear 24 Hour Old Videos

Revolutionary Method to Manage Your Video Stories! Learn how to delete o...

Advanced

CONCATENATE() IF() IMAGE() INDEX() ISBLANK() +1 more

Show Sheet Tabs Based on Edit

Show a sheet or tab based on a code being entered in one sheet.

Intermediate

Simple Inventory Management Automations

Create a few simple automations like email notifications and low stock a...

Intermediate Beginner

IF() ISBLANK()

SOLUTIONS! Solve The Errors, Learn For Loop

SPOILER ALERT! In this video are the full solutions to the For Loop prob...

Advanced Intermediate

Solve The Errors, Learn For Loop

Learn how to debug a For Loop. These are common errors that happen when ...

Advanced Intermediate

Spreadsheet Automation for Beginners

I start off this video with the idea to show beginners how to automate e...

Beginner

INDEX() SPLIT()

Sync Many Tabs without ImportRange()

Sync more than two tabs with Apps Script

Advanced

Sync Tabs in Different Sections

How to sync different sections on different tabs. In this case we're tak...

Advanced

Sync Two Tabs Without ImportRange()

Get this epic script that automatically edits two tabs and keeps them in...

Advanced

Tag Emails From A List of Members in Google Sheets

Add labels to gmail emails you get from email addresses you put in a Goo...

Advanced

Timestamp When Done (With Code)

Automatically create a timestamp when a certain cell is marked as Done. ...

Beginner

Track Every Edit (Almost)

Create a Log sheet in Google Sheets

Twitter App Clone in a Google Sheet

I built a twitter clone in Google Sheets

Beginner

Ultimate Prompt Writer and Prompt Rater

Create a chat interface inside of Google Sheets using GPT-4. Insert rows...

Data validation Advanced

FILTER() IFERROR()

Uncheck Every Checkbox in Google Sheets

Automatically uncheck a whole range of checkboxes. Or just do it yoursel...

Intermediate

Upgrade Google Sheets OpenAI Prompt to GPT 4

Upgrade to OpenAI's GPT 4 in your Google Sheets. And use GPT-3.5: Turbo ...

Advanced

LEN()

Visicalc 2023 Design Walkthrough

Design walkthrough of VisiCalc 2023. Watch this if you'd like to see the...

Intermediate

Visicalc 2023 Quick Walkthrough

This is a fun template I created for April 1st. Take a quick walk throug...

Beginner

SUM()