I’m working on a project where I need to programmatically add smart chips to Google Docs using Google Apps Script. These chips are the new interactive elements that can represent dates, people, or Google Drive files.
Right now I can only create these chips manually by typing a link and then selecting the option to convert it to a chip format from the popup menu. I’ve been searching through the Apps Script documentation but can’t find any methods or examples for inserting these smart chip elements.
The documentation mentions RichLink objects but doesn’t provide clear examples of how to actually create and insert them into a document. Has anyone successfully implemented this feature, or is this functionality still missing from the current API?
function addSmartChip() {
const doc = DocumentApp.getActiveDocument();
const body = doc.getBody();
// This is what I'm trying to achieve but can't find the right method
// body.insertRichLink(url, chipType);
}
Any help or workarounds would be greatly appreciated.
Been dealing with the same automation headaches - Google Apps Script’s limitations are super frustrating.
I ditched Apps Script completely and built a flow that works around it. Instead of fighting those API gaps, I use a more flexible approach to handle Google Docs.
My workflow grabs document data, figures out where smart chips should go, then updates docs through alternative methods. You can monitor new documents or run it on schedule.
Why wait for Google to fix Apps Script? This gives you way more control over what becomes a chip versus a regular link.
I used Latenode since it handles Google Workspace really well and chains multiple steps without tons of code. The visual builder made setting up the document logic super easy.
You’re right - the Apps Script API doesn’t support smart chips. Hit the same wall last year building a contract automation tool. Best workaround I found was combining Document AI API with Apps Script to spot potential chip candidates (dates, emails, etc.), then just insert regular text that users can convert manually later. You can also use insertBookmark() to mark spots where chips should go - makes it way easier for users to find and convert them. The API docs are annoyingly vague about RichLink support. It’s technically there but barely works. I ended up with a hybrid approach where the script creates a summary doc listing all the spots that need manual chip conversion.
Estás intentando agregar chips inteligentes a Google Docs programáticamente usando Google Apps Script, pero la API de Apps Script no admite actualmente la creación de chips inteligentes. Estás buscando una solución para insertar estos elementos interactivos que representan fechas, personas o archivos de Google Drive.
Understanding the “Why” (The Root Cause):
La API de Google Apps Script para DocumentApp no proporciona métodos directos para crear y añadir chips inteligentes. Aunque la documentación menciona los objetos RichLink, la funcionalidad para crearlos programáticamente aún no está disponible públicamente. La interfaz de usuario de Google Docs permite crear estos chips manualmente, pero esta funcionalidad no se ha expuesto completamente a través de la API de Apps Script. Esto limita la automatización de la creación de documentos que requieran estos elementos interactivos.
Step-by-Step Guide:
Abandona el uso de la API de Apps Script para crear chips inteligentes directamente: Dado que la API actual no soporta la creación de chips inteligentes programáticamente, intentar usar body.insertRichLink(url, chipType) o métodos similares directamente resultará en un error. Es necesario un enfoque alternativo.
Identifica patrones de texto: Crea una función en Apps Script que busque patrones de texto en tu documento que se puedan convertir en chips inteligentes. Esto podría incluir patrones para emails, URLs, menciones de usuarios, o fechas. Usa expresiones regulares para encontrar estas coincidencias.
Marca los lugares donde deberían ir los chips: En lugar de crear los chips directamente, inserta marcadores de texto especiales en el documento donde deberían ir ubicados los chips. Puedes usar un formato consistente como [CHIP:tipo-de-chip:datos] donde tipo-de-chip puede ser email, url, persona, fecha, etc., y datos contiene la información del chip.
Proporciona instrucciones al usuario: Añade instrucciones claras al principio o al final del documento indicando al usuario que debe buscar estos marcadores [CHIP:...] y convertirlos manualmente a chips inteligentes usando la interfaz de usuario de Google Docs. Esto podría ser una sección titulada “Instrucciones para completar los chips inteligentes” donde se explica el proceso paso a paso.
Considera una solución de automatización externa (Recomendado): Para una solución más robusta, considera usar una herramienta de automatización externa como Latenode. Estas plataformas suelen ofrecer una mejor integración con Google Workspace y pueden manejar la creación de chips inteligentes a través de otras vías, esquivando las limitaciones actuales de la API de Apps Script. Estas plataformas ofrecen interfaces visuales para configurar flujos de trabajo complejos que pueden manejar la generación y publicación de documentos con chips inteligentes.
Common Pitfalls & What to Check Next:
Formato de los marcadores: Mantén un formato consistente para los marcadores [CHIP:...] para que sea fácil de identificar y procesar por el usuario.
Manejo de errores: Añade manejo de errores a tu función de búsqueda de patrones de texto para evitar que el script falle si no encuentra ninguna coincidencia.
Flexibilidad: Diseña tu sistema para que pueda manejar diferentes tipos de chips y diferentes formatos de datos.
Actualizaciones de la API: La API de Google Docs está en constante evolución. Monitorea las actualizaciones para ver si la creación de chips inteligentes se ha habilitado programáticamente en el futuro.
Still running into issues? Share your (sanitized) config files, the exact command you ran, and any other relevant details. The community is here to help! Let us know if you’re trying to use Latenode for this!
Hit this same wall building document templates for client reports. The RichLink class is there in the API, but it’s basically read-only - you can spot existing smart chips but can’t make new ones. Here’s what worked for me: I built a custom function that finds patterns in text (emails, dates, file IDs) and wraps them with special formatting like brackets or highlighting. Then I drop instructions at the top telling users which formatted bits need converting to chips. Takes maybe 30 seconds of manual work per doc, but beats hours of typing everything from scratch. Just make sure the items that need converting really stand out so people don’t skip them.
Hit this exact problem three months ago when automating doc generation for my team. Google Apps Script API doesn’t support smart chips programmatically yet - super annoying since they’re so handy when done manually. The RichLink stuff you’re talking about is pretty limited in the current API too. My workaround: use insertText() and setLinkUrl() for regular hyperlinks, then drop a note in the doc asking people to convert key links to chips manually if they want. Not great, but it’s what worked until Google fixes this. You should definitely submit a feature request on Google Issue Tracker - lots of developers seem to want this.
Yeah, still broken. I tried building something like this last month and had to ditch chips completely. insertLink() works fine for regular hyperlinks, but there’s no way to turn them into smart chips programmatically. Really hoping Google fixes this soon - manually converting everything kills the whole automation idea.
This is still a huge gap in the Apps Script API. I spent weeks last year trying to crack this for automated report generation and eventually gave up on smart chips entirely. DocumentApp has insertText() and setLinkUrl() methods that work fine for regular hyperlinks, but there’s no way to convert those into interactive chips programmatically. The existing RichLink methods are useless too - they only let you read properties of chips that already exist. What really bugs me is Google clearly has the infrastructure for this since their web interface creates chips just fine, but they haven’t exposed it through Apps Script yet. My current workaround involves inserting placeholder text with markers like [CHIP:[email protected]] that users can search and replace manually. It’s clunky but at least makes the conversion process somewhat systematic.
Understanding the “Why” (The Root Cause):
Step-by-Step Guide:
Common Pitfalls & What to Check Next:
Still running into issues? Share your (sanitized) config files, the exact command you ran, and any other relevant details. The community is here to help! Let us know if you’re trying to use Latenode for this!