How to get all Google Apps Script project IDs from Drive programmatically

[MarkSeeker91]

I built a script that updates Apps Script files automatically using the Apps Script API methods like getContent and updateContent. It works great when I test it on one file.

The problem is I need this to work on hundreds of Apps Script projects. Each project is linked to a different Google Sheet that was copied from the same template. So I have tons of unique script IDs that I need to find somehow.

I tried using the Drive API to search for them with mimeType='application/vnd.google-apps.script' but it gives me nothing back. When I search for spreadsheets with mimeType='application/vnd.google-apps.spreadsheet' it finds lots of files no problem.

I also looked at the Apps Script API processes endpoint. It can list script projects but doesn’t give me the actual script IDs I need. All the other API methods want a script ID first which doesn’t help.

Is there a way to get all the script IDs automatically? Maybe through Drive API or Apps Script API? Or can I use the Google Sheet IDs to find the script IDs somehow?

[Luna23]

Same setup here with template sheets. Pro tip - container-bound scripts use the same ID as your spreadsheet. Skip the complex API calls and just pull sheet IDs from Drive search, then use them directly in Apps Script’s updateContent calls. Ran this on 200+ projects with zero problems.

[sarahj]

I ran into this exact issue with batch updates. The Apps Script API gets weird with container-bound scripts - here’s what others missed: using the spreadsheet ID as script ID only works if you created the script through Extensions > Apps Script in Sheets. If you bound an existing standalone script later, it’ll fail.

What saved me was using the Drive API to check each spreadsheet’s parents property first, then cross-referencing with standalone scripts in those folders. Also, throw in small delays between API calls - prevents those random auth timeouts on large batches.

Drive API search works fine for script files, but you need full drive scope in OAuth, not just drive.readonly. Most tutorials only show the limited scope, which is why your mimetype search comes back empty.

[sophiac]

Yeah, this is a super common issue - Apps Script projects don’t show up in regular Drive searches like normal files. I dealt with this exact headache last year when I had scripts scattered across different departments. Here’s what actually worked: use the container-bound script relationship. Since your scripts are attached to Google Sheets, you can grab the script ID straight from each spreadsheet through the Apps Script API. Just get all your spreadsheet IDs with the Drive API search you’re already doing. Then for each sheet, call script.projects().get() and use the spreadsheet ID as the script ID parameter. This works because container-bound scripts share the same ID as their parent file. If you’ve got edit access to the sheets, you can also use the Sheets API to pull the script project URL from spreadsheet.developerMetadata or extract it by accessing the script editor URL pattern. This approach saved me tons of time vs doing it manually.

[henryg]

Try drive.files().list() with the q parameter set to 'parents in "[folder_id]"' if your scripts are in specific folders. Also double-check that the script projects are shared with your service account - that’s usually why mimetype searches fail even when they should work.

[omarR_85]

The Problem:

You’re trying to update hundreds of Apps Script projects linked to different Google Sheets, but you’re struggling to efficiently retrieve all the necessary script IDs. The Drive API’s mimeType search isn’t returning Apps Script projects, and other API methods require the script ID beforehand, creating a circular dependency.

Understanding the “Why” (The Root Cause):

The core issue is that the Drive API doesn’t directly expose Apps Script project IDs in standard file searches. However, because your Apps Scripts are container-bound to Google Sheets (meaning they’re embedded within the spreadsheets), you can leverage this relationship to indirectly obtain the script IDs. Each container-bound script shares the same ID as its parent spreadsheet.

Step-by-Step Guide:

1. Retrieve Spreadsheet IDs using the Drive API: Use the Drive API’s files().list() method to fetch all spreadsheet IDs. Your existing Drive API search for spreadsheets (mimeType='application/vnd.google-apps.spreadsheet') is a good starting point. Ensure you have the necessary authentication and authorization (likely https://www.googleapis.com/auth/drive scope). This step retrieves a list of spreadsheet IDs.

2. Iterate and Retrieve Script IDs using the Apps Script API: For each spreadsheet ID obtained in Step 1, use the Apps Script API’s projects().get() method. Crucially, use the spreadsheet ID as the scriptId parameter in this API call. Since the script ID and the spreadsheet ID are the same for container-bound scripts, this will return the necessary script project details, including the script ID.

3. Handle Potential Errors: Some spreadsheets might not have associated scripts. Implement robust error handling within your loop to gracefully skip these cases and prevent your script from crashing. Consider logging errors for later review to identify problematic spreadsheets.

4. Update Your Apps Script Files: Once you have a list of script IDs, proceed with your original script that uses getContent and updateContent methods of the Apps Script API to update the content of your Apps Script projects.

Example Code Snippet (Python):

from googleapiclient.discovery import build

# ... (Authentication and authorization code using your preferred method) ...

drive_service = build('drive', 'v3', credentials=creds)
script_service = build('script', 'v1', credentials=creds)

# Retrieve Spreadsheet IDs
response = drive_service.files().list(
    q="mimeType='application/vnd.google-apps.spreadsheet'",
    fields="nextPageToken, files(id)"
).execute()
spreadsheets = response.get('files', [])

script_ids = []
for spreadsheet in spreadsheets:
    spreadsheet_id = spreadsheet['id']
    try:
        script_project = script_service.projects().get(scriptId=spreadsheet_id).execute()
        script_ids.append(script_project['scriptId'])
    except Exception as e:
        print(f"Error processing spreadsheet {spreadsheet_id}: {e}")

# Now you have a list of script IDs in 'script_ids'
# Proceed with your updateContent logic using these IDs

Common Pitfalls & What to Check Next:

• Authentication and Authorization: Double-check that your service account or OAuth 2.0 credentials have the necessary permissions (https://www.googleapis.com/auth/drive for Drive API and appropriate scope for Apps Script API).
• Rate Limiting: If you have a very large number of spreadsheets, be mindful of API rate limits. Implement delays between API calls using time.sleep() if necessary.
• Error Handling: Thorough error handling is crucial. Log errors to easily identify and debug issues with individual spreadsheets or scripts.
• Script Binding: Ensure your Apps Scripts are truly container-bound to the spreadsheets. If you added the script to an already existing spreadsheet this method might not work.

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!