How to programmatically add text-anchored comments in Google Docs?

Other Questions Google docs
1

I’m trying to add comments tied to specific text in a Google Doc using Apps Script. But I can’t get it to work right. Here’s what I’ve tried:

function addAnchoredComment() {
  var doc = DocumentApp.getActiveDocument();
  var body = doc.getBody();
  var text = body.editAsText();
  
  var startIndex = 10;
  var endIndex = 20;
  var commentText = 'This is a test comment';
  
  var position = doc.newPosition(text, startIndex);
  var comment = doc.addComment(position, commentText);
  
  // Trying to set the range, but it's not working
  comment.setAnchor(doc.newRange(
    doc.newPosition(text, startIndex),
    doc.newPosition(text, endIndex)
  ));
}

The comment shows up, but it’s not attached to any specific text. It just floats at the top of the document. What am I doing wrong? Is there a way to make this work with Apps Script? Or do I need to use a different API? Any help would be awesome!

2

hey isaac, i’ve run into this too. the apps script api can be a pain for comments. have u tried using the docs api instead? it’s way more reliable for this kinda stuff. u’ll need to enable it in ur project settings first tho. lemme know if u want me to share some sample code that works!

3

As someone who’s worked extensively with Google Docs API, I can tell you that anchoring comments programmatically can be a bit finicky. One thing I’ve found that works well is using the Advanced Docs Service instead of the built-in DocumentApp.

Here’s a snippet that’s worked for me:

function addAnchoredComment() {
  var docId = DocumentApp.getActiveDocument().getId();
  var requests = [{
    'createComment': {
      'text': 'This is a test comment',
      'range': {
        'startIndex': 10,
        'endIndex': 20
      }
    }
  }];
  
  Docs.Documents.batchUpdate({'requests': requests}, docId);
}

Make sure to enable the Advanced Docs Service in your script project first. This method gives you more control and reliability when it comes to comment placement. It’s been a game-changer for my document automation tasks.

4

I’ve encountered this issue before, and it can be tricky. The problem lies in how Google Docs handles comment anchoring through Apps Script. Instead of using setAnchor(), try creating a new comment with a range directly:

function addAnchoredComment() {
  var doc = DocumentApp.getActiveDocument();
  var body = doc.getBody();
  var text = body.editAsText();
  
  var startIndex = 10;
  var endIndex = 20;
  var commentText = 'This is a test comment';
  
  var range = doc.newRange(
    doc.newPosition(text, startIndex),
    doc.newPosition(text, endIndex)
  ).build();
  
  doc.addComment(range, commentText);
}

This approach should anchor the comment to the specified text range. Remember that indices are zero-based, so adjust accordingly. If you’re still having issues, double-check that your indices are within the document’s content bounds.