Need help with Google Sheets add-on testing
I’m building an add-on for Google Sheets using Apps Script. My problem is I can’t figure out how to test it in different spreadsheets while it’s still in development.
Right now, I can only use the add-on in the spreadsheet where I created it. But I want to try it out in other sheets without publishing it to the store yet.
Does anyone know a way to do this? I’m looking for a method to install and use my add-on in various spreadsheets during the development phase.
It would be super helpful to hear from someone who’s done this before. Any tips or tricks would be great!
From my experience, a practical approach is to create a separate development version of your add-on. In the Apps Script project, go to ‘File’ > ‘Make a copy’ to duplicate your script. This new copy can be your development version.
In this dev version, you can enable the ‘Developer mode’ in the Google Workspace Marketplace SDK settings. This allows you to install the add-on on your Google account for testing across multiple spreadsheets without publishing.
Remember to thoroughly test edge cases and different user scenarios. It’s also wise to set up some automated tests using the built-in Apps Script testing framework to catch regressions early.
Lastly, don’t forget to document your testing process. It’ll save you time in future development cycles.
hey, i’ve been there! quick tip: use the ‘deploy as test add-on’ option in the script editor. it lets u test ur add-on in any sheet without publishing. just go to ‘deploy’ > ‘new deployment’ > choose ‘test deployment’ type. then pick the sheets u wanna test on. super handy for debugging!
I encountered a similar challenge when testing my own Google Sheets add-on during development. I found that the easiest way to try it out in different spreadsheets is to use the ‘Test as add-on’ feature in the Apps Script editor. You can select any existing spreadsheet to run your add-on, which is incredibly helpful.
Another approach that worked for me was deploying the script as a temporary web app, then installing it manually in other sheets. It might take a bit more effort, but it definitely offers more flexibility during development.
Using Logger for debugging is also a straightforward way to track down issues across various test cases.