An Easy Guide to Autofill Google Docs from Google Sheets using Google Apps Script

As all know automation plays an important part in boosting productivity in the rapid-fire culture of modern business. Workflows can be optimized by integrating and automating the advanced functions found in Google’s tool suite, which includes Google Sheets and Google Docs.

One noteworthy feature is the ability to utilize the Google Apps Script to autofill a Google Docs template with information from Google Sheets. This in-depth guide will walk you through the process of setting up this automation, highlighting its benefits and providing detailed steps on how to enhance your document creation process.

What is Google Apps Script?

Google Apps Script is a cloud-based scripting platform that allows users to create custom functionality within Google Workspace applications like Sheets, Docs, and Drive. It gives you the ability to set up complex workflows, automate tedious tasks, and combine other Google services without having a deep understanding of programming.

Whether you’re a business professional, educator, or project manager, Apps Script can help you optimize your processes, making your work more efficient and less prone to errors.

Why Automate Document Creation?

Automating document creation not only saves time but also ensures consistency and accuracy. Manual data entry is prone to mistakes, especially when dealing with large datasets. By automating the process of filling out templates with data from spreadsheets, you can minimize errors and ensure that each document is formatted correctly.

Organize Your Template and Data

Prepare Your Google Sheet

The first step in the automation process is preparing your Google Sheet. This sheet should contain all the data you need to populate your document template. Common fields might include:

• Full Names
  
  
• Addresses
  
  
• Contact Information
  
  
• City/State
  
  
• Other custom data points relevant to your documents

Ensure that each column in your Google Sheet is labeled correctly, as these labels will correspond to the placeholders in your Google Docs template.

Create Your Google Docs Template

Next, create a Google Docs template that includes placeholders for the data fields in your spreadsheet. These placeholders should be clearly defined and uniquely identifiable, such as:

• {{FullName}}
  
  
• {{Address}}
  
  
• {{City}}

The placeholders will be replaced by the corresponding data from your Google Sheet during the automation process. Design your template to match the style and format required for your documents.

Note: Watch out our YouTube video tutorial to configure the stepwise process

The Google Apps Script: Write and Implement

Accessing the Apps Script Editor

To create the automation, open your Google Sheet and navigate to the “Extensions” menu. Select “Apps Script” to open the script editor. Here, you’ll write the script that will automate the transfer of data from your Google Sheet to your Google Docs template.

Script Overview

The script needs to:

1. Identify the Google Docs template and Google Sheets data.
   
   
2. Create a new document for each row of data.
   
   
3. Replace the placeholders in the template with the actual data from the spreadsheet.
   
   
4. Save the newly created documents in a specified Google Drive folder.
   
   
5. Update the Google Sheet with links to the generated documents.

A Well-Working Script

Here’s a well-working script that accomplishes these tasks:

function onOpen() {
const ui = SpreadsheetApp.getUi();
const menu = ui.createMenu('AutoFill Docs');
menu.addItem('Create New Docs', 'createNewGoogleDocs');
menu.addToUi();
}

function createNewGoogleDocs() {
const googleDocTemplateId = 'your-template-id'; // replace with your template ID
const destinationFolderId = 'your-destination-folder-id'; // replace with your destination folder ID

const googleDocTemplate = DriveApp.getFileById(googleDocTemplateId);
const destinationFolder = DriveApp.getFolderById(destinationFolderId);

const activeSpreadsheet = SpreadsheetApp.getActiveSpreadsheet();
const sheet = activeSpreadsheet.getSheetByName('Sheet1'); // replace with your sheet name

Note: This isn’t the complete Apps Script code, it’s just a sample script code, in case you are required to have the complete script then you can click on “Apps Script Access” at the bottom of the blog and have a well-working apps script code that will automate your process.

Customize Your Script Accordingly

• Template ID and Folder ID: Replace ‘your-template-id’ and ‘your-destination-folder-id’ with the actual IDs of your Google Docs template and destination folder.
  
  
• Sheet Name: Ensure the sheet name in the script matches the name of your datasheet.
  
  
• Placeholders: The script uses replaceText() to substitute placeholders in your document with actual data. Customize these to match the placeholders in your template.

Authorize and Run the Script

Before running the script, Google will prompt you to authorize it to access your account. After authorization, a new “AutoFill Docs” menu will appear in your Google Sheet. Selecting “Create New Docs” will execute the script, generating documents based on the data in your sheet.

Benefits of Automating Document Creation

Time Savings

Automating document creation drastically reduces the time required to generate personalized documents. Instead of manually copying and pasting data into templates, the entire process is handled by the script, allowing you to focus on more critical tasks.

Improved Accuracy

Automation eliminates human errors that often occur during manual data entry. This ensures that each document is accurate, consistent, and formatted correctly according to your template specifications.

Scalability

Whether you’re dealing with a handful of documents or thousands, this method scales effortlessly. The script processes each row of data independently, making it suitable for both small and large-scale document generation tasks.

Consistency Across Documents

Using a standardized template ensures that all generated documents maintain a consistent format and style. This is particularly important for businesses and educational institutions that need to uphold a professional image.

Advanced Applications and Use Cases

Business Applications

• Invoice Automation: Automatically generate and distribute invoices based on sales data stored in Google Sheets.
  
  
• Client Correspondence: Personalize and automate client communications, such as welcome letters or contract agreements.

Educational Applications

• Certificate Generation: Automatically create certificates for students or participants based on course completion data.
  
  
• Progress Reports: Generate detailed progress reports for students with data stored in Google Sheets.

Research and Reporting

• Data-Driven Reports: Automate the creation of research reports by pulling data directly from spreadsheets.
  
  
• Survey Analysis: Generate personalized survey results reports for each respondent.

Enhance and Expand Your Script

Add Error Handle

To make your script more robust, consider adding error handling to manage situations like missing data or template errors. This can prevent the script from failing mid-process and ensure all documents are generated correctly.

Schedule The Trigger

If you regularly update your spreadsheet with new data, consider scheduling your script to run automatically at specified intervals using Google Apps Script’s built-in triggers. This way, documents can be generated as soon as new data is added, without manual intervention.

Integrate with Other Google Services

Expand your script’s capabilities by integrating it with other Google services. For example, you can send an email notification with a link to the generated document or share the document with specific users.

Conclusion

The integration of Google Sheets, Google Docs, and Google Apps Script offers a powerful solution for automating document creation. By setting up an automated process to autofill Google Docs templates from Google Sheets, you can significantly enhance efficiency, reduce errors, and maintain consistency across your documents.