In today’s digital landscape, managing and validating large lists of URLs is a common task for many professionals. Whether you’re a marketer tracking backlinks, an SEO specialist auditing websites, or a content manager maintaining a directory, having a reliable tool to scan and check URLs is invaluable. Today, we’ll explore a robust Google Sheets script that does just that, combining URL validation, backlink checking, and even AI-powered task generation.
The Core Functionality:
At its heart, this script adds a custom menu to your Google Sheet called “Scan and Check”. When activated, it performs the following key functions:
1. URL Scanning: It goes through each URL in your sheet, validating its format and accessibility.
2. Backlink Checking: For valid URLs, it checks if they contain a backlink to a specific domain (in this case, “outrightcrm.com”).
3. Status Updating: The script updates the sheet with the current status of each URL, including whether it’s valid, accessible, and contains the required backlink.
4. Result Summarization: After scanning, it provides a summary of successful, failed, and invalid URLs.
Key Components
1. Custom Menu Creation
function onOpen() {
var ui = SpreadsheetApp.getUi();
ui.createMenu('Scan and Check')
.addItem('Scan and Check', 'scanAndCheck')
.addToUi();
}
This function adds a custom menu to your Google Sheet, making the script easily accessible.
2. Main Scanning Function
The scanAndCheck() function is the workhorse of this script. It:
- Retrieves data from the active sheet
- Adds status columns if they don’t exist
- Iterates through each URL, validating and checking it
- Updates the sheet with results
- Displays a summary alert
3. URL Validation and Checking
function checkLinkValidity(url, rowIndex, statusColumnIndex, statusTextColumnIndex, sheet, successUrls, failedUrls, visitedDomains) {
}
This function performs the actual URL checking, including:
- Fetching the URL content
- Checking for a 200 status code
- Verifying if it’s a self-website or contains the required backlink
- Updating the sheet with the results
4. Helper Functions
Several helper functions enhance the script’s functionality:
GetDomain(url): Extracts the domain from a URLhasBacklink(url, domain): Checks if a URL contains a backlink to a specific domainisValidUrl(url): Validates the URL format
Advanced Features
1. AI-Powered Task Generation
One of the most intriguing aspects of this script is its integration with OpenAI’s GPT model:
function callOpenAI(prompt) {
// ... (implementation details)
}
This function allows the script to generate and execute dynamic tasks based on AI-generated prompts. While the current implementation is basic, it opens up exciting possibilities for automating complex workflows.
2. Dynamic Script Execution
function executeScript(scriptCode) {
// ... (implementation details)
}
This function can execute dynamically generated script code, potentially allowing for on-the-fly customization of the URL checking process.
Conclusion
This Google Sheets script is a powerful tool for anyone dealing with large sets of URLs. Its combination of URL validation, backlink checking, and potential for AI-driven task generation makes it a versatile solution for various web-related tasks.
By leveraging Google Sheets as a platform, it provides an accessible and familiar interface for users while offering sophisticated functionality under the hood. Whether you’re managing a small blog or overseeing a large-scale web presence, this script can significantly streamline your URL management processes.
Remember to handle the OpenAI API key securely and consider implementing additional error handling and user feedback mechanisms to make the tool even more robust and user-friendly.
