Following the improvements made to tables in Google Sheets in March and April, we’re excited to introduce API support for tables. Now, users will be able to take basic actions to create and modify tables via the Sheets API.
Following enhancements to Google Sheets tables last year, Google recently highlighted an update for developers: the Sheets API now supports tables. This is great news for the Google Workspace developer community, as it allows for direct programmatic creation and modification of tables, moving beyond previous reliance on workarounds.
For a while, developers have found clever ways to interact with table-like structures, such as Kanshi Tanaike’s notable 2024 solution using a mix of Apps Script and Sheet formulas. While these methods were very clever, the new, direct API support offers a more robust and straightforward way for interacting with tables in Google Sheets. For Google Apps Script users, for now this will require using the Google Sheets Advanced Service to call these new table methods, as direct integration into the SpreadsheetApp service hasn’t been announced at this time.
Key API Capabilities for Tables:
The Sheets API now lets developers:
Add Tables: Create tables with defined names, ranges, and specific column properties (like ‘PERCENT‘ or ‘DROPDOWN‘ with validation).
Update Tables: Modify table size (add/remove rows/columns), and toggle table footers. The API also provides methods like InsertRangeRequest and DeleteRangeRequest for more granular control.
Append Values: Easily add new rows to the end of a table using AppendCellsRequest, which intelligently handles existing data and footers.
Delete Tables: Remove entire tables and their content (DeleteTableRequest) or just the formatting while retaining data (DeleteBandingRequest).
Utilise Column Types: Work with various column types including numeric, date, dropdown, smart chip, and checkbox.
I was thrilled to be invited by Chanel Greco (Google Workspace Developer Advocate) to join Vinay Vyas (Software Engineer, Google) and Steve Bazyl (Developer Program Engineer, Google) for a Developer Spotlight session recorded at Google Cloud Next ‘25.
We explored the exciting evolution of Google Workspace development, focusing on the tools and technologies shaping the future of automation and AI integration.
What We Covered:
The Rise of Flows for Workspace Automation: We kicked things off discussing the potential of Flows, a powerful new tool Google had just announced which is designed to simplify task automation in Google Workspace. We explored how developers can tap into its potential by building custom actions, including integrating with Vertex AI [01:17].
Extending Capabilities with Apps Script: Your existing Apps Script skills remain crucial! We discussed how they empower developers to extend Flows capabilities as the product evolves [02:08], offering significant opportunities within this user-centric automation tool [01:52].
Workspace as an Integrated Platform: Learn about the ongoing efforts to enhance connectivity with third-party services [02:35] and how add-ons (including Chat apps deployed as add-ons [03:32]) are key to keeping users productive within the Workspace context [02:52].
The Gemini Effect on Development: Hear our experiences with Gemini 2.5 and its significant impact on code development, particularly for Apps Script [05:29]. We discuss its impressive ability to generate substantial, high-quality code for complex tasks [06:35].
AI Agents & The Future: We explored the concept of AI Agents powered by Gemini within Google Apps Script for automating tasks using natural language and discussed the exciting prospects for deeper Gemini integration directly within Apps Script [14:41]. I checky asked Steve if there was going to be a Gemini Advanced Service for Apps Script (you’ll have to watch the video to find out the answer :).
Why Watch?
If you are interested in understanding the future direction of Google Workspace development, this discussion hopefully provides some practical perspectives and explores exciting possibilities.
We’re thrilled to announce that Gemini in AppSheet Solutions is now available in Public Preview for Enterprise users! As announced during the AppSheet breakout session at Google Cloud Next 2025 just a few weeks ago, this powerful new capability allows AppSheet Enterprise Plus users to integrate Google’s Gemini models directly into their automation workflows.
Google recently announced some exciting developments for AppSheet, with the news that creators can now directly integrate Gemini AI capabilities into your AppSheet apps. While developers have previously found ways to connect AppSheet to Gemini including using Google Apps Script (like the invoice processing example using the GeminiApp library previously discussed on Pulse), this new update promises to make AI-powered automation accessible to everyone, no coding required.
What This Means for AppSheet Creators
This move significantly lowers the barrier for integrating AI into AppSheet workflows. Instead of setting up API keys, writing Apps Script functions, and managing libraries like GeminiApp to call the Gemini API for tasks like data extraction, creators can now use a native AI Task step within AppSheet automations.
As highlighted in Google’s announcement, this new approach offers several advantages:
Simplified AI Integration: The native AI Task aims to handle jobs like extracting specific data from uploaded photos or PDFs and categorising text – directly within AppSheet. This replaces the need for external scripts for many common AI tasks.
Build with Confidence: The GA AI Task Step Testing feature allows creators to test and refine AI prompts and configurations directly in the editor using sample data before deployment, a crucial step for reliable AI.
No-Code Accessibility: By embedding Gemini capabilities directly, AppSheet makes powerful AI accessible to creators who may not have coding expertise.
Controlled Deployment & Oversight: Admins still control feature access, and workflows can still incorporate human review steps alongside the AI Task.
Potential Use Cases
Google suggests the AI task can be used for:
Information Extraction: Getting details from images (serial numbers, meter readings) or documents (PO numbers, tracking info, report details).
Record Categorisation: Classifying expenses, maintenance requests, or customer feedback automatically.
These are similar goals to what was achievable via Apps Script previously, but now potentially much simpler to implement directly in AppSheet.
A Big Step for No-Code AI
This native integration represents a significant simplification compared to earlier methods requiring Apps Script. By embedding Gemini directly into AppSheet automations, Google is making advanced AI capabilities much more accessible for business users of all levels.
For full details and setup instructions, refer to the official Google announcement and linked resources.
There are nine updates highlighted in this month’s Google Workspace Developer News. The news that caught my eye the most relates to updates to the Google Drive API and upcoming changes to My Drive folders with restricted access.
Google Drive API: Managing Folders with Limited and Expansive Access
Google recently announced that by 2026, it will stop allowing restricted access on specific files and folders in My Drive, instead consistently managing it via the limited access folder setting. These changes will align the My Drive experience with Shared Drives, which use an expansive access model where everyone sees the same items in a folder. For developers wanting to get ahead of the curve, there are several new fields that can be used. The Google Workspace Developer News episode gives an overview of these, and there is a new Google Developers Documentation guide on Manage folders with limited and expansive access. In summary:
Restricting Folder Access: To limit access to a folder, developers can set the boolean inheritedPermissionsDisabled field on the files resource to true.
Opt-in API Behavior: Developers can also opt in to expansive access API behavior in My Drive ahead of any future mandatory enforcement by setting the enforceExpansiveAccess request parameter to true on the permissions.delete() and permissions.update() methods.
Other Updates
Here’s a brief overview of the other updates covered in the Google Workspace Developer News video:
Google Meet API Enhancements: All meeting participants can query conference data, including the conference records, the conference artifacts, and the participant records, using the Google Meet API.
Google Meet Pre-Configurations: Auto-recording, auto-transcripts, and “take notes for me” can now be pre-configured within a meeting space when created. This feature is available through the Developer Preview Program.
Google Meet Media API: The Google Meet Media API is now available through the Developer Preview Program, granting access to real-time media from Google Meet conferences.
Reports API Updates: Google Chat now supports the customerUsageReports.get() and userUsageReports.get() methods for the Reports API.
As of February 20, 2025, the Rhino runtime is deprecated. Scripts running on Rhino will continue to function until January 31, 2026, after which they will no longer execute. Please migrate your scripts to the V8 runtime before this date. Refer to Migrate scripts to the V8 runtime.
Attention Google Workspace Developers!
A recent email to Google Workspace administrators announced the upcoming retirement of the Rhino runtime for Apps Script. As also highlighted in the Apps Script release notes, all Apps Script projects still using the Rhino runtime must be migrated to the V8 runtime by January 31, 2026, to avoid execution issues.
What this means for Workspace Developers:
If you are a Workspace developer, even if you don’t have an administrator role, it’s crucial to check your Apps Script projects for Rhino runtime usage. The email to administrators included a CSV file listing affected projects, with details such as:
Script URL, Script ID, Last Updated: Identifies the specific script.
Creator Email, Owner Email: Identifies the script’s originators.
Incompatibility Reason: Explains why the script needs migration.
Execution Count: Shows how often the script is used.
Additional Information: Includes opt-out status, library dependencies, etc.
Suggested Actions for Developers:
Non-Admins: You might want to contact your Workspace administrator to find out if any of your or your colleague Apps Script projects are on the list of affected scripts and ask for guidance on the migration process.
Third-Party Developers: You may want to proactively reach out to your customers to inform them of the upcoming changes, offer assistance with the migration, and ensure their scripts are updated before the deadline to prevent any disruption in their services.
Workspace Admins: Review the CSV file to identify your affected scripts, prioritize migrating scripts with high usage first to minimize user disruption, and understand the specific issues that need to be addressed in each script.
Important Considerations:
Google provides a migration guide and support resources to assist with the transition. In particular, it is worth noting that:
For Apps Script web apps and Google Workspace Add-ons “[You] must create a new version of the script with the V8 adjustments. To make the V8 version available to users, you must re-publish the script with this version.”
When updating standalone scripts to run on the V8 runtime, “you need to provide users at least view access to the script in order for the script’s triggers to work properly.”
It’s also important to note that while the V8 runtime generally offers performance advantages, there have been some reports of specific instances where performance with JDBC connectors might not be as efficient as in the Rhino runtime.
So don’t delay, start migrating your Apps Script projects today!
We’re pleased to announce the public preview of Gmail integration with AppSheet – something we know has been a longstanding community request. With this preview launch, your Gmail inbox can seamlessly connect to the full breadth of downstream processes AppSheet automation already offers.
AppSheet has introduced a Gmail integration in public preview, offering a workaround for situations including third-party applications that lack direct integration with Google Workspace via add-ons or APIs. With this new feature users can now connect their Gmail inboxes to AppSheet, enabling incoming emails to trigger various automations.
How it Works
Users can link their AppSheet apps to authorized Gmail accounts and select specific labels in their Gmail inboxes for monitoring. When an email arrives with a designated label, AppSheet receives information about the email, including the sender, subject, and body. This information can then be used to automate various tasks and processes within the AppSheet platform.
Things to Note
Currently, the beta release does not include support for attachments, but AppSheet is working on adding this feature for the full release later this year. Also, Gmail cannot be used as a full data source in AppSheet. To save Gmail messages in an app table, users need to create a process to add the email data.
Availability and Feedback
The Gmail integration is rolling out to all AppSheet users soon as part of the preview and the AppSheet team is encouraging users to provide feedback on this new integration. To read more and provide feedback follow the source link
Chanel Greco is back with more exciting news for Google Workspace developers in the latest Google Workspace Developer News video. As always Chanel is able to pack in lots of detail in under 4 minutes, and if you prefer text over video here are the highlights!
Spreadsheet Class Gets a Boost:
The Apps Script Spreadsheet class has received a handy new method: getSheetById(). This allows developers to directly fetch a sheet within a spreadsheet using its unique ID, simplifying sheet management within scripts.
Transparency for Calendar Events:
Developers can now control the transparency of Google Calendar events programmatically. The new functionality allows setting an event as TRANSPARENT (showing the calendar as Available during that time) or OPAQUE (showing the calendar as Busy). This granular control enhances calendar integration and automation possibilities.
Deprecation Notice:
While new features are welcomed, it’s also important to note deprecations. The getUrl() method for CellImage, CellImageBuilder, and OverGridImage classes within the Apps Script Spreadsheet service is now deprecated. This change reflects the fact that an image’s source URL isn’t consistently accessible regardless of the image insertion method.
Workspace Policy API Goes GA:
A significant announcement for Workspace administrators is the general availability of the Workspace Policy API. This API enables programmatic access to over 60 Google Workspace Admin settings, making auditing and monitoring the Workspace environment more efficient.
Open-Source Drive Picker on NPM:
The Google Drive Picker web component has been published to NPM, making it easier for developers to integrate the Google Picker API into their web applications. This open-source component, designed as a reusable custom HTML element, simplifies the process of adding Google Drive file selection capabilities to web projects.
Chat App Enhancements:
For developers working with Google Chat, there are several exciting updates, primarily available through the Developer Preview Program. These include:
Quick Commands: Users can interact with Chat apps more quickly and efficiently using quick commands, which invoke the app directly without requiring slash commands or additional input.
AppCommandPayload for Slash Commands: Chat apps built as Google Workspace Add-ons now utilize AppCommandPayload instead of MessagePayload for handling slash and quick commands.
Carousel Support: Chat apps can incorporate carousels to display scrollable collections of items, further enhancing the user experience.
Announcement Space Management: Developers can programmatically create announcement spaces and manage space permission settings using the Chat API with App Authentication.
Expanded UI Widget Library: More Google Workspace Add-on UI widgets are now available for Chat apps, providing developers with a richer set of tools for creating interactive experiences.
Stay Up-to-Date:
To learn more and explore these features in detail, visit the Google Workspace Developers YouTube channel and check the video description for links to relevant documentation.
Starting today, the OAuth consent screen will now let users specify which individual OAuth scopes they would like to authorize. For example, if a script requests access to a user’s Sheets and Forms files, and the users only intends to use the script with Sheets files, they can decide to only allow access to their spreadsheets and not their forms. This affords users the benefit of more granular control over what data their 3P applications are allowed to access.
Exciting news for Apps Script developers and users! Google has taken the first step towards more granular control over OAuth consent in Apps Script. This means users can now choose exactly which services their scripts can access, leading to a more secure and transparent experience.
What’s New?
Previously, when running a script that required access to multiple services (like Google Sheets and Forms), users had to grant permission to all or nothing. This all-or-nothing approach could make some users hesitant to use scripts, especially if they were only comfortable granting access to a subset of the requested services.
With the latest update, the OAuth consent screen now allows users to authorize individual services. For instance, if a script needs access to both Google Sheets and Forms, but the user only intends to use it with Sheets, they can simply grant access to Sheets and deny access to Forms.
This change is currently being gradually rolled out to the Apps Script IDE, with expected completion by January 24, 2025.
Enhanced Security and Transparency
This granular control over OAuth consent is a significant step towards improving the security and transparency of Apps Script. Users now have more control over their data and can make informed decisions about which services they want to allow their scripts to access.
This change also benefits developers, as it can help build trust with users and encourage wider adoption of their scripts.
A Glimpse into the Future: Chat Apps and Workspace Add-ons
While currently limited to the Apps Script IDE, this granular OAuth consent model will eventually be implemented in other Apps Script surfaces, notably Chat apps and Workspace Add-ons. This has implications for developers working in these areas.
For Chat app and Workspace Add-on developers, this means it’s time to start thinking about how this granular consent model will impact your development process and user experience. You can start experimenting with the new methods added to the ScriptApp and AuthorizationInfo classes to programmatically handle different consent scenarios.
Digging Deeper: AuthorizationInfo
To help developers manage these granular permissions, Google has introduced the AuthorizationInfo class. This class provides methods to check authorization status, retrieve authorized scopes, and even generate authorization URLs. Here’s a quick look at some of its key functionalities:
getAuthorizationStatus() : This method allows you to determine if a user needs to authorize the script to use one or more services.
getAuthorizationUrl() : This method returns an authorization URL that can be used to grant access to the script.
getAuthorizedScopes() : This method returns a list of authorized scopes for the script.
These methods give developers fine-grained control over the authorization process, enabling them to build more robust and user-friendly applications. Google have already published a great developer guide on how to Handle granular OAuth permissions.
Learn More
To learn more about this update, be sure to check out the official announcement provided in the source link.
The latest Google Workspace Developer News brings exciting updates, particularly for Google Chat. If you are in the Developer Preview Program there are a number of updates including the ability to build Google Workspace Add-ons that include Google Chat apps, simplifying app creation and reducing the need for separate Chat apps. This will hopefully simplify the installation process for admins and end-users, providing a more seamless experience.
Another helpful update allows the creation of group chats in import mode when migrating to Google Chat from other platforms, facilitating a smoother transition. Additionally, developers can now get or update users’ Google Chat space notification settings and list custom emojis through the Chat API, offering greater control and customisation.
The Calendar API has been enhanced, now providing access to birthday and other special events and enabling the differentiation of regular events from other types using the Apps Script Calendar service.
For detailed information and links to relevant documentation, be sure to check the video description on YouTube.
Chanel Greco is back with Episode 12 of the Google Workspace Developer News. An exciting update is that Google Sheets now supports smart chips for link previews to third-party resources. This now allows developers to create Google Workspace Add-ons that can pull information from their app directly into Sheets.
Other updates include:
The Chat API can now create announcement spaces and read/update space permissions.
New widgets for card-based Chat app interfaces are generally available.
Chat API Space & Membership management with App Authentication is available for Developer Preview Program members.
The Chat API can manage custom emoji when enabled for a Workspace organization.
The Meet Add-ons SDK can now retrieve the meetingCode property of an ongoing meeting.
More details including links to the documentation are included in the YouTube description.
