Script to automatically make a copy of a Google Document for editing

Question

I feel like a total noob posting here. I know CSS, HTML, and XML pretty well but have always avoided JS. I know very little javascript and recently started a Lynda.com course

Answer 1

Here is the code to do it properly (works in 2019,2020,2021):

/**
 * Create custom menu when document is opened.
 */
function onOpen() {
  DocumentApp.getUi()
    .createMenu('For Students')
    .addItem('Make a copy', 'makeACopy')
    .addToUi();
}

function makeACopy() {
  var templateId = DocumentApp.getActiveDocument().getId();
  DriveApp.getFileById(templateId).makeCopy();
}

Answer 2

You can certainly do this with Apps Script. Only takes a couple of lines. In fact, you can use just the version I wrote below.

Here is how I would do it -

1. Ensure you original document is at least read enabled for the folks that will be accessing it.

   

2. Grab the fileId from the URL -

   

3. Write a web app in Apps Script with the following code -

   function doGet(e) {
     //file has to be at least readable by the person running the script
     var fileId = e.parameters.fileId;  
     if(!fileId){
       //have a default fileId for testing. 
       fileId = '1K7OA1lnzphJRuJ7ZjCfLu83MSwOXoEKWY6BuqYitTQQ'; 
     }
     var newUrl = DocsList.getFileById(fileId).makeCopy('File copied to my drive').getUrl(); 
     return HtmlService.createHtmlOutput('<h1><a href="'+newUrl+'">Open Document</a></h1>');
   }
   

4. Deploy it to run as the person accessing the app.

   

One key thing to remember is that a web app built by Apps Script cannot force open a new window automatically. Instead we can show a link which is clickable into the document in edit mode.

You can see it in action here (will create some dummy file) -

https://script.google.com/macros/s/AKfycbyvxkYqgPQEb3ICieywqWrQ2-2KWb-V0MghR2xayQyExFgVT2h3/exec?fileId=0AkJNj_IM2wiPdGhsNEJzZ2RtZU9NaHc4QXdvbHhSM0E

You can test this by putting in your own fileId.

Answer 3

Update as of 2015, Google Script removed the fileId for reasons unknown. The previous method of appending "/copy" to the URL of the Google doc has been re-enabled. Ex) https://docs.google.com/document/d/1GTGuLqahAKS3ptjrfLSYCjKz4FBecv4dITPuKfdnrmY/copy

Answer 4

Since DocsList is deprecated, currently you can make a copy of a file using the following code:

File file=DriveApp.getFileById(fileId).makeCopy(fileName, folder);

where fileId can be obtained as explained in the answer by Arun Nagarajan.