Google Apps Script quickstart

Quickstarts explain how to set up and run an app that calls a Google Workspace API.

Google Workspace quickstarts use the API client libraries to handle some details of the authentication and authorization flow. We recommend that you use the client libraries for your own apps. This quickstart uses a simplified authentication approach that is appropriate for a testing environment. For a production environment, we recommend learning about authentication and authorization before choosing the access credentials that are appropriate for your app.

Create a Google Apps Script that makes requests to the Gmail API.

Objectives

  • Create the script.
  • Enable the Gmail API.
  • Run the sample.

Prerequisites

  • A Google account with Gmail enabled.

  • Access to Google Drive

Create the script

  1. Create a new script by going to script.google.com/create.
  2. Replace the contents of the script editor with the following code:

gmail/quickstart/quickstart.gs
/**
 * Lists all labels in the user's mailbox
 * @see https://developers.google.com/gmail/api/reference/rest/v1/users.labels/list
 */
function listLabels() {
  try {
    // Gmail.Users.Labels.list() API returns the list of all Labels in user's mailbox
    const response = Gmail.Users.Labels.list('me');
    if (!response || response.labels.length === 0) {
      // TODO (developer) - No labels are returned from the response
      console.log('No labels found.');
      return;
    }
    // Print the Labels that are available.
    console.log('Labels:');
    for (const label of response.labels ) {
      console.log('- %s', label.name);
    }
  } catch (err) {
    // TODO (developer) - Handle exception on Labels.list() API
    console.log('Labels.list() API failed with error %s', err.toString());
  }
}

  1. Click Save .
  2. Click Untitled project, type Quickstart, and click Rename.

Enable the Gmail API

  1. Open the Apps Script project.
  2. Click Editor .
  3. Next to Services, click Add a service .
  4. Select Gmail API and click Add.

Run the sample

In the Apps Script editor, click Run.

The first time you run the sample, it prompts you to authorize access:

  1. Click Review permissions.
  2. Choose an account.
  3. Click Allow.

The script's execution log appears at the bottom of the window.

Next steps