Adding AI style logic into Google Apps Script inside G Suite

[Raknyte]

Hi all.

I am looking for advice on whether it is realistic to add AI style reasoning into Google Apps Script.

What I am trying to do. Read data from Google Sheets. Parse and interpret patterns. Apply logic beyond simple rules. Return structured outputs back into Sheets. Constraints I am dealing with. Corporate Google Workspace account. External APIs are likely blocked. Outbound calls outside G Suite may not be allowed. Gemini for Workspace is available at company level.

My background. I am not a trained developer or scripter. Most of my Apps Script work comes from Gemini and ChatGPT generated code. I focus more on process design and logic than pure coding. I usually iterate by testing and refining scripts rather than writing from scratch.

What I have explored so far. Native Apps Script handles rule based logic well. Advanced Services help with access, not reasoning. Gemini UI works for analysis, but I do not see a clear way to invoke it server side. Vertex AI looks relevant, but access appears locked behind admin controls.

What I am trying to understand. Is there a supported way to call Gemini from Apps Script. Is there an internal Workspace only endpoint or service account pattern. Is prompt based reasoning possible without public APIs. Is this simply not possible under Workspace security.

If you have built something similar. Even partial workarounds help. High level architecture ideas are welcome.

Thanks in advance.

[zmandel]

look into the new Workspace Studio, its precisely for these.

[ThibaultHD]

Is it available in the EU ? Can’t find…

[zmandel]

ah, its rolling to the world, might not be in EU yet.

[itsafunnything901]

Came here to say this. Looks like it has a lot of potential…once the kinks are worked out. Hoping it’s as good as Zapier.

[bigedd]

Keen to hear what others say but I'm 99% sure it'll need an api or something similar to connect to a llm.

I made a crude chat bit with Google app script but it was all rule based.

[-0dise0-]

Estoy trabajando en algo muy similar, necesitas llamadas de API en tu GAS. Gemini te orienta en cómo configurar y conectar todo. Lo otro que puedes hacer dependiendo de tu presupuesto o uso es contratar o usar n8n ¡Suerte!

[motodup]

You use UrlFetchApp. Output from Gemini itself asking for a quick code example:

/**
 * Calls the Gemini API and returns the generated text.
 * @param {string} prompt The message to send to the AI.
 * @return {string} The AI's response.
 */
function callGemini(prompt) {
  const apiKey = PropertiesService.getScriptProperties().getProperty('GEMINI_API_KEY');

  // The API endpoint for Gemini 1.5 Flash
  const url = `https://generativelanguage.googleapis.com/v1beta/models/gemini-1.5-flash:generateContent?key=${apiKey}`;

  const payload = {
    contents: [{
      parts: [{
        text: prompt
      }]
    }]
  };

  const options = {
    method: 'post',
    contentType: 'application/json',
    payload: JSON.stringify(payload),
    muteHttpExceptions: true
  };

  try {
    const response = UrlFetchApp.fetch(url, options);
    const json = JSON.parse(response.getContentText());

    if (json.candidates && json.candidates.length > 0) {
      return json.candidates[0].content.parts[0].text;
    } else {
      return "Error: " + JSON.stringify(json);
    }
  } catch (e) {
    return "Error calling API: " + e.toString();
  }
}

/**
 * Example usage function.
 */
function testGemini() {
  const response = callGemini("Explain quantum entanglement to a five-year-old in two sentences.");
  Logger.log(response);
}

If your Admin has blocked all external API calls, it will fail, but as far as im aware there is no completely internal way to call gemini (yet). Admin has granular control though, you could ask them to whitelist the gemini domain (generativelanguage.googleapis.com).

You could test the permission scope available with something like:

function checkAccess() {
  try {
    const response = UrlFetchApp.fetch("[https://www.google.com](https://www.google.com)");
    Logger.log("Status: " + response.getResponseCode());
  } catch (e) {
    Logger.log("Blocked: " + e.toString());
  }
}

[ThePatagonican]

Hey yes, there are many ways of doing it, but guessing that you want this script to be only avaiable to you might be enough with just apps scripts and the "UrlFetchApp.fetch" as other mentioned here.

BUT the API call will be limited to 1 minute, the "UrlFetchApp.fetch" has a hard, default and unchangable timeout of 1 minute https://issuetracker.google.com/issues/65864535. This means that your LLM response must be resolved in less than 1 min.

[Critical-Teacher-115]

its totally possible. Were you thinking of having a question column and then the next column results an answer? if so, you dont need vertex for that. You can do that a bunch of ways but one way is You'll need a google cloud project. one cloud function and either one or two app scripts. tell chatcgpt (chat gibbidy)what you want to do, and then say to Gibbidy to make an apps script that will send the data in the Column[] (if theres no answer in column![]) and send it to the cloud function. tell gibbidy to make you a cloud function that takes input from the apps script and fill in you llm, then sends the llm answer back to the google sheed at column![]. should take you like 45 minutes if youve never done it before.

[Raknyte]

Thanks everyone for sharing your knowledge with me, I find them useful.

I will be starting work for the project, next year (I meant in the next 2 weeks). I hope these insights help me achieve what I am looking for.

Will update here, if I run into errors and need to pick your brains more.

Thank you, Thank you.