Email a Google Doc as a PDF

1 · Prepare

Put these pieces in place

• Have a Google Doc you can open, and copy its file ID out of the address bar.
• Use an account that can send email through Gmail.
• Leave the recipient set to yourself until the first test looks right.

2 · Review before running

What the script can access and change

3 · Copy

Paste this into the Apps Script editor

Create or open a script file, replace the example values marked above, then save the project.

const DOC_FILE_ID = 'PASTE_THE_DOC_ID_HERE'; // The long code between /d/ and /edit in the address of the Doc.
const RECIPIENT = Session.getEffectiveUser().getEmail(); // This sends to the account running the script. Replace it with an address in quotes when the test works.
const SUBJECT_START = 'PDF copy of'; // The subject begins with these words and ends with the file name.

function emailDocAsPdf() {
  const file = DriveApp.getFileById(DOC_FILE_ID);
  const pdf = file.getAs('application/pdf').setName(file.getName() + '.pdf');

  GmailApp.sendEmail(RECIPIENT, SUBJECT_START + ' ' + file.getName(), 'The PDF copy is attached.', {
    attachments: [pdf]
  });

  Logger.log('Sent ' + file.getName() + '.pdf to ' + RECIPIENT);
}

4 · Run

Follow these steps in order

1. Find the file ID

   Open the Doc and look at the address. It reads https://docs.google.com/document/d/FILE_ID/edit. Copy the part between /d/ and /edit, and paste it over PASTE_THE_DOC_ID_HERE in the code.

2. Paste and save the function

   Go to script.google.com and click New project. Paste the function over the starter code and save. The text application/pdf tells Drive which format to convert to. MimeType.PDF means the same thing.

3. Send the first copy to yourself

   Leave RECIPIENT as Session.getEffectiveUser().getEmail(). Choose emailDocAsPdf in the function dropdown above the code, then click Run. Approve access when Google asks. The message lands in your own inbox, so you see the PDF before anyone else does.

4. Change the recipient

   When the PDF looks right, replace Session.getEffectiveUser().getEmail() with the address you want, in quotes, such as 'you@example.com'. Save and run again. Send only to people who expect the file.

5 · Confirm

How to tell it worked

An email arrives with the subject PDF copy of, followed by the file name, and a PDF attachment that shows the Doc as it looks today.

If the result is different

Troubleshooting

The run stops with "No item with the given ID could be found, or you do not have permission to access it."

Check that DOC_FILE_ID holds only the file ID and not the whole web address, and that the account running the script can open the Doc.

The email went to the wrong address.

Check which account is signed in to the Apps Script editor, or set RECIPIENT to an address in quotes. Session.getEffectiveUser().getEmail() is the address of the account that runs the script.

The run stops with an error about the attachment size.

Shorten the Doc, remove large images, or share a link to the Doc instead. Gmail rejects attachments over 25 MB.