Automating Google Sheets Range Protection with Google Apps Script

In the realm of Google Sheets automation, ensuring data integrity and security is paramount. Whether you're managing collaborative projects or handling sensitive information, protecting specific ranges within your spreadsheet becomes crucial. In this blog post, we'll explore a Google Apps Script function designed to check if a given range has protection and demonstrate how to leverage it for automated range protection.

Understanding the has_protection Function

Let's dissect the has_protection function. This function checks whether a specified range in a Google Sheet has protection enabled. Here's a breakdown of its key components:

function has_protection(range_string) {

  var sheet = SpreadsheetApp.getActiveSheet();

  var range = sheet.getRange(range_string);

  var range_has_protection = false;      

  var protections = sheet.getProtections(SpreadsheetApp.ProtectionType.RANGE);

  if (protections != "") {

    var rngList = protections.map(function(pro) {

      return pro.getRange().getA1Notation();

    });

    var all_ranges_with_protection = sheet.getRangeList(rngList);

    var array_of_all_ranges_with_protection = all_ranges_with_protection.getRanges();

    for (var r = 0; r < array_of_all_ranges_with_protection.length; r++) {

      if (range.getA1Notation() == array_of_all_ranges_with_protection[r].getA1Notation()) {

        range_has_protection = true;

      }

    }

  }

  return range_has_protection;

}        

This function takes a range_string as input, representing the target range in A1 notation. It then checks whether the specified range has protection enabled and returns a boolean value accordingly.

Practical Application: Automated Range Protection

Now, let's apply this function to a real-world scenario. Suppose you want to protect a specific column in your Google Sheet based on certain conditions. In the example below, we're protecting the "I" column under specific conditions:

var RESPONSE_1_COL = "I";

// freeze Response 1 Column

if (

  (row[response_1] == "Forward to Bonobo" || (row[response_1] == "Resolved")) 

  && !has_protection(RESPONSE_1_COL + (i + 1))

) {

  Logger.log("Protecting.." + (RESPONSE_1_COL + (i + 1)));

  sheet.getRange(RESPONSE_1_COL + (i + 1)).protect().setDescription(PROTECTION_DESC);

}        

In this example, we're checking if the value in a particular cell meets certain criteria, and if the cell is not already protected. If these conditions are met, the script logs a message and proceeds to protect the specified range using sheet.getRange().protect().

Conclusion

Automating range protection in Google Sheets using Google Apps Script can save time and enhance data security. By utilizing the has_protection function and integrating it into your scripts, you can ensure that your sensitive data remains safeguarded while streamlining your workflow. Experiment with this approach and adapt it to fit your specific use cases for a more efficient spreadsheet management experience.