You do not have permission to call openById - google-apps-script

Question

Problem: When I run the script, Google tells me,
You do not have permission to call openById
I had copied a script from another one of my Google spreadsheets and changed the target_ssKey variable's cell reference and created properly-sized Named Ranges in both the Source and Target spreadsheets.
Google Apps Script documentation says nothing about reasons why it might not be working:
https://developers.google.com/apps-script/reference/spreadsheet/spreadsheet-app#openById%28String%29
Another Google Apps Script documentation says that it should work for me because I invoke it from a custom menu:
https://developers.google.com/apps-script/guides/sheets/functions#using_apps_script_services
The second link above says:
If your custom function throws the error message You do not have
permission to call X service., the service requires user authorization
and thus cannot be used in a custom function.
To use a service other than those listed above, create a custom menu
that runs an Apps Script function instead of writing a custom
function. A function that is triggered from a menu will ask the user
for authorization if necessary and can consequently use all Apps
Script services.
I tried putting the function into a "Custom Functions" project and then into an "Add-on" project, but still got the same error message.
Any ideas on what I am doing wrong and how to make this work?
Here is my exact code:
function exportData_SStoSS() {
// Get the source data.
var source_ss = SpreadsheetApp.getActiveSpreadsheet();
var data = source_ss.getRangeByName("exportData").getValues();
// Identify the target.
var controls_sh = source_ss.getSheetByName("Controls");
var target_ssKey = controls_sh.getRange('C2').getValue();
var target_ss = SpreadsheetApp.openById(target_ssKey);
// Paste the data to the target.
target_ss.getRangeByName("importData").setValues(data);
};

Answer 1

I thought that I would throw in a similar issue that I had which brought me to this question, where I received the error You don't have permission to call by openById.
In my case I was trying to call functions from translate.gs which I copied from this example:
https://developers.google.com/apps-script/quickstart/docs
Note that at the top of translate.gs
/**
* #OnlyCurrentDoc
*
* The above comment directs Apps Script to limit the scope of file
* access for this add-on. It specifies that this add-on will only
* attempt to read or modify the files in which the add-on is used,
* and not all of the user's files. The authorization request message
* presented to users will reflect this limited scope.
*/
The culprit here is the #OnlyCurrentDoc comment. See here for reference:
https://developers.google.com/apps-script/guides/services/authorization
Removing #OnlyCurrentDoc fixed this issue for me

Answer 2

I could resolved this issue with this autorization guide of google developers.
https://developers.google.com/apps-script/concepts/scopes#setting_explicit_scopes
This entry It's necesary in json file.
"oauthScopes": [
"https://www.googleapis.com/auth/spreadsheets.readonly",
"https://www.googleapis.com/auth/userinfo.email",
"https://www.googleapis.com/auth/spreadsheets"
],

Answer 3

I found this official note which I believe clears up what caused the issue.
If your function is a custom function, that is one which can be used like a regular spreadsheet function in the sheet itself, then it has limited access to things and cannot open other spreadsheets.
The same script can however open other spreadsheets from a menu button or similar.
Link: Documentation at developers.google.com

Answer 4

The method openById can be called from a "Blank Project" but not a "Custom Functions in Sheets" nor a "Google Sheets Add-on" project.
I thought a "Blank Project" would create a project that was not connected to my spreadsheet, but I was wrong. The Blank Project is connected to my spreadsheet. The other types of projects that I tried to use seem to be limited-scope versions of script projects, not able to carry out some GAS methods.

Answer 5

Had this same issue and came to share my solution. In my case I had two spreadsheets, call them A and B. Both used scripts bound to each respective spreadsheet. Spreadsheet B was able to write data to a tab of spreadsheet A. But Spreadsheet A kept getting the "You do not have permission to call openById" error when trying to read from spreadsheet B. I then tried adding it as a custom menu item but still the same issue.
The solution in my case turned out to be really simple. I created a new unbound script in script.google.com that calls both spreadsheets using openById. The first time running put a smile on my face as it asked for authorization. Thereafter smooth sailing.