function onOpen() is not running - google-apps-script

Question

My function includes adding a menu and toast to the document. I have verified that the trigger (onOpen) is set as well. It only works when a user goes into Tools, Script Manager, Run. We have too many users with too many backgrounds to expect then to know how to do this. Why isn't it working? (Using Chrome)
function onOpen()
{
var menus = [{name: "Advance in Workflow", functionName:"sendEmail"}];
SpreadsheetApp.getActiveSpreadsheet().addMenu("Auto Advance FG Workflow", menus);
//sheet.toast(Notify/Remind users);
sheet.toast("While you are here we kindly ask that you do not add, modify or remove any columns.","Welcome - " + username,8);
}
Thanks,

Answer 1

I was having the same issue.
I realized, sometimes Google create some kind of cache of the scripts (I'm used to have a "test" script and I usually alter it's content, and, sometimes, the script runs as if I didn't).
So, what I did that solved the onOpen() not working was changing the function name and ading a trigger manually.
Go to "Resources -> Current script's triggers…"
Choose the function to run on open
It worked like a charm here!
Updated Location Information:
or
Then

Answer 2

This is an old post but I just had this problem and find out why it was not working correctly in my case:
I had, at the top of my script file a variable that required some authorisations and that prevented the script to correctly run. I saw that OP called var username = Session.getActiveUser().getUsername(); (that requires authorisations, and it's may be the cause).
eg:
this code won't work:
function onOpen(){
SpreadsheetApp.getUi()
.createMenu("Exportation")
.addItem("Lancer l'exportation", "exportationMenu")
.addToUi();
}
var stConsCons= SpreadsheetApp.openById(sgcid).getSheetByName("Consultant");
but this one will work:
function onOpen(){
SpreadsheetApp.getUi()
.createMenu("Exportation")
.addItem("Lancer l'exportation", "exportationMenu")
.addToUi();
}
function whatever(){
var stConsCons= SpreadsheetApp.openById(sgcid).getSheetByName("Consultant");
...}

Answer 3

It turns out that you need to add the onOpen(e) function to Triggers!

Answer 4

In my case, onOpen wasn't working because I had a variable, outside of a function, opening a sheet with SpreadsheetApp.openById() rather than SpreadsheetApp.getActiveSpreadsheet(). I guess onOpen doesn't work with openById() even if the sheet you are opening is bound to the script. onOpen() won't work with this kind of a variable outside of a function:
var sheet = SpreadsheetApp.openById("1b_PQD...").getSheetByName("demos")
If your script is bound to the sheet, you can solve this problem by using the getActiveSpreadsheet() function. Otherwise, you can solve it by putting your openById() call into a function.

Answer 5

In my case there was a reference error, that while did not stop the script entirely, it did stop the menu from appearing.
I was only able to detect that error after I run a debug on the script.

Answer 6

It looks like the problem may be that "sheet" isn't defined, which is why the toast is failing.

Answer 7

I know this is a really old question, but for any one finding this now, I may have a solution. The onOpen function often runs with the authorization mode none instead of limited when being used as an event trigger. This may cause errors in things that are related to the specific file or user data. For example:
function onOpen(e) {
SpreadsheetApp.getActivePresentation(); //Will error out if permissions are not set to limited.
SpreadsheetApp.getUi(); //This will always run even if the AuthMode is set to NONE
}
Additionally it is worth noting that if you have any variable used or initialized before onOpen(e), basically any global variables that access sensitive info fail if the AuthMode is set to NONE.
var ss = SpreadsheetApp.getActivePresentation(); //bad
var ss;
...
function init() {
ss = SpreadsheetApp.getActivePresentation(); //good because now that the function is already run we should have full permissions
}

Answer 8

Simple triggers silently fail if they lack permission. I ran into this with an onOpen() in a script that initialized File objects of non-bound files. I moved all File object instantiation to menu functions that do have permission.
In other words, this will not work
function onOpen(e) {
...
let file = DriveApp.getFileById(nonBoundFileId);
...
}
but this will work
function menuFunction() {
...
let file = DriveApp.getFileById(nonBoundFileId);
...
}
because menuFunction can be given permission(s) that simple triggers lack.