This post may not seem like anything mind blowing, but it is something you might need to know for other things.
When you create a Google Document a UNIQUE code is generated. Clearly the URL for one Google Doc could not be the same as the URL for a different Google Doc, or how would the web know where you want to go?
The unique code is hidden in the URL, it is a long string of numbers and letters (no symbols!)
Sometimes I need this unique code in order to reference to a different document. For example when using the =importrange( formula in a Google Spreadsheet you want to bring one spreadsheet into the other spreadsheet. You will need the unique ID of the 2nd spreadsheet to bring it into the first.
Unique ID for a Spreadsheet
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AiqrAI5UxSJNdDREd3ZEUzhmWkV5Yi1JTXNCMERlakE#gid=0
The key is after the key= but before the #gid.
Unique ID for a Google Document
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1zbROHciKTWxQ2BR2cVO2VxR_fR1jmg1XstdhduUGqug/edit
The key is after the slash but before the /edit
Unique ID for a Google Drawing
https://docs.google.com/drawings/d/1KOGtaTsWxgKcYBHOWotjh8SX4pdSsFAhZVEZtxq0AgQ/edit
Same as for the Google Doc, the Google Drawing is after the slash but before the /edit.
Unique ID for a Google Presentation
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1fq6o7aUA4C8kHNbs34ugXByQ7rQwttoM8DjlVuAZ7q0/edit#slide=id.p
At the end of the Google Presentation URL is a reference to the slide. The unique ID is in the middle of this long URL. After the slash but before the /edit and slide info.
9 thoughts on “Google Docs Unique ID”
Thanks, it should be obvious, but it’s great to know and not have to guess.
I think this is where I am having trouble-I tried to set up a spreadsheet and use importrange to pull in a roster from the first sheet on other sheets. But then when I used the /copy to force others to make a copy, that copy still seems to be linked to my original. Is there a way to add a roster that will carry over only on that copy though?
As I look online, I see the problem is that I did link to my original sheet and what I really want to do is to link to the roster cells on the first page of the workbook, not my original sheet. Sorry if this question is too involved-I am very new to spreadsheets. 🙂
You need to use the link to the copy for your importrange
I’m trying arrayformula to bring over the names. So far it looks like it might work. But again, I’m pretty new to the spreadsheet world.
Hi. Thanks for the excellent tip!
Do you have an example of code to create a new doc (in my case, for new docs), with name and address info from a spreadsheet?
Thanks!
Not a project I have created, but I have others. Check them out at alicekeeler.com/scripts
Thanks Alice.
This site has been a big help tonight, hope I can give something back: Just found out the importrange function can be used as the range value in vlookup/hlookup.
Hope this might be of some help.
Regards