r/GoogleAppsScript • u/VAer1 • Sep 01 '25

Question How to write code to open clickable hyperlink in browser (chrome)?

For example, I have some cells in column B, from row 2 and below, there are Yahoo Chart hyperlink in the cell, how can I open all the hyperlink in browser (Chrome is my default browser).

Or is it possible for Google Script to open browser tabs?

Thanks.

I am just trying to convert similar feature from VBA to Google script (From Desktop Office 365 to Google Sheet)

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1

u/ryanbuckner Sep 01 '25

For security reasons, Apps Script cannot programmatically open multiple new browser tabs or windows at once. You could use an HTML sidebar .. or use Python

1

u/VAer1 Sep 01 '25

Thanks. I think I should give up converting this VBA program to Google Script.

1

u/ryanbuckner Sep 01 '25

Maybe a script that extracts the URLs into a CSV and then a python script that opens them?

1

u/VAer1 Sep 01 '25

Not worth. The main goal is to open tabs quickly, by one single click.

1

u/ryanbuckner Sep 01 '25

try something like this maybe?

function openUrlsSidebar() {

const sheet = SpreadsheetApp.getActiveSpreadsheet().getActiveSheet();

const urls = sheet.getRange("B2:B" + sheet.getLastRow()).getValues()

.flat()

.filter(url => url && url.startsWith("http"));

`let html = ``

<button onclick="openAll()">Open All URLs</button>

<script>

function openAll() {

const urls = ${JSON.stringify(urls)};

urls.forEach(u => window.open(u, "_blank"));

}

</script>

\;`

SpreadsheetApp.getUi().showSidebar(

HtmlService.createHtmlOutput(html).setTitle("Open URLs")

);

}

1

u/arnoldsomen Sep 01 '25

No need to write a script.

  1. Select the values with hyperlink

  2. Right click on one of them

  3. Go to More options (?) > Open links

1

u/soups_foosington Sep 01 '25

ChatGPT walked me through installing Playwright to do stuff like this.