Resetting Google Docs Heading Styles with Google Apps Script

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Google Docs is an excellent tool for creating and managing documents, but sometimes the formatting can get messy, especially when headings have inconsistent styles. Whether it’s due to manual adjustments or imported content, fixing heading styles manually can be tedious. Fortunately, Google Apps Script provides a simple solution to reset all headings in a document to their default styles with a single function.

Why Reset Heading Styles?

Inconsistent heading styles can:

  • Distract from the document’s content.
  • Cause difficulties when creating a Table of Contents.
  • Impact collaboration, making the document harder to read.

Resetting heading styles ensures:

  • A consistent look across the document.
  • Proper hierarchy and structure for better readability.
  • Default styling for easy formatting updates.

The Script: Reset All Headings to Default

The following Google Apps Script function resets all headings (Heading 1 through Heading 6) in a Google Doc to their default styles, ensuring a clean and professional appearance.

function resetAllHeadingStyles() {
  const doc = DocumentApp.getActiveDocument();
  const body = doc.getBody();

  // Iterate through all paragraphs in the document
  const paragraphs = body.getParagraphs();

  paragraphs.forEach(paragraph => {
    // Check if the paragraph is a heading
    const heading = paragraph.getHeading();
    if (heading !== DocumentApp.ParagraphHeading.NORMAL) {
      // Set the text style to default for the heading
      paragraph.setHeading(heading); // This applies the default styling of the heading
    }
  });

  Logger.log("All headings have been reset to default styling.");
}

How It Works

  1. Access the Document:
    • DocumentApp.getActiveDocument() retrieves the active Google Doc.
  2. Iterate Through Paragraphs:
    • The script loops through all paragraphs in the document using body.getParagraphs().
  3. Identify Headings:
    • For each paragraph, the script checks if it’s a heading using paragraph.getHeading().
    • Headings like Heading 1, Heading 2, etc., are processed, while normal paragraphs are skipped.
  4. Reset Styles:
    • The paragraph.setHeading(heading) method resets the heading to its default style as defined by Google Docs.

Before and After

Before Running the Script:

You might have headings with custom fonts, colors, or sizes applied manually, like this:

  • Heading 1: Custom font size of 30, red color.
  • Heading 2: Italicized, custom color.
  • Heading 3: Bold with an underlined style.

After Running the Script:

The script resets all headings to their default Google Docs styles:

  • Heading 1: Default size and style.
  • Heading 2: Consistent size and formatting.
  • Heading 3: Clean and professional appearance.

Steps to Use the Script

  1. Open Your Google Doc:
    • Ensure the document you want to reset is open.
  2. Access Google Apps Script:
    • Go to Extensions > Apps Script.
  3. Add the Script:
    • Paste the resetAllHeadingStyles code into the Apps Script editor.
  4. Save and Run:
    • Save the script and run the resetAllHeadingStyles function.
  5. Grant Permissions:
    • If prompted, grant the necessary permissions for the script to access your document.
  6. Check the Results:
    • All headings in the document will now be reset to their default styles.

Use Cases

  1. Document Cleanup:
    • Perfect for cleaning up imported documents with inconsistent formatting.
  2. Collaborative Editing:
    • Standardizes heading styles for team projects and reports.
  3. Preparation for Publishing:
    • Ensures a professional look for articles, research papers, or presentations.

Conclusion

With just a few lines of Google Apps Script, you can automate tedious formatting tasks and ensure a clean, consistent appearance in your Google Docs. The resetAllHeadingStyles function is a great tool for improving productivity and maintaining document quality.