Reads the formatted text shown in a cell, not the raw value.
class SpreadsheetApp method .getDisplayValue()
SpreadsheetApp is the Apps Script service.
.getDisplayValue() is the method name you will see after a dot in your code.
What it does
Why it's used
- Read what the user actually sees, like formatted currency instead of a raw number.
- Match exported text to on-screen formatting for labels or emails.
Common errors
- Forgetting parentheses on getDisplayValue. Write SpreadsheetApp.getDisplayValue(), not SpreadsheetApp.getDisplayValue or getDisplayValue by itself.
- Skipping dots between chained calls. Each step needs a dot, like SpreadsheetApp.getActiveSpreadsheet().getSheetByName('Data').getDisplayValue().
- Adding spaces where they do not belong. Write SpreadsheetApp.getDisplayValue(), not SpreadsheetApp .getDisplayValue(), SpreadsheetApp.getDisplayValue (), or SpreadsheetApp . getDisplayValue().
- Wrong capitalization. Use SpreadsheetApp and getDisplayValue, not spreadsheetapp or getdisplayvalue.
Explore
Related methods
-
.getDisplayValues()
Reads the formatted text shown in every cell in a range.
-
.getValue()
Reads the value stored in a single cell.
-
.getValues()
Reads values from every cell in a range as a 2D array.
-
.clearContent()
Removes only cell values from a range, keeping formatting.
-
.clearFormat()
Removes only formatting from a range, keeping values.
More Apps Script
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Related blog posts
Written guides about SpreadsheetApp.getDisplayValue().
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