Automated Monthly PDF Reports from Google Docs
Monthly reports cover a full calendar period and often go to a wider audience than weekly updates. Automating them ensures they go out consistently and accurately regardless of who is responsible.
End-of-month trigger
Use a daily Apps Script trigger that checks whether today is the last working day of the month or the first day of the next month. Run the report generation only on that day. This is more reliable than trying to predict the last day of each month with a fixed date.
Monthly data aggregation
If the report pulls from a Google Sheet that accumulates daily data, write a function that aggregates the current month's data before populating the template. Use SUMIF, COUNTIF, and AVERAGEIF logic in Apps Script to compute the monthly totals you need.
Archiving monthly reports
Create a Drive folder for each year and save each month's PDF inside it. After 12 months, you have a complete year of reports organized chronologically. Share the annual folder with stakeholders who need historical access.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I automate both the Google Sheets summary and the Google Docs PDF in one script?
Yes. Write a single function that reads the Sheet, computes the monthly summary, writes it to the Doc template, and exports the PDF. Apps Script has full access to both services.
Related article
Set up a workflow to convert Google Docs to PDF →Ready to Try It?
Install the free Chrome extension and start converting your Google Docs to PDF in one click.
Install Free Extension