Guide · Agent skill

How to use the Copy a Google Sheet for a New Month agent skill

Updated 2026-10-29 · written with AI from the project's own documentation and checked against our catalogue data

This guide explains the recipe-copy-sheet-for-new-month agent skill, which tells an AI agent how to make a fresh monthly tab from a template tab inside an existing Google Sheet. It is written for people who have never installed an agent skill before. By the end you will know what the skill does, how to install it, how to ask for it in plain language, and what must be set up first.

Copy a Google Sheet for a New Monthgoogleworkspace/cli · Apache-2.0 Download the skill

Quick start

1Install gws and sign in. Install the gws command-line tool and authorise it for Google Sheets access with your Google account.
2Install the gws-sheets skill. The recipe requires the gws-sheets skill to be loaded before it runs.
3Download and unzip this skill. Download the ZIP from our page and unzip it to get the SKILL.md file.
4Place the folder. Put the folder in ~/.claude/skills/ or in a project's .claude/skills/, or upload it under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.
5Gather IDs. Note the spreadsheet ID and the template tab's ID from the Google Sheet.
6Ask in plain language. Request the new monthly tab, giving the sheet, the template tab and the month name.
7Review and confirm. Check the planned commands and the resulting tab in the correct spreadsheet.

What this skill makes the agent do

An agent skill is a folder with a SKILL.md file that gives an AI agent step-by-step instructions for one task. This skill covers a common monthly job: duplicating a template tab in a Google Sheet and renaming the copy, for example to a month name.

The agent looks up the spreadsheet, copies the template tab within the same file, and renames the new tab. It does this by issuing commands through the gws command-line tool, which talks to Google Sheets on your behalf. The skill is useful for budgets, timesheets, sales trackers and similar sheets that keep the same layout each month.

What you need before installing

The skill cannot work on its own. It depends on three things: the gws command-line tool (Google Workspace CLI), the gws-sheets skill, and a Google account authorised for Google Sheets access through gws.

Do not use this skill if gws is not installed and authenticated, or if you would rather change the template itself than copy it. The steps use placeholder IDs, so you must know the correct spreadsheet ID and tab ID before running anything.

gws command-line tool (Google Workspace CLI)
gws-sheets skill, which the recipe tells the agent to load first
A Google account authorised for Google Sheets access through gws

How to install the skill

Download the ZIP for this skill from our page and unzip it. The skill is a single file, SKILL.md. Put the unzipped folder in one of two places, depending on how you use the agent.

For a personal setup across projects, place it in ~/.claude/skills/. For a single project, place it in that project's .claude/skills/ folder.

If you use the Claude apps instead, open Settings, go to Capabilities, and upload the skill under Skills.

Personal: ~/.claude/skills/
Project only: .claude/skills/ inside your project folder
Claude apps: Settings → Capabilities → Skills

How to trigger the skill with a natural request

You do not need a special command. Describe the job in plain language and name the sheet and the month. Give the agent the spreadsheet ID and the template tab's ID so it does not guess, because the steps depend on those values.

Examples of requests that match this skill:

Copy the template tab in my budget sheet (ID 1AbC...) and name the new tab March 2025.
Make a new monthly tab for my timesheet spreadsheet, based on tab 0, titled April 2025.
Create this month's sales tracker tab from the template and rename it to June 2025.

What the recipe does step by step

The skill follows three steps. First it gets the spreadsheet details to confirm the file and its tabs. Then it copies the template sheet into the same spreadsheet. Finally it renames the new tab using a batch update. The commands below are taken from the skill and use placeholder values that the agent fills in for your file.

Get spreadsheet details, copy the template sheet, then rename the new tab with a batch update.

gws sheets spreadsheets get --params '{"spreadsheetId": "SHEET_ID"}'
gws sheets spreadsheets sheets copyTo --params '{"spreadsheetId": "SHEET_ID", "sheetId": 0}' --json '{"destinationSpreadsheetId": "SHEET_ID"}'
gws sheets spreadsheets batchUpdate --params '{"spreadsheetId": "SHEET_ID"}' --json '{"requests": [{"updateSheetProperties": {"properties": {"sheetId": 123, "title": "February 2025"}, "fields": "title"}}]}'

Safety notes: scripts and network access

This skill does not run scripts. It does use the network, because each step sends commands to Google Sheets through gws. Those commands act on your real Google account, so check the spreadsheet ID before the agent runs them.

A wrong ID could modify the wrong file. Confirm the ID and tab ID first, and review the agent's planned commands before approving them.

Runs scripts: no
Uses network: yes, to reach Google Sheets through gws
Placeholder IDs must be replaced with correct values

Tips for reliable results

Get the spreadsheet ID and template tab ID from the sheet before asking. The tab ID is a number, and the recipe's example uses 0 for the first tab.

Use a clear month title, such as February 2025, so the tab is easy to find later.

Keep a clean template tab that you never edit directly.
Check that gws is authenticated before the first run.
Confirm the new tab appears in the right spreadsheet after the agent finishes.

What people use it for

Creating a new monthly budget tab from a fixed template each month.
Starting a fresh timesheet tab for each month of work.
Adding a monthly tab to a sales tracker with the same columns as before.
Giving a team one consistent monthly tab without manual copying and renaming.

Frequently asked questions

What is the copy a Google Sheet for a new month agent skill?

It is an agent skill that gives an AI agent a short recipe for duplicating a template tab in a Google Sheet and renaming the copy, for example to a month name. It works by issuing commands through the gws command-line tool.

What do I need to install before using this skill?

You need the gws command-line tool (Google Workspace CLI), the gws-sheets skill, and a Google account authorised for Google Sheets access through gws. The skill cannot work without gws.

Where do I put the skill files?

Download the ZIP from our page and unzip it. Place the folder in ~/.claude/skills/ for personal use, in a project's .claude/skills/ folder for one project, or upload it in the Claude apps under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.

Is this skill free to use?

The skill is licensed under Apache-2.0. This page does not list prices, so check the source repository's license terms for details on use.

Does the skill run scripts or access the internet?

It does not run scripts, but it does use the network, because its commands send requests to Google Sheets through gws. Those commands act on your real Google account.

What if the wrong tab or file is changed?

The steps use placeholder IDs, so a wrong spreadsheet or tab ID could modify the wrong file. Confirm the IDs and review the agent's planned commands before approving them.

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Our verdict

Use this skill if you reuse the same Google Sheets layout every month and already have gws installed and signed in to your Google account. Pick something else if you do not have gws set up, or if you need to change the template itself rather than copy it.

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