Moderate Habits - Google Sheet Habit Tracker

Moderate Habits is a habit-tracking application built entirely within Google Sheets, powered by Google Apps Script. It helps you build consistency by tracking daily habits, managing streaks, and providing flexible "buffer" days so missing a single day doesn't break your momentum.

It's designed for those who want a simple, customizable, and free way to monitor their progress directly in a familiar spreadsheet environment.

(Click image to watch setup tutorial)

✨ Features

• Daily Habit Tracking: Simple checkbox interface for marking daily completion.
• Customizable Habits: Define your habits using emojis in the activities column.
• Streak Calculation: Automatically tracks current and highest streaks based on completion.
• Buffer Days: Earn buffer days (rest days) for each habit, preventing streak resets on occasional misses.
• Configurable Settings:
  • Set the daily reset hour (e.g., 3 AM).
  • Configure the interval for earning buffer day boosts.
• History Log: Automatically logs daily completion, buffer status, and streaks to a separate 'history' sheet.
• Date Navigation: View and update data for past days within the current challenge using a date selector.
• Dynamic Help: Context-aware help sidebar explaining features based on the current sheet and mode.
• First-Run Setup: Guided setup process for new users.
• Update Checker: Option to check if a newer version of the script is available.
• Termination Mode: Option to formally stop tracking while preserving history.

⚙️ How It Works

• main Sheet: Your primary interface for daily tracking and viewing current status.
• history Sheet: A read-only log storing the data for each day. All calculations are based on this sheet.
• Google Apps Script: The backend logic handling:
  • Daily resets (via time-driven trigger).
  • Calculations (streaks, buffers).
  • Data saving and propagation between main and history.
  • UI updates (help sidebar, dialogs).
  • Event handling (onOpen, onEdit).
• Access Request: The core script logic is contained in a private library. You need to request access so your copy of the sheet can utilize this library.

🚀 Setup Instructions

IMPORTANT: This tool uses a private Google Apps Script library. You must request access first before you can use the template sheet.

1. Prerequisites: You need a Google Account.
2. Request Access:
   • Fill out the access request form:
   • ➡️ Link to your Google Form for Access Requests Here ⬅️
   • This step is necessary to grant your Google Account permission to use the underlying script library.
3. Wait for Approval:
   • Your request needs to be processed manually. Please allow some time for approval.
   • You will receive an email titled 'Access Granted to "moderate habits"' once your request is approved.
   • Check your spam folder if you don't see the email within a reasonable time.
4. Receive Links & Copy the Sheet:
   • The approval email contains important links:
     • A link to the Google Sheet Template.
     • A link to the User Guide (PDF).
   • Click the Google Sheet Template link from the email to open it.
   • Go to File > Make a copy.
   • Save the copy to your own Google Drive. (Rename your copied sheet if desired).
5. Open Your Copy: Open the Google Sheet you just copied to your Drive.
6. Run Initial Setup:
   • Wait a few seconds for the custom menu "Moderate Habits Settings" to appear at the top. (It might take up to 30 seconds on the very first open).
   • Click Moderate Habits Settings > **Begin**.
7. Authorize the Script:
   • You will be asked for authorization for the script within your copied sheet. Click Continue / OK.
   • Choose the same Google Account you used to request access.
   • You'll likely see a "Google hasn't verified this app" screen. This is normal and expected for custom scripts you copy.
   • Click "Advanced" (usually a small link).
   • Click "Go to [Your Sheet Name] (unsafe)".
   • Review the permissions. The script needs access to this specific spreadsheet to function.
   • Click "Allow".
   • Note: The script only runs within this Google Sheet document and only accesses its data.
8. Set Up Habits:
   • Follow the prompts. A welcome message will appear, then a setup reminder.
   • You are now in Habit Ideation mode.
   • Go to the main sheet.
   • In the activities column (Column D), enter your desired habits. Use one or more emojis in the cells you want tracked. You can also add non-emoji text for labels or section headers (these won't be tracked).
   • (Optional) Add detailed descriptions to your emoji cells using Right-Click > Insert Note.
   • (Optional) Configure the reset hour (0-23) and boost interval (>=1) in the settings cells that appear on the right (Cells H6 and H8). Hover over them for explanatory notes.
   • Once you're happy with your habits (emojis) and settings, check the set habits checkbox (Cell H3).
   • A confirmation dialog will appear. Click Yes to start the challenge.
9. Start Tracking! Your sheet is now ready for tracking. The setup cells will disappear, the tracking columns will appear, and today's date will be loaded.

💡 Usage Guide

• Daily Tracking: On the main sheet, check the boxes in the completion column for habits you've completed for the date shown in the date selector cell.
• Changing Dates: Use the date selector cell (B9) to view or edit past days. Double-click for a calendar or type a date (YYYY-MM-DD). Data for the previously viewed date is saved automatically when you change dates if you modified completion status.
• Streaks & Buffers: These are calculated automatically based on the history sheet. Missing a habit reduces its buffer the next day. If the buffer is 0 and you miss it, the current streak resets to 0 the next day. Buffers increase automatically based on your boost interval setting.
• Help: Click Moderate Habits Settings > Show Help (Current Page) to open a sidebar with relevant information about the current sheet and mode.
• Detailed Guide: For a more in-depth explanation and examples, refer to the guide (also linked in your approval email):
  • ➡️ Link to Guide Here ⬅️

🔧 Troubleshooting

• Menu Not Appearing: The "Moderate Habits Settings" menu might take a few seconds (up to 30) to appear when you first open the sheet, especially the very first time. Try reloading the page if it takes longer.
• Haven't Received Approval Email: Please allow some time for manual processing of your access request. Remember to check your spam/junk folder for the email titled 'Access Granted to "moderate habits"'.
• Authorization Loop / Errors: If authorization keeps failing or you encounter permission errors (especially after copying the sheet), ensure you requested access with the same Google account you are using to authorize the script in your copy. If issues persist, try removing the script's permissions from your Google Account settings (Manage your Google Account -> Security -> Third-party apps with account access -> Find the script by name -> Remove Access) and then re-authorize by running a menu item (like Show Help) again.
• Script Errors ("An error occurred..."): If you see error messages, check the script's execution logs for details: Extensions > Apps Script > Executions. This often provides specific error messages useful for debugging.
• Performance: Depending on the length of your challenge history, some actions (like changing dates far back or the daily reset) might take a few seconds to process. This is normal for Apps Script.

🙏 Contributing

Contributions, issues, and feature requests are welcome! Please feel free to open an issue on the GitHub repository issues page to report bugs or suggest improvements.

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Happy habiting! 💪