Many developers using Google Apps Script (GAS) have recently encountered an increase in “Exception: Service invoked too many times” errors.
This isn’t a bug — it’s a quota-based restriction that triggers when a script exceeds Google’s allowed limits.
This article summarizes why this error is occurring more frequently in 2024–2025, based on a real-world environment using automated email sending, spreadsheet updates, and API calls inside GAS.
Why the Error Is Increasing
Each GAS service has strict usage limits per day and per minute.
Scripts that perform many operations in a short period are now more likely to hit these limits, especially with:
- Email sending (MailApp / GmailApp)
- Spreadsheet operations (SpreadsheetApp)
- External API calls (UrlFetchApp)
Many developers have reported that the per-minute quotas feel stricter than before, likely due to internal adjustments made by Google.
As a result, scripts that used to work fine now often stop with:
“Service invoked too many times for one day (or in a short time).”
Practical Ways to Fix It
1. Use batch operations
Instead of calling APIs or writing to spreadsheets one by one, combine operations into batch writes or bulk processing.
2. Insert delays inside loops
Fast loops trigger the per-minute quota quickly.
Adding Utilities.sleep(200) between iterations helps prevent rapid calls.
3. Adjust trigger timing and frequency
Run heavy jobs at night or reduce the number of executions per day.
4. Use caching to avoid repeated API calls
CacheService and PropertiesService can reduce expensive SpreadsheetApp or UrlFetchApp calls.
5. If structural limits are reached, consider alternatives
When large-scale email or API processing is required, GAS alone may not be sufficient.
Consider migrating heavy workloads to:
- Cloud Functions
- External backend servers
- Queue-based systems
How to Minimize the Error Long-Term
- Avoid rapid repeated calls
- Use bulk operations
- Plan around daily and short-term quotas
These three strategies are essential for stable operations.
References
- GAS — Service quotas
https://developers.google.com/apps-script/guides/services/quotas - GAS — Troubleshooting
https://developers.google.com/apps-script/guides/support/troubleshooting - StackOverflow — Email quota exceeded case
https://stackoverflow.com/questions/78919444/exception-service-invoked-too-many-times-for-one-day-premium-gmail - StackOverflow — Short-term limit discussion
https://stackoverflow.com/questions/67076199/why-do-i-keep-getting-exception-service-invoked-too-many-times-in-a-short-time - GAS quota best practices
https://zenn.dev/gas/articles/7b8bf039ff0186 - WebApps — Call frequency error discussion
https://webapps.stackexchange.com/questions/78222/custom-script-invoked-too-many-times-error