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Google: OAuth2 generic#

This document contains instructions for creating a generic OAuth2 Google credential for use with custom operations.

Note for n8n Cloud users

For the following nodes, you can authenticate by selecting Sign in with Google in the OAuth section:

Prerequisites#

Set up OAuth#

There are five steps to connecting your n8n credential to Google services:

  1. Create a Google Cloud Console project.
  2. Enable APIs.
  3. Configure your OAuth consent screen.
  4. Create your Google OAuth client credentials.
  5. Finish your n8n credential.

Create a Google Cloud Console project#

First, create a Google Cloud Console project. If you already have a project, jump to the next section:

  1. Log in to the Google Cloud Console using your Google credentials.
  2. In the top menu, select the project dropdown in the top navigation and select New project or go directly to the New Project page.
  3. Enter a Project name and select the Location for your project.
  4. Select Create.

  5. Check the top navigation and make sure the Select a project dropdown has your project selected. If not, select the project you just created.

    The project dropdown in the Google Cloud top navigation
    Check the project dropdown in the Google Cloud top navigation

Enable APIs#

With your project created, enable the APIs you'll need access to:

  1. Access your Google Cloud Console - Library. Make sure you're in the correct project.
    The project dropdown in the Google Cloud top navigation
    Check the project dropdown in the Google Cloud top navigation
  2. Go to APIs & Services > Library.
  3. Search for and select the API(s) you want to enable. For example, for the Gmail node, search for and enable the Gmail API.

  4. Some integrations require other APIs or require you to request access:

    Google Drive API required

    The following integrations require the Google Drive API, as well as their own API:

    • Google Docs
    • Google Sheets
    • Google Slides

  5. Select ENABLE.

If you haven't used OAuth in your Google Cloud project before, you'll need to configure the OAuth consent screen:

  1. Access your Google Cloud Console - Library. Make sure you're in the correct project.
    The project dropdown in the Google Cloud top navigation
    Check the project dropdown in the Google Cloud top navigation
  2. Open the left navigation menu and go to APIs & Services > OAuth consent screen.
  3. For User Type, select Internal for user access within your organization's Google workspace or External for any user with a Google account. Refer to Google's User type documentation for more information on user types.
  4. Select Create.
  5. Enter the essential information:
    • App name
    • User support email
    • Email addresses field in Developer contact information
  6. In the Authorized domains section, add n8n.cloud if using n8n's Cloud service. If you're self-hosting, add the domain of your n8n instance.
  7. Select SAVE AND CONTINUE to go to the Scopes page.
  8. You don't need to set any scopes. Select SAVE AND CONTINUE again to go to the Summary page.
  9. On the Summary page, review the information for accuracy.

Create your Google OAuth client credentials#

Next, create the OAuth client credentials in Google:

  1. In the APIs & Services section, select Credentials.
  2. Select + CREATE CREDENTIALS > OAuth client ID.
  3. In the Application type dropdown, select Web application.
  4. Google automatically generates a Name. Update the Name to something you'll recognize in your console.
  5. From your n8n credential, copy the OAuth Redirect URL. Paste it into the Authorized redirect URIs in Google Console.
  6. Select CREATE.

Finish your n8n credential#

With the Google project and credentials fully configured, finish the n8n credential:

  1. From Google's OAuth client created modal, copy the Client ID. Enter this in your n8n credential.
  2. From the same Google modal, copy the Client Secret. Enter this in your n8n credential.
  3. You must provide the scopes for this credential. Refer to Scopes for more information. Enter multiple scopes in a space-separated list, for example: 
    1
    https://www.googleapis.com/auth/gmail.labels https://www.googleapis.com/auth/gmail.addons.current.action.compose
  4. In n8n, select Sign in with Google to complete your Google authentication.
  5. Save your new credentials.

Video#

The following video demonstrates the steps described above:

Scopes#

Google services have one or more possible access scopes. A scope limits what a user can do. Refer to OAuth 2.0 Scopes for Google APIs for a list of scopes for all services.

n8n doesn't support all scopes. When creating a generic Google OAuth2 API credential, you can enter scopes from the Supported scopes list below. If you enter a scope that n8n doesn't already support, it won't work.

Supported scopes
Service Available scopes
Gmail https://www.googleapis.com/auth/gmail.labels
https://www.googleapis.com/auth/gmail.addons.current.action.compose
https://www.googleapis.com/auth/gmail.addons.current.message.action
https://mail.google.com/
https://www.googleapis.com/auth/gmail.modify
https://www.googleapis.com/auth/gmail.compose
Google Ads https://www.googleapis.com/auth/adwords
Google Analytics https://www.googleapis.com/auth/analytics
https://www.googleapis.com/auth/analytics.readonly
Google BigQuery https://www.googleapis.com/auth/bigquery
Google Books https://www.googleapis.com/auth/books
Google Calendar https://www.googleapis.com/auth/calendar
https://www.googleapis.com/auth/calendar.events
Google Cloud Natural Language https://www.googleapis.com/auth/cloud-language
https://www.googleapis.com/auth/cloud-platform
Google Cloud Storage https://www.googleapis.com/auth/cloud-platform
https://www.googleapis.com/auth/cloud-platform.read-only
https://www.googleapis.com/auth/devstorage.full_control
https://www.googleapis.com/auth/devstorage.read_only
https://www.googleapis.com/auth/devstorage.read_write
Google Contacts https://www.googleapis.com/auth/contacts
Google Docs https://www.googleapis.com/auth/documents
https://www.googleapis.com/auth/drive
https://www.googleapis.com/auth/drive.file
Google Drive https://www.googleapis.com/auth/drive
https://www.googleapis.com/auth/drive.appdata
https://www.googleapis.com/auth/drive.photos.readonly
Google Firebase Cloud Firestore https://www.googleapis.com/auth/datastore
https://www.googleapis.com/auth/firebase
Google Firebase Realtime Database https://www.googleapis.com/auth/userinfo.email
https://www.googleapis.com/auth/firebase.database
https://www.googleapis.com/auth/firebase
Google Perspective https://www.googleapis.com/auth/userinfo.email
Google Sheets https://www.googleapis.com/auth/drive.file
https://www.googleapis.com/auth/spreadsheets
Google Slide https://www.googleapis.com/auth/drive.file
https://www.googleapis.com/auth/presentations
Google Tasks https://www.googleapis.com/auth/tasks
Google Translate https://www.googleapis.com/auth/cloud-translation
GSuite Admin https://www.googleapis.com/auth/admin.directory.group
https://www.googleapis.com/auth/admin.directory.user
https://www.googleapis.com/auth/admin.directory.domain.readonly
https://www.googleapis.com/auth/admin.directory.userschema.readonly

Troubleshooting#

Google hasn't verified this app#

If using the OAuth authentication method, you might see the warning Google hasn't verified this app. To avoid this, you can create OAuth credentials from the same account you want to authenticate.

If you need to use credentials generated by another account (by a developer or another third party), follow the instructions in Google Cloud documentation | Authorization errors: Google hasn't verified this app.

Google Cloud app becoming unauthorized#

For Google Cloud apps with Publishing status set to Testing and User type set to External, consent and tokens expire after seven days. Refer to Google Cloud Platform Console Help | Setting up your OAuth consent screen for more information. To resolve this, reconnect the app in the n8n credentials modal.