I’m working with Gmail API through Postman to read emails and remove certain messages. My refresh token stops working every week (7 days) even after changing my application from testing mode to production status. This weekly expiration is causing issues with my workflow.
I’m wondering if the problem might be with my permission scopes. I need to use the gmail.modify scope instead of basic read-only permissions. Has anyone experienced similar issues with broader scopes causing faster token expiration?
Is there any method to automatically renew these tokens without manual intervention? Right now I have to manually go through the OAuth flow again using the Google authorization endpoint to get a new code and exchange it for fresh tokens.
My app is already in published state but the 7-day expiration cycle continues. What am I missing here?
I’ve dealt with Gmail API tokens for enterprise clients - your issue is definitely incomplete app verification. That 7-day limit sticks around because Google hasn’t fully verified your production app yet. Publishing doesn’t mean verification is done. Check for pending verification emails from Google or outstanding security assessments in your console. Gmail modify scope needs manual review - takes 2-6 weeks depending on their backlog. For now, set up a cron job that swaps your refresh token for new access tokens every 3-4 days. I run a simple Python script nightly that logs token refresh status. Guard that original refresh token - it’s your lifeline until full verification comes through. Once Google finishes their security review, the refresh token becomes indefinite.
Had this exact same frustrating issue! Your app’s probably still in testing mode in Google Cloud Console. Even when it shows “published,” if you’ve got test users configured, refresh tokens expire every week. Check your OAuth consent screen and remove any test users. Also, if you’re using sensitive scopes, make sure you’ve finished the verification process - that affects token validity too. For automatic renewal, you’ll need to build a token refresh workflow into your app. Just request a new token before the current one expires and you’re good to go.
OAuth setup is a total pain, but you’re attacking this wrong. Manual token management turns into a mess quickly, and Google’s verification process sucks.
I had the same email automation problems last year. Instead of fighting Gmail API tokens, I switched to Latenode and haven’t touched OAuth since. It handles all that complexity and connects to Gmail without babysitting tokens.
You can rebuild the same email reading and deletion workflow in minutes. No refresh token headaches, no verification hoops, no weekly manual fixes. Just drag your logic together and it works.
The time you’d waste debugging OAuth could build your entire automation. Latenode also connects to other services when you need to expand.
The weekly expiration means Google still sees your app as unverified for sensitive scopes. I ran into this exact issue with a client project - tokens kept expiring until we finished Google’s security assessment, which took weeks. Gmail API with modify permissions needs extra verification beyond publishing your consent screen. Check your Google Cloud Console for notifications - you might’ve missed some verification requirements. The gmail.modify scope triggers stricter token policies until Google approves production use. Your best move right now? Set up automatic token refresh. Create a scheduled job that swaps your refresh token for new access tokens every few days. Store that refresh token securely and add error handling for when it dies. This kept our email automation running while we waited for Google’s approval to go through.
you’re probably still stuck in testing mode somehow. delete your entire oauth consent screen and rebuild it from scratch - the console gets stuck in weird states sometimes. double-check your redirect uri matches exactly what you’re using in postman. even tiny differences will break it. i’ve seen the 7-day limit stick around after publishing when there were setup issues early on.
Weekly expiration means your OAuth consent screen setup is wrong. Remove test users, but also check if you’ve completed domain verification - especially for restricted scopes like gmail.modify. Google gives unverified apps shorter token lifespans no matter what. For auto-renewal, set up a background process that watches token expiry dates and hits the refresh endpoint before they die. Store your refresh token safely and use it to grab new access tokens. Once your app’s properly verified, the refresh token should last forever. Double-check your Google Cloud Console under APIs & Services. Sometimes there are multiple OAuth screens and you’re editing the wrong one. The scope itself won’t cause faster expiration, but screwing up verification for sensitive scopes definitely will.