Google Drive API: Unable to retrieve file with error 404

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1

Help needed with Google Drive API file download issue

I’m encountering a problem while trying to fetch a file using the Drive REST API. When I send a GET request with the file ID, I keep getting a 404 error indicating that the file can’t be found. Here’s the error message I’m receiving:

{
  "error": {
    "errors": [
      {
        "domain": "global",
        "reason": "notFound",
        "message": "Unable to locate file: abc123",
        "locationType": "other",
        "location": "file"
      }
    ],
    "code": 404,
    "message": "Unable to locate file: abc123"
  }
}

I’ve double-checked and the file definitely exists in my Drive. I’ve also made sure to include the API key in my request. What could be causing this issue? Any suggestions on how to troubleshoot or resolve this problem would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance for your help!

2

I’ve encountered this issue before, and it can be quite frustrating. One thing that worked for me was to ensure that the file wasn’t in the trash. Sometimes, files you think are accessible are actually in the Drive’s trash folder. Try checking there and restoring if necessary.

Another potential cause could be API versioning. Make sure you’re using the latest version of the Drive API, as older versions might have compatibility issues with certain file types or permissions structures.

Lastly, if you’re using a service account, verify that it has the necessary scopes to access the file. You might need to explicitly grant it ‘drive.file’ or ‘drive.readonly’ scope, depending on your use case.

These steps helped me resolve similar 404 errors. Let me know if any of these work for you, John.

3

hey john, have u checked ur permissions? sometimes the API can’t access files even if they’re in ur drive. try sharing the file with the service account email ur using for the API. also, double-check the file ID - easy to mix up characters. hope this helps!

4

Have you tried using the ‘files.get’ method instead of a direct GET request? This method is specifically designed for retrieving file metadata and can sometimes bypass issues with direct URL access. Also, ensure you’re using the correct file ID - it should be the long string in the URL when you open the file in Drive, not any custom name you might have given it.

If that doesn’t work, try creating a new API key. Sometimes, keys can become invalidated without warning. Regenerating the key might solve the issue.

Lastly, check if the file is in a shared drive. If it is, you’ll need to use different parameters in your API request to access it. The ‘supportsAllDrives’ parameter set to ‘true’ can help with this.