Google Sheets API Permission Denied: Troubleshooting 403 Error

Other Questions Google Sheets
1

I’m having trouble accessing a Google Sheets document through the API. When I try to fetch data, I keep getting a 403 error. Here’s what I’m dealing with:

GET request:
https://sheets.googleapis.com/v4/spreadsheets/SPREADSHEET_ID?key=MY_API_KEY

Response:
{
  "error": {
    "code": 403,
    "message": "The caller does not have permission",
    "status": "PERMISSION_DENIED"
  }
}

I’ve made sure my API key has no restrictions for testing purposes. But I still can’t figure out why I’m getting this permission error. Has anyone run into this before? Any ideas on what I might be missing or how to fix it?

I’ve tried looking up similar issues online but haven’t found a solution that works for my case. Any help or suggestions would be really appreciated!

2

I encountered a similar problem in the past and found that the issue wasn’t with the API key at all. Instead, it was due to the spreadsheet’s sharing permissions. The account or service account linked to your API project must have explicit access to the document. It’s important to check that you’re using the correct spreadsheet ID and that the necessary permissions are in place. In my case, adjusting the sharing settings resolved the 403 error, and in some situations creating a new API key can help if configuration glitches persist.

3

Have you verified that the Google account associated with your API credentials has been granted access to the specific spreadsheet you’re trying to access? Often, this 403 error crops up when there’s a mismatch between the API permissions and the document-level permissions. I’d suggest double-checking the spreadsheet’s sharing settings and ensuring your service account email (if you’re using one) is listed there with appropriate access rights. Also, make sure you’re using the correct spreadsheet ID in your API request. If all else fails, you might want to try creating a new set of credentials or even a new project in the Google Cloud Console to rule out any configuration issues on that end.

4

hey, ive run into this before. check if ur using OAuth 2.0 instead of just an API key. OAuth lets u access private data, which might be whats blocking u. try setting up OAuth credentials and see if that fixes it. also double check the spreadsheet ID, sometimes i copy/paste wrong lol. good luck!