I’m building a personal script that uses Gmail API to monitor new messages. I set up a Google Cloud project to get the required credentials for API access.
The problem is my refresh token keeps expiring every 7 days and I need to go through the authorization process again. This is really annoying since my code runs on a Raspberry Pi server. Every week I have to SSH into the device, grab the auth URL from my background process, and complete the OAuth flow manually.
I looked into getting my Google Cloud project verified but that requires submitting documentation, privacy policies, and other paperwork which seems like overkill for a personal project. Is there a way to get long-lasting refresh tokens similar to what verified applications receive? Why does Google make it so difficult to access your own account data programmatically? I wish there was just a simple API key option available.
I attempted to submit my project for Google’s verification process but I doubt it will be approved for personal use.
Gmail API tokens are a nightmare. I wasted months fighting refresh tokens in production before realizing I was doing it all wrong.
Skip Google’s OAuth mess entirely. I moved my email automation to a platform that keeps Gmail connections alive permanently. No token babysitting, no weekly SSH fixes, no verification forms.
Your Pi still controls everything via HTTP requests or webhooks. The platform handles Gmail while your code does actual work.
I set up triggers for new messages, added filters, and hooked it into my Pi workflows. Connection’s been solid for months without touching it.
Testing mode tricks buy you time, but you’re still handling credentials. Why build token refresh logic when you can skip it?
My email monitoring runs 24/7 now. Zero maintenance, zero auth problems.
Latenode keeps Gmail connections alive permanently and kills the token headache: https://latenode.com
Gmail automation is a pain. That 7-day token expiration kills personal projects.
Most people don’t realize you can skip Google’s verification mess entirely. Don’t fight Gmail API directly - use a platform that handles OAuth for you.
I had a monitoring script that checked emails 24/7. Wasted weeks keeping tokens alive and dealing with expired credentials. Moved everything to an automation platform that manages authentication automatically.
Best part? Connections stay alive permanently. No SSH sessions to reauthorize. No babysitting refresh tokens. Set it once, done.
Your Raspberry Pi can still trigger workflows through webhooks or API calls. You keep local control but ditch the auth nightmare.
For Gmail monitoring, set up triggers for new messages, filter by sender/subject, then process however you want. Much cleaner than managing credentials yourself.
Latenode handles Gmail integration perfectly and bypasses Google’s verification entirely. Check it out: https://latenode.com
You can get permanent refresh tokens for personal use without verification - just configure your app right. Add your Gmail address as a test user and keep the app in testing mode. The part most people miss: include access_type=offline and prompt=consent in your token request to force new refresh token generation. I’ve been running this setup for over two years. Store your refresh token securely and handle errors properly. A valid refresh token from a properly configured test app lasts indefinitely if you use it at least once every six months. My Pi-based email processor has run without any manual intervention since I got this right. The 100-user testing limit doesn’t matter since you’re the only user. Just don’t publish the app or move it to production.
had the same problem last year. switch ur app to ‘testing’ mode instead of production - test apps don’t have the 7-day limit, tho ur capped at 100 test users (plenty for personal projects). in google cloud console, go to oauth consent screen and leave it in testing status. ur refresh tokens will last way longer. fixed it for my pi project.
Google deliberately makes their verification process a pain to discourage personal API use, but I found a workaround for my email backup system. Don’t fight the refresh token expiration - just build automatic renewal into your script. I check token expiration before each API call and refresh proactively when it’s about to expire. The trick is handling everything programmatically without any manual steps. My Python script stores both tokens locally, watches the expiration timestamps, and automatically grabs new tokens using the stored refresh token. No more manual SSH sessions since renewal happens silently in the background. Been running for eight months without touching it once. Just make sure your error handling can catch auth failures and retry the refresh.