Why is the Google Drive Download File Action Returning a 'Forbidden' Error?

Below is a list of things to check in order to resolve the forbidden credential error with the Download file action:

1. Verify API Scopes & Permissions
   Although your credentials work with search and delete, downloading a file may require additional or slightly different scopes. Double-check that your OAuth or Service Account credentials include all scopes needed for file download (for instance, downloading non-public files or exporting Google Docs might require extra permissions).

2. Check Configuration in Google Cloud Console
   If you’re using OAuth, ensure that every URL referenced in Google’s error message matches exactly the ones specified in your Google Cloud Console. For self-hosted instances, confirm your environment variables (like N8N_EDITOR_BASE_URL and WEBHOOK_URL) are set to fully qualified domains.

3. Re-Authenticate Your Credentials
   Even if other operations succeed, try re-authorizing the credentials. Sometimes a token refresh (or any cached token issue) might cause certain operations to be blocked.

4. If Using a Service Account
   Verify that domain-wide delegation is enabled and that the Service Account is set up correctly (including impersonating a user if needed). Some actions may require impersonation to work properly even if other actions seem functional.

By reviewing these points, you should be able to pinpoint why the Download file action is returning a forbidden error while similar actions run without issue. Let us know if these steps help!