This guide walks you through connecting your Google accounts to N8N by setting up OAuth credentials in Google Cloud Console. It covers enabling the required Google APIs, configuring an OAuth consent screen, and linking each Google service to your N8N workspace.


Prerequisites

  • An active N8N account with access to the Credentials section
  • A Google account (personal or Google Workspace)
  • A Google Cloud account — if you don't have one, you'll be guided through creating one during the process. You'll need a credit card to set up a billing account, but no charges will be made
  • A secure place to save credentials, such as LastPass or another password manager

Step 1: Open the Credentials Section in N8N

Log in to your N8N account and navigate to the Credentials section. If you're not sure where to find it, click the N8N logo in the sidebar to return to the homepage — from there you can either click Credentials if it's visible, or click the plus (+) button and select Credential from the menu that appears.

N8N homepage showing the Credentials option in the sidebar and the plus button menu

Step 2: Create a New Google Calendar Credential

Click Create Credential to open the credential type selector. Type Google in the search box, then scroll down and select Google Calendar from the list. Click Continue to proceed to the credential configuration screen.

N8N Create Credential screen with Google Calendar selected from the search results

Step 3: Open the N8N Documentation for Google Credentials

On the Google Calendar credential screen, locate and click the Read Our Docs link. This will open N8N's official step-by-step guide for setting up Google OAuth credentials in a new browser tab. Keep this tab open alongside your work as a helpful reference throughout the process.

N8N Google Calendar credential screen with the Read Our Docs link highlighted

Step 4: Sign In to Google Cloud Console

Click the Google Cloud Console link provided in the N8N documentation. If prompted, sign in with your Google account. If you're a new Google Cloud user, click I Agree and then Continue, followed by Try for Free. You'll be asked to add a credit or debit card to set up a billing account — this is required to use Google Cloud, but you will not be charged. Follow the prompts to complete the account setup before continuing.

Google Cloud Console welcome screen with sign-in and Try for Free options

Step 5: Create a New Google Cloud Project

Once inside Google Cloud Console, click New Project. Give your project a name — for example, N8N1 — and select your organisation if one is available. Click Create to generate the project. Once it has been created, click the project dropdown at the top of the console and select your new project to make it active.

Google Cloud Console New Project screen with a project name entered and the Create button visible

Step 6: Navigate to APIs and Services

With your new project selected, locate APIs and Services in the left-hand navigation menu and click Enabled APIs and Services. On the page that opens, click the Enable APIs and Services button at the top. This takes you to the API library where you can search for and enable individual Google APIs.

Google Cloud Console APIs and Services menu with Enabled APIs and Services selected

Step 7: Open All Required Google APIs in New Tabs

In the API library, scroll down to the Google Workspace row and click View All. You'll now need to open each of the following APIs in a separate browser tab — on a Mac, hold Command and click each one; on Windows, right-click and select Open in new tab. Open all of the following:

  • Google People API
  • Google Chat
  • Google Tasks
  • Gmail
  • Google Drive
  • Google Calendar
  • Google Docs
  • Google Sheets
  • Google Meet
  • Google Forms
  • Google Keep
  • Google Slides

Each tab will load in the background — you'll see them appear one by one as they open.

Google API library showing the Google Workspace section with multiple APIs being opened in new tabs

Step 8: Enable Each Google API

Switch to each of the open API tabs one at a time and click the Enable button on each page. Work through all the tabs until every API has been enabled. This activates each API within your Google Cloud project, allowing N8N to authenticate against all of these Google services. Once you've enabled them all, you can close those tabs.

Google API page showing the Enable button for a Google API within the Cloud project

Step 9: Enable the Google Search Console API

Return to the APIs and Services library in Google Cloud Console. Use the search bar to find Google Search Console API and click on it. Click Enable to activate it. This API is particularly useful if you want AI-powered workflows to query your website's search performance data from Google Search Console.

Google API library search results showing the Google Search Console API with the Enable button

Step 10: Configure the OAuth Consent Screen

In the left-hand menu, click OAuth Consent Screen. If you don't see it, navigate back to APIs and Services and select it from there. Click Get Started, then enter an app name (e.g. N8N1) and choose your support email address. Set the Audience to Internal, then click through the remaining steps — clicking Next, agreeing to the terms, and clicking Continue to complete the consent screen setup.

Google Cloud OAuth Consent Screen setup with app name, support email, and Internal audience selected

Step 11: Create OAuth 2.0 Client Credentials

Click Create OAuth Client. Set the Application Type to Web Application and give it a name such as N8N1. Under Authorised Redirect URIs, click Add URI and paste in the redirect URL copied from your N8N credential screen (see Step 12 below for how to copy this). Once the URI has been added, click Create.

Google Cloud Create OAuth Client screen with Web Application type selected and Authorised Redirect URIs field visible

Step 12: Copy the Redirect URL from N8N

Switch back to your N8N Google Calendar credential screen. Locate the Redirect URL field and click directly on it — N8N will automatically copy the URL to your clipboard and display a confirmation message. Paste this URL into the Authorised Redirect URIs field in Google Cloud Console before clicking Create. Note: You may need to complete Steps 11 and 12 together, switching between N8N and Google Cloud to copy and paste the URL.

N8N Google Calendar credential screen showing the Redirect URL field with a copied to clipboard confirmation

Step 13: Save Your Client ID and Client Secret

After clicking Create, Google will display your Client ID and Client Secret. Copy both values and store them somewhere secure — for example, create a saved note in LastPass labelled Google OAuth 2 API. It's important to save these now, as you'll reuse the same Client ID and Client Secret for every Google service you connect to N8N — you won't need to generate new ones each time.

Google Cloud OAuth client created screen displaying the Client ID and Client Secret values

Step 14: Paste Credentials into N8N and Authenticate

Return to the N8N Google Calendar credential screen and paste your Client ID and Client Secret into the corresponding fields. Click Sign in with Google, select the Google account you want to connect, and click Allow to grant the required permissions. Once complete, Google Calendar will show as connected in N8N.

N8N Google Calendar credential screen with Client ID and Client Secret fields filled in and the Sign in with Google button visible

Step 15: Repeat the Process for Gmail and Other Google Services

You'll now need to create a separate credential in N8N for each remaining Google service. Click Create Credential, search for Google, and select the next service from the list. For each one, paste in the same Client ID and Client Secret you saved in Step 13, then click Sign in with Google and click Allow. Repeat this process for all of the following services:

  • Gmail
  • Google Contacts
  • Google Docs
  • Google Drive
  • Google Sheets
  • Google Slides
  • Google Tasks
N8N Credentials screen showing multiple Google service credentials being created one by one

Step 16: Set Up Google Gemini API Credentials

Open a new browser tab and navigate to aistudio.google.com. Accept any acknowledgements that appear, then click Get API Key followed by Create API Key. Give the key a name, then click Copy to copy the generated key. Back in N8N, create a new credential, search for Google Gemini, and paste the API key into the relevant field. Google Gemini has its own dedicated node in N8N and is particularly useful for creating and analysing images within your workflows.

Google AI Studio screen showing the Get API Key and Create API Key options

Step 17: Label All Credentials with the Associated Email Address

Once all credentials have been created, it's good practice to rename each one to include the email address it's linked to — for example, Google Calendar – hello@yourdomain.com.au. This makes it much easier to identify the correct credential if you're managing multiple Google accounts in N8N. Click into each credential, update the name, and click Save at the bottom of the screen. Note that your Google Gemini credential does not need an email label, as it uses an API key rather than a user account.

N8N Credentials list showing Google service credentials renamed with associated email addresses

Troubleshooting

The "Enable" button is greyed out or missing for an API. This usually means the API has already been enabled in your project, or you may be viewing the wrong project. Check the project name shown in the top dropdown in Google Cloud Console and make sure it matches the project you created in Step 5.

The OAuth consent screen is asking me to set the audience to "External". If you're using a personal Gmail account (rather than a Google Workspace account), the Internal option may not be available. In this case, select External and proceed — this will still work correctly for your own use.

N8N is showing an error after clicking "Sign in with Google" or "Allow". Double-check that the redirect URL you copied from N8N in Step 12 was pasted exactly into the Authorised Redirect URIs field in Google Cloud — even a small difference will cause authentication to fail. Also confirm that the Client ID and Client Secret were copied correctly without any extra spaces.

Need Help?

Contact us at support@awesomate.com.au or raise a ticket in your Teamwork Desk portal.