Troubleshooting Google Drive embed issues

Troubleshooting “accounts.google.com refused to connect” message

If Google is unable to authenticate your access to Google Drive, you may see this error:

This message is typically triggered by Google’s security settings. To resolve it:

• Verify you're signed into Google.
  Especially important if using a different computer or browsing in incognito mode.

• Check your Chrome settings.
  Make sure third-party cookies are not blocked.

• Review installed browser extensions.
  Disable any extensions that block third-party cookies.

• In Safari:
  Navigate to Preferences > Privacy and uncheck “Prevent cross-site tracking.”

• Try another browser.
  Sign in to Google and Guru in a different browser to see if the issue persists.

Troubleshooting the “you need permission” message

If you see the message “you need permission to access this file,” it typically means you’re logged into the wrong Google account.

To fix this:

1. Confirm you're signed into the correct Google account.
   You must be logged into the account that has permission to view the file.

2. Review the file’s Share settings in Google Drive.
   Make sure the appropriate email account has access to the file.

Troubleshooting 403 error when viewing embedded PDFs from Google Drive

If you encounter a 403 error when trying to view an embedded PDF, it's likely due to using a direct file link instead of an embed code.

PDFs in Google Drive require an embed code, not a file link, to display correctly in a Guru Card.

See Embedding Content into Guru Cards for instructions on how to to properly embed PDFs stored in Google Drive.