http:403 forbidden error when trying to load img src with google profile pic

Question

hello everyone I am trying to load google profile picture in my site and other ones

I have done

var profile = googleUser.getBasicProfile();
profile.getImageUrl()

when I sign in with google and save the image url to a database but when I try to put it into the scr of an img tag like so

var img = document.createElement("img");
img.src = image;
img.alt = "image";
img.style.float = "left";
divn.appendChild(img);

I get 403 forbidden error sometimes, but sometimes it works here is a sample link that I'm using the one that is stored in the database just altered a bit

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-OmV9386WzGk/AAAAFFFFAAI/AAAAAAAACpc/BEtVNh85tnk/s96-c/photo.jpg

so I'm just wondering if I'm doing it right obtaining the profile image, and its for other users also on the same page

Solution 1

Using referrerpolicy="no-referrer" seems to help. While it didn't work in a localhost app (before I added this attribute), it worked consistently when loading the image in its own tab. One of the differences in the request headers was the absence of referer.

Solution 2

I was getting this error when accessing the localhost without any protocol mentioned. If your images aren't loading, try reopening the website giving http:// or https:// That should solve the issue

Solution 3

Looks like google doesn't serve requests when the Referer header is set to localhost. I changed it in the inspecto to some other domain, resent it and it worked. I could even get the profile picture with curl and zero headers.

Solution 4

I could imagine that the URL is dynamically created each time you request it. That is supported by the fact that the user needs to be authenticated to retrieve that URL. (If the user e.g. signs out of a previously authorized service / revokes the authentication, a service should no longer be able to retrieve the profile picture)

So either you store the entire image as a blob in the database or authenticate and use the User Object each time to request the URL.

Also, consider using the API as referenced here.

Solution 5

2021 same issue

If you are using the CORS plugin on browser(chrome), please turn it off.

After off the plugin, restart your browser and try again.

.. it works for me!

View more solutions

Comments

[webkit]

3 years later.. I'm facing the same issue.. did you ever find a solution for this?

[JRowan]

No, i just decided to not use google sign in.

[philo vivero]

wow. March 2017 and still having this issue. if I figure it out, I'll answer the question. I really want to be able to use Google login.

[Tarek Eldeeb]

Same issue .. 2018 .. Is this related to serving from localhost?

[A.W.]

I have the same problem. I am using Firebase auth and that returns a picture url. It gives a 403 error sometimes.

[Yos]

I think this has to do with localhost. When I reload the page (so they page is serverside rendered) the picture shows. So there's some CORS issue probably.

[Anis Smail]

For me it's also related to localhost, when I'm on my firebase domain it works.

[Davide]

2020 same issue, now I'm using 127.0.0.1 instead of localhost, and works fine

[dcts]

October 2021 still same issue. But @Davide solution using 127.0.0.1 instead of localhost still works

[MehranTM]

The URL is NOT dynamic. Please check my answer above

[b00stup]

I have the same issue. Where in my code do I actually "use" referrerpolicy="no-referrer" ? I use firebase in react to log through google login. thnx for any help on this !

[Turbotailz]

If you click the link in the answer, it takes you to the list of attributes for the IMG element. Simply add referrerpolicy="no-referrer" to your image elements that use googleusercontent.com

[Anees Hameed]

This is correct. To test this I started a ngrok.io tunnel and the image was loading through the tunnel even though it was not working in localhost.

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[Md. Mahmud Hasan]

Thanks. Worked perfectly