Issue
A student or staff member is unable to open a document in Google Drive through the Canvas integration.
Environment
Information
The user receives the following error message: "You need access. Open the documents directly to see if requesting access is possible, or switch to an account with access." This occurs even when the document permissions in Google Drive are confirmed to be correct.
Resolution
To resolve this issue, the instructor must modify the link settings within Canvas:
- Navigate to the specific link within the Canvas course.
- Edit the link settings.
- Update the Load in a new tab or Open Link in New Window checkbox/field to be enabled.
Cause
Canvas is sometimes unable to render Google Drive content within an iFrame (the embedded window). As a result, the browser blocks the connection for security reasons, triggering a false "Access Denied" error.