gmail api - 413 - Request Entity Too Large

Question

I can upload small drafts OK using the metadata endpoint (https://www.googleapis.com/gmail/v1/users/me/drafts), e.g.:

{"message":{"raw":"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"}}    

However, when I try a larger file that's still within the 35MB limit (e.g. an 11MB file), I get the following HTTP WebException:

The remote server returned an error: (413) Request Entity Too Large.

Is this a bug in the new API, or is this down to the fact I should be using the media endpoint instead for this kind of thing? If so, can anybody provide an example of how to do this using the .NET Client?

Answer 1

You need to use the /upload "media upload" path to upload anything over a few MB. The URL and POST format are slightly different:

You'd do:

1. POST https://www.googleapis.com/upload/gmail/v1/users/userId/drafts
2. add a HTTP header like "Content-type: multipart/related; boundary="part_boundary""
3. POST body looks more like:

--part_boundary
Content-Type: application/json; charset=UTF-8

{
}

--part_boundary
Content-Type: message/rfc822

From: script@example.org
To: user@example.com
Subject: test

body here

--part_boundary--

See this for more info (which then links to this).