Create Draft Gmail Node - Attachment Binary Issue

[ScottCartoncloud]

Describe the problem/error/question - When testing the below workflow - I get to the create draft step and recieve the error outlined below regarding the attachment. However, the draft is creating in Gmail with the attachment (ie the flow is working)

What is the error message (if any)? _Problem in node ‘Create a draft1‘

This operation expects the node's input data to contain a binary file 'data', but none was found [item 0] (item 0)_

Please share your workflow/screenshots/recording

{
"nodes": [
{
"parameters": {},
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.manualTrigger",
"typeVersion": 1,
"position": [
0,
0
],
"id": "61b2b868-4a3c-4022-9989-171f89f2a0b0",
"name": "When clicking ‘Execute workflow’"
},
{
"parameters": {
"documentId": {
"__rl": true,
"value": "1kfC2ZyQFGMV_ev6pIMmSWbWSr0DMo1Fb7-e5QrcQYsQ",
"mode": "list",
"cachedResultName": "Theresa Test",
"cachedResultUrl": "https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1kfC2ZyQFGMV_ev6pIMmSWbWSr0DMo1Fb7-e5QrcQYsQ/edit?usp=drivesdk"
},
"sheetName": {
"__rl": true,
"value": "gid=0",
"mode": "list",
"cachedResultName": "Sheet1",
"cachedResultUrl": "https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1kfC2ZyQFGMV_ev6pIMmSWbWSr0DMo1Fb7-e5QrcQYsQ/edit#gid=0"
},
"options": {}
},
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.googleSheets",
"typeVersion": 4.6,
"position": [
208,
0
],
"id": "8c83261d-ebac-4161-86a3-a99cbde83151",
"name": "Get row(s) in sheet",
"credentials": {
"googleSheetsOAuth2Api": {
"id": "b9BmSySghQSvBDls",
"name": "Google Sheets account"
}
}
},
{
"parameters": {
"operation": "copy",
"fileId": {
"__rl": true,
"value": "1esSXV2-eQFJihl32N0WpfRS8zyCVciMDncavhcHdMhc",
"mode": "list",
"cachedResultName": "Theresa Test",
"cachedResultUrl": "https://docs.google.com/document/d/1esSXV2-eQFJihl32N0WpfRS8zyCVciMDncavhcHdMhc/edit?usp=drivesdk"
},
"name": "={{ $json.Name }} {{ $json['Policy Number'] }}",
"options": {}
},
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.googleDrive",
"typeVersion": 3,
"position": [
416,
0
],
"id": "a543d358-7648-4b8a-8033-00100fff82e5",
"name": "Copy file",
"credentials": {
"googleDriveOAuth2Api": {
"id": "2A7Cm2DUb464WyZd",
"name": "Google Drive account"
}
}
},
{
"parameters": {
"operation": "download",
"fileId": {
"__rl": true,
"value": "={{ $json.documentId }}",
"mode": "id"
},
"options": {
"binaryPropertyName": "data",
"googleFileConversion": {
"conversion": {
"docsToFormat": "application/pdf"
}
},
"fileName": "={{ $('Copy file').item.json.name }}"
}
},
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.googleDrive",
"typeVersion": 3,
"position": [
832,
0
],
"id": "6df0eb45-4d7c-41b8-afa1-408aaa443cdb",
"name": "Download file",
"alwaysOutputData": false,
"credentials": {
"googleDriveOAuth2Api": {
"id": "2A7Cm2DUb464WyZd",
"name": "Google Drive account"
}
}
},
{
"parameters": {
"resource": "draft",
"operation": "get",
"messageId": "r-6723534199030463331",
"options": {}
},
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.gmail",
"typeVersion": 2.1,
"position": [
1248,
144
],
"id": "3dd0d5f8-cb27-4308-b3f8-0b713baaaf86",
"name": "Get a draft",
"webhookId": "daa4dc49-2b7c-4f12-aa2e-1c6f99b7b51d",
"credentials": {
"gmailOAuth2": {
"id": "17BYhxOrNuBaUpWu",
"name": "Gmail account"
}
}
},
{
"parameters": {
"resource": "draft",
"subject": "Test",
"emailType": "html",
"message": "Test",
"options": {
"attachmentsUi": {
"attachmentsBinary": [
{
"property": "=data"
}
]
}
}
},
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.gmail",
"typeVersion": 2.1,
"position": [
1440,
0
],
"id": "c9351f25-7bf7-4408-bdbd-6c8ff2badb88",
"name": "Create a draft1",
"webhookId": "805534f8-d079-404d-a7d1-71d6765696d6",
"credentials": {
"gmailOAuth2": {
"id": "17BYhxOrNuBaUpWu",
"name": "Gmail account"
}
}
},
{
"parameters": {
"operation": "update",
"documentURL": "={{ $json.id }}",
"actionsUi": {
"actionFields": [
{
"action": "replaceAll",
"text": "$Name$",
"replaceText": "={{ $('Get row(s) in sheet').item.json.Name }}"
}
]
}
},
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.googleDocs",
"typeVersion": 2,
"position": [
624,
0
],
"id": "45e3eeb0-bf21-4ee9-a2a6-9af51796f508",
"name": "Update a document",
"credentials": {
"googleDocsOAuth2Api": {
"id": "zv3aYkMi4WlXWv2Q",
"name": "Google Docs account"
}
}
}
],
"connections": {
"When clicking ‘Execute workflow’": {
"main": [
[
{
"node": "Get row(s) in sheet",
"type": "main",
"index": 0
}
]
]
},
"Get row(s) in sheet": {
"main": [
[
{
"node": "Copy file",
"type": "main",
"index": 0
}
]
]
},
"Copy file": {
"main": [
[
{
"node": "Update a document",
"type": "main",
"index": 0
}
]
]
},
"Download file": {
"main": [
[
{
"node": "Get a draft",
"type": "main",
"index": 0
},
{
"node": "Create a draft1",
"type": "main",
"index": 0
}
]
]
},
"Get a draft": {
"main": [
[
{
"node": "Create a draft1",
"type": "main",
"index": 0
}
]
]
},
"Update a document": {
"main": [
[
{
"node": "Download file",
"type": "main",
"index": 0
}
]
]
}
},
"pinData": {},
"meta": {
"instanceId": "d1017f67669e36b7152519cd0e70e9dcd3d0144202341ef844467fdf1323459a"
}
}

Share the output returned by the last node:

This operation expects the node's input data to contain a binary file 'data', but none was found [item 0] (item 0)
Make sure that the previous node outputs a binary file

Debug info

core

• n8nVersion: 1.104.1
• platform: docker (cloud)
• nodeJsVersion: 22.17.0
• database: sqlite
• executionMode: regular
• concurrency: 20
• license: community

storage

• success: all
• error: all
• progress: false
• manual: true
• binaryMode: filesystem

pruning

• enabled: true
• maxAge: 720 hours
• maxCount: 25000 executions

client

• userAgent: mozilla/5.0 (macintosh; intel mac os x 10_15_7) applewebkit/537.36 (khtml, like gecko) chrome/138.0.0.0 safari/537.36
• isTouchDevice: false

Generated at: 2025-08-13T21:53:06.315Z}

[Joffcom]

Hey @MuzzCC,

Thank you for reaching out! We’ve received your issue and are looking into it. To help us track this internally, we’ve created a Linear ticket with the reference: "GHC-3730".

We’ll keep you updated as we make progress, but if you have any additional details or context to share, feel free to add them here - it’s always helpful!

Thanks for your patience and for bringing this to our attention.

[abhaysinghs772]

hey @MuzzCC,

I tried reproducing this issue locally, using the workflow JSON provided above.
But everything seems to be working fine for me.

Please confirm, whether are you still facing this issue or it might have been resolved already.

If you are still facing this, possible things you can try: -

• Go to your GCP console, and search for Gmail APIs (try disabling it, re-enabling it)
• Go to the credentials sections and create a new client ID and client secret
• Use the newly created client credentials and remove the previous ones.

Meanwhile, I'll give it another try.
I appreciate your patience.

[ScottCartoncloud]

Thanks @abhaysinghs772 - when published and turned on it is working, but still seeing the error when testing. All good though, nothing major. Can just close this out for now as I am not blocked.