How do I use JWT to access Google Directory (Admin SDK) using NodeJS client libraries?

Question

I'm trying to make a server application that will add/remove users to my domain's groups. Note that it will not have any interaction with users, it is server-to-server application.

I registered my application in the Google API Console, downloaded the key and transformed it to .pem by issuing

openssl pkcs12 -in my_google_key.p12 -out my_google_key.pem -nocerts -nodes

Then I've been to the Domain Administration, Security -> Advanced Settings -> Authentication -> Manage OAuth Client access. There I added a record in Authorized API clients. I used the Client ID I got from the Service Account in Console and used scope:

https://www.googleapis.com/auth/admin.directory.group.

I installed googleapis for nodejs, using

npm install googleapis

And here's my code:

var googleapis = require('googleapis');

var SERVICE_ACCOUNT_EMAIL = 'My Service Account E-mail Address';
var SERVICE_ACCOUNT_KEY_FILE = 'my_google_key.pem'; // The .pem file is at the root of my application

var jwt = new googleapis.auth.JWT(
    SERVICE_ACCOUNT_EMAIL,
    SERVICE_ACCOUNT_KEY_FILE,
    null,
    ['https://www.googleapis.com/auth/admin.directory.group']
);

var client;

googleapis
.discover('admin', 'directory_v1')
.execute(function(err, data) {
    client = data;

    jwt.authorize(function(err, result) {
        console.log(jwt);
        client.admin.groups.list({
            "customer": "my_customer", // This is actually "my_customer"
            "domain": "domain.com" // The domain name I administer
        })
        .withAuthClient(jwt)
        .execute(function(err, result) {
            console.log(err);
            console.log(result);
        });
    });
});

And the result of running this code is:

{ errors: 
    [ { domain: 'global',
        reason: 'forbidden',
        message: 'Not Authorized to access this resource/api' } ],
    code: 403,
    message: 'Not Authorized to access this resource/api' }

What am I missing? How do I authorize my application with the Admin SDK?

Answer 1

1) Make sure you delegate domain wide authority to your service account.

2) Service Accounts must impersonate someone with access to the Admin SDK Directory API.

Include it when initializing:

var jwt = new googleapis.auth.JWT(
    SERVICE_ACCOUNT_EMAIL,
    SERVICE_ACCOUNT_KEY_FILE,
    null,
    ['https://www.googleapis.com/auth/admin.directory.group'],
    account_with_Admin_SDK_access_to_impersonate@example.com
);

This section of the docs explains both of these in detail: https://developers.google.com/admin-sdk/directory/v1/guides/delegation#delegate_domain-wide_authority_to_your_service_account