Gemini Developer API generateContent returns 403 "Your project has been denied access"

Gemini API
1

Title: Gemini Developer API generateContent returns 403 “Your project has been denied access” after initial success

Hello Google Team,

I am currently developing an AI-powered pet care application called Petlog and have encountered an unexpected access issue with the Gemini Developer API.

Issue Summary

A newly created project is able to successfully call generateContent initially, but shortly afterward all subsequent generation requests begin returning:

{
  "error": {
    "code": 403,
    "message": "Your project has been denied access. Please contact support.",
    "status": "PERMISSION_DENIED"
  }
}

Environment

  • Gemini Developer API

  • Model: gemini-3.1-flash-lite

  • Runtime: Cloud Run

  • Region: asia-northeast3

  • Runtime Project: proven-record-498802-r8

  • Service: petlog-api-production

What We Verified

  • API key is valid and recognized

  • Gemini API is enabled

  • Requests reach Google successfully

  • models.list returns HTTP 200

  • countTokens returns HTTP 200

  • Only generateContent returns HTTP 403

  • Secret rotation and deployment completed successfully

Additional Context

During active development and testing, we performed multiple deployment cycles, API key rotations, smoke tests, and repeated validation requests while integrating Gemini into our production architecture.

Because the first requests were successful and the issue appeared shortly afterward, we suspect that our development and verification activity may have unintentionally triggered an automated risk-protection or abuse-detection mechanism.

Our application is a legitimate commercial project currently under development, and we are preparing to transition to a paid billing setup as we move toward production launch.

We are not attempting to bypass quotas or usage policies. The requests are part of normal development, testing, and deployment verification for our upcoming service.

Request

Could you please review the access status of our project and determine whether it has been incorrectly restricted?

If any verification, billing activation, or additional compliance steps are required, we would be happy to complete them immediately.

Project ID:
petlog-gemini-2026062..

Thank you for your assistance. We appreciate any guidance on how to restore access and proceed with Gemini integration for our production launch.

2

Hello @Sion_Jeong ,

This is very likely caused by an issue which is currently only visible in Google Cloud console. We’re working to move visibility of this into AI Studio. To resolve this:

  • Open the Cloud console & select your project

  • You should see a banner which explains the issue / may allow you to appeal