Fix Helperbird's Google Docs Permission Error

Your add-on appears in Google Docs, but its sidebar won't open.

If Helperbird shows a sidebar permission error, your school or workplace may need to approve its app access. An administrator handles that approval. Staff and students may then need to complete a Google permission prompt.

What This Fixes

You may see this message when opening Helperbird from the Extensions menu:

Unable to create user interface: You do not have permission to call Ui.showSidebar.

The error details may name this required permission:

https://www.googleapis.com/auth/script.container.ui

This guide covers the Helperbird Google Docs add-on. Use it when your organization's Helperbird installation shows Partially granted access. Other permission errors may need a different fix.

Who Needs to Take Action?

An administrator for each affected Google Workspace organization grants access. Individual teachers and students do not need to repeat the Admin Console steps. An administrator needs the Google Workspace Marketplace administrator privilege.

The approval applies to that organization's managed installation. The app's User Access settings still determine which groups or organizational units can use it. See Google's organization installation guide (opens in a new tab).

If your district manages several schools in one Google Workspace organization, start with that organization's administrator. Separate Workspace organizations need their own approvals. Helperbird cannot approve access on their behalf.

If the add-on already works, you do not need to reset its permissions. For a personal Google account, follow the permission prompt when you open Helperbird; the Admin Console steps apply to managed school and work installations.

Step 1: Open Helperbird in Google Admin

Complete this step using your administrator account.

1. Open the Google Admin console (opens in a new tab).
2. Go to Apps → Google Workspace Marketplace apps → Apps list.
3. Select Helperbird from your installed apps.
4. Find the Data Access section.

If Helperbird is missing, check whether it was installed for your organization or by an individual. See how to deploy the Google Workspace add-on.

Step 2: Review and Grant Access

1. Check whether the status says Partially granted.
2. Review both tabs: OAuth Scopes and OAuth Clients.
3. Look for entries marked Not Granted.
4. Click Grant access at the top of Data Access.
5. Complete any confirmation Google displays.
6. Check that the status changes to Granted and the outstanding entries show approval.

The sidebar permission can show Granted while some OAuth Clients remain Not Granted. Check both tabs before concluding that access is complete. OAuth clients identify the applications requesting access.

Google documents Grant access as the action to take when an installed app has Partially granted access. See Google's data access instructions (opens in a new tab).

Use Grant access for this fix. Revoke access removes the managed app's authorization, and Uninstall app removes the managed installation.

Step 3: Reopen Helperbird and Approve Permissions

Try this with an affected staff or student account after the administrator grants access.

1. Reload your Google Doc.
2. Choose Extensions → Helperbird → Open Helperbird for Google Docs.
3. If Google asks for permission, select the account you use for that document.
4. Review and select the required permissions listed below.
5. Click Continue and return to your document.
6. Open Helperbird again if the sidebar does not open automatically.

For Google Docs, the prompt includes permission to:

• View and manage documents where the application is installed.
• Display and run third-party web content in prompts and sidebars inside Google applications.

The second permission lets Helperbird display its sidebar. Leaving a required permission unchecked can cause the feature to fail. Google explains this in its Apps Script permission guide (opens in a new tab).

Some accounts may open Helperbird without another prompt. Others need to approve these permissions. You do not need to reinstall the add-on as part of this fix.

Troubleshooting

Access is granted, but a student is still blocked

Check that User Access includes the student's organizational unit or group. Also review the policy for that account under Security → Access and data control → API controls. A separate app access policy can still restrict access. See Google's app access controls (opens in a new tab).

If Google shows an age-related message, use the guide for students designated as under 18.

Google shows no permission prompt

A prompt is not always needed after administrator approval. Try opening the sidebar. If it still fails, record the full error and check both Data Access tabs again with your administrator.

The same error remains after approval

Confirm that you approved both required Docs permissions and reopened the document using the affected account. Contact support if the sidebar still fails; the error alone does not identify every possible authorization problem.

Message to Share With Staff and Students

We have updated Helperbird's Google Workspace access. Reload your Google Doc, then choose Extensions → Helperbird → Open Helperbird for Google Docs. If Google asks for permission, review the request, select both document and sidebar permissions, and click Continue. If you still see an error, send its full message to your IT team.

Need Additional Help?

Contact Helperbird support with the full error message and whether your account belongs to a school or workplace. Your administrator can also share the Data Access status and whether any OAuth clients remain Not Granted.