Work around the "Write Permissions Error" in Adobe Photoshop When Exporting GIFs

When working in Adobe Photoshop, you'd expect things to just work—until they don’t. If you’ve ever tried exporting a GIF using Save for Web and encountered the error "A write permissions error has occurred," don't sweat it, there's a workaround.

This error often happens when your files are synced with a cloud storage service like OneDrive, Dropbox, or Google Drive (in my case it was OneDrive). These services override file access, blocking Photoshop from saving your GIF.

Even more frustrating? Sometimes disabling cloud sync doesn’t fix it.

But instead of letting Photoshop’s quirks slow you down, let’s finesse our way around the issue.

The Finesse: Web Preview Export

1️⃣ In the Save for Web window, set your GIF settings as usual.

2️⃣ Click the Preview the optimized image in a browser button in the bottom left.

3️⃣ Your browser will open the GIF in your default web browser (excuse my Google Chrome ;P )

4️⃣ Right-click the gif > Save As to manually save your GIF.

Why This Works

Instead of fighting cloud sync restrictions, this method uses Photoshop’s built-in browser preview to generate the GIF outside the app—bypassing the write permissions error entirely.

Finesse Over Friction

Sometimes, the best solutions aren’t about fixing software—they’re about working around the glitches. This quick finesse lets you keep your workflow smooth, skipping unnecessary headaches.

🔹 Have other solutions to this problem? Let’s finesse them together in the comments!