GCP Account Setup

Before You Start: What Are You Deploying?

This track teaches GCP deployment mechanics. Before diving in, consider what you're deploying:

Deploying a frontend/static site? Simpler platforms like Vercel may be all you need.

Deploying a complete SaaS product? You'll also need:

• User authentication and sessions
• Subscription billing (Stripe integration)
• Transactional email and notifications
• Multi-tenant data architecture

Your options for the backend:

1. Build it yourself — this track + our SaaS Starter template
2. Use a backend platform — services like StackForDevs provide auth, billing, and notifications as APIs, so you only deploy your frontend

This track focuses on deployment infrastructure. Make sure you know what you're deploying before proceeding.

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What is Google Cloud Platform?

Google Cloud Platform (GCP) is Google's cloud computing service. It offers:

• Cloud Run - Serverless containers (our recommended path)
• Compute Engine - Virtual machines
• Cloud Functions - Serverless functions
• Cloud Storage - File/object storage
• Cloud SQL - Managed databases

Your Application
      ↓
Google Cloud Platform
      ↓
Google's Global Infrastructure (200+ countries)

Why Choose GCP?

GCP vs Other Clouds

Step 1: Create Your Google Cloud Account

1.1 Go to Google Cloud

Visit cloud.google.com and click Get started for free.

1.2 Sign In with Google

Use an existing Google account or create one. This becomes your GCP identity.

1.3 Agree to Terms

Read and accept the Google Cloud Terms of Service.

1.4 Set Up Billing

Enter your billing information:

1. Select your country
2. Choose account type (Individual or Business)
3. Enter payment method (credit/debit card)

1.5 Receive Free Credits

New accounts receive:

• $300 free credit valid for 90 days
• Always-free tier resources (forever)

Step 2: Navigate the Cloud Console

2.1 The Console Dashboard

After setup, you'll land at console.cloud.google.com.

Key areas:

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ ☰ Navigation    │ Project Selector    │ Search  │ Shell │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                                                         │
│   Dashboard                                             │
│   ├── Project Info                                      │
│   ├── Resources                                         │
│   ├── Billing                                           │
│   └── API Activity                                      │
│                                                         │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

2.2 Key Console Sections

2.3 The Hamburger Menu

Click ☰ (top-left) to access all GCP services, organized by category:

• Compute
• Storage
• Databases
• Networking
• Operations
• Tools

Step 3: Create Your First Project

GCP organizes resources into Projects. Each project has its own:

• Billing account
• APIs enabled
• IAM permissions
• Resources (VMs, containers, databases)

3.1 Create a Project

1. Click the project dropdown (top bar)
2. Click New Project
3. Enter:
   • Project name: my-app-production (human-readable)
   • Project ID: Auto-generated or custom (must be globally unique)
   • Organization: Your organization or "No organization"
4. Click Create

3.2 Project Naming Best Practices

Good project IDs:
- mycompany-webapp-prod
- myapp-staging
- personal-blog-2024

Bad project IDs:
- test (too generic, likely taken)
- my-project (not descriptive)
- asdf123 (meaningless)

Step 4: Set Up Billing Alerts

Avoid surprise charges by setting budget alerts.

4.1 Create a Budget

1. Go to Billing → Budgets & alerts
2. Click Create Budget
3. Configure:
   • Name: Monthly Budget
   • Projects: Select your project
   • Amount: Set your budget (e.g., $25)
4. Set alert thresholds:
   • 50% - Early warning
   • 90% - Approaching limit
   • 100% - At budget

4.2 Alert Actions

Configure what happens at each threshold:

• Email notifications (default)
• Pub/Sub notifications (for automation)
• Connect to Cloud Functions (to auto-disable services)

4.3 View Current Spending

1. Go to Billing → Reports
2. Filter by project, service, or date range
3. See cost breakdown by service

Step 5: Enable Required APIs

GCP services must be explicitly enabled. Each project starts with most APIs disabled.

5.1 Enable Cloud Run API

1. Go to APIs & Services → Library
2. Search for "Cloud Run"
3. Click Cloud Run Admin API
4. Click Enable

5.2 Enable Other Common APIs

For a typical deployment, enable:

5.3 Bulk Enable via CLI

bash
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gcloud services enable \
  run.googleapis.com \
  artifactregistry.googleapis.com \
  cloudbuild.googleapis.com \
  compute.googleapis.com \
  dns.googleapis.com

Step 6: Understand IAM Basics

IAM (Identity and Access Management) controls who can do what.

6.1 Key Concepts

6.2 Common Roles

6.3 Service Accounts

For applications (not humans), create service accounts:

1. Go to IAM & Admin → Service Accounts
2. Click Create Service Account
3. Enter name and description
4. Grant necessary roles
5. Download JSON key (if needed for external access)

Step 7: Install Cloud Shell (In-Browser Terminal)

GCP provides a free terminal in your browser.

7.1 Launch Cloud Shell

1. Click the Cloud Shell icon (top-right, looks like >_)
2. Wait for the VM to start
3. You now have a terminal with gcloud pre-installed

7.2 Cloud Shell Features

• Free: 5GB home directory, free VM
• Pre-installed tools: gcloud, docker, kubectl, terraform
• Web preview: Test web apps on ports 8080-8084
• File editor: Built-in code editor

7.3 Limitations

• Disconnects after 20 minutes of inactivity
• VM resets weekly (but home directory persists)
• Not for production workloads

Step 8: Verify Your Setup

Check Project

bash
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# In Cloud Shell or local terminal with gcloud
gcloud config get-value project
# Should output: your-project-id

Check Enabled APIs

bash
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gcloud services list --enabled
# Should show Cloud Run, Artifact Registry, etc.

Check Billing

1. Go to Billing → Overview
2. Verify your payment method is active
3. Check remaining free credits

Free Tier Highlights

Always-free resources (after $300 credit expires):

Common Setup Issues

"Billing account not found"

1. Go to Billing
2. Ensure a billing account is linked to your project
3. Check payment method is valid

"API not enabled"

bash
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# Enable the specific API
gcloud services enable [API_NAME]

# Example
gcloud services enable run.googleapis.com

"Permission denied"

1. Check you're in the right project
2. Verify your role includes necessary permissions
3. Ask project owner to grant appropriate role

Cost Management Tips

1. Set budgets - Always have alerts configured
2. Use free tier - Stay within limits when possible
3. Delete unused resources - VMs, disks, IP addresses cost money
4. Use Cloud Run - Pay only for actual usage
5. Check reports weekly - Catch unexpected charges early