Google Cloud CLI (gcloud) Setup
Use the gcloud CLI for GCP project access, Google AI (Vertex/Gemini), startup credits, and general cloud resource management. This is separate from the Google Workspace CLI (gws), which is for Sheets/Drive/Docs/Gmail/Calendar (see google-workspace-cli-setup.md).
Install and authenticate
- Install: Install gcloud CLI for your OS.
- Authenticate:
gcloud auth login(use the Google account that has access to the target project). - Set project:
gcloud config set project PROJECT_ID
When to use
- Creating or selecting a GCP project.
- Enabling APIs (e.g. for Vertex AI, Gemini).
- Startup credits or billing context.
- Not for reading/writing Google Sheets or Workspace apps from the shell—use gws for that.