Google Cloud CLI (gcloud)

The gcloud CLI is part of the Google Cloud SDK. It manages authentication, local configuration, and developer workflows for GCP.

When to Use

• App Engine / Cloud Run: gcloud app deploy and gcloud run deploy are the standard ways to ship code.
• Kubernetes: gcloud container clusters get-credentials is essential for GKE access.
• Auth: gcloud auth login sets up Application Default Credentials (ADC).

Quick Start

# Initialize
gcloud init

# Authenticate for local code (ADC)
gcloud auth application-default login

# Deploy to Cloud Run
gcloud run deploy my-service --source .

Core Concepts

Components

Installable modules. kubectl, beta, gke-gcloud-auth-plugin. gcloud components install kubectl

Configurations

Use named configurations to switch between accounts/projects. gcloud config configurations create dev

Alpha / Beta

GCP releases features rapidly. Many commands live under gcloud beta.

Best Practices (2025)

Do:

• Use ADC: For local development, application-default login is the correct way to auth your local Python/Node scripts.
• Use gcloud config set project: Don’t pass --project to every command. Set the context.
• Scripting: Use --format="json" and jq for reliable automation.

Don’t:

• Don’t use Service Account Keys locally: They are risky. Use User Credentials (ADC) for local dev.

References

• gcloud CLI Documentation