Google Cloud console

Compute Engine offers the browser-based Google Cloud console tool that lets you manage your Compute Engine resources through a graphical interface. Use the Google Cloud console to manage your resources if you prefer using a user-interface through the browser.

Alternatively, you can also use the Google Cloud CLI or the RESTful API.

This document briefly describes how to access the console and describes some unique features that the console offers.

Supported browsers

You can use the Google Cloud console in the following browsers:

  • Chrome
  • Safari
  • Firefox
  • Edge

Access the console

Go to the Google Cloud console

Console features

The console provides:

  • Easy access to all your Google Cloud Platform projects.
  • Access to the Google Cloud Shell.
  • A customizable project dashboard, with an overview of Google Cloud resources, billing, and a filterable activity listing.
  • Easy access to all Google Cloud Platform APIs, with a dashboard specific to each API, and access to manage your resources.
  • Links to Google Cloud Platform starting points, news, and documentation.

Generate commands for the command-line tool

When you create a resource using the Google Cloud console, the console generates the equivalent command for the gcloud CLI that would perform the same action. You can copy and paste the command into a terminal and use the command to create the same resource with the Google Cloud CLI instead of the console. This can also be useful if you are unfamiliar with the gcloud CLI and want some example commands to start with. For example:

  1. In the Google Cloud console, go to the VM instances page.

    Go to VM instances

  2. Click Create instance.

  3. Specify your desired parameters for the instance.

  4. Click Equivalent code and then click the Command line tab to view the gcloud CLI command for creating the instance.

Generate REST requests

When you create a resource using the Google Cloud console, Compute Engine also shows the REST request that is used to create this resource. This is a good way to view a sample REST request or to build your own REST request using a graphical interface. To see an example of this:

  1. In the Google Cloud console, go to the VM instances page.

    Go to VM instances

  2. Click Create instance.

  3. Specify your desired parameters for the instance.

  4. Click Equivalent code and then click the REST tab to view the REST request details for creating the instance.

What's next