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How you set up Application Default Credentials (ADC) for use by
Cloud Client Libraries, Google API Client Libraries, and the REST and RPC APIs depends
on the environment where your code is running.
[[["Easy to understand","easyToUnderstand","thumb-up"],["Solved my problem","solvedMyProblem","thumb-up"],["Other","otherUp","thumb-up"]],[["Hard to understand","hardToUnderstand","thumb-down"],["Incorrect information or sample code","incorrectInformationOrSampleCode","thumb-down"],["Missing the information/samples I need","missingTheInformationSamplesINeed","thumb-down"],["Other","otherDown","thumb-down"]],["Last updated 2025-08-28 UTC."],[[["\u003cp\u003eApplication Default Credentials (ADC) setup varies depending on the environment where your code is executed.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eADC is used by Cloud Client Libraries, Google API Client Libraries, and REST and RPC APIs, but API keys do not require ADC setup.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eADC setup instructions are provided for local development, resources with attached service accounts, containerized environments, on-premises or other cloud providers, and cloud-based development environments.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eYou can review documentation to better understand the order in which ADC finds credentials.\u003c/p\u003e\n"],["\u003cp\u003eYou can find further documentation on authenticating using cloud client libraries, REST, and other authentication methods.\u003c/p\u003e\n"]]],[],null,["# Set up Application Default Credentials\n\nHow you set up Application Default Credentials (ADC) for use by\nCloud Client Libraries, Google API Client Libraries, and the REST and RPC APIs depends\non the environment where your code is running.\n\nFor information about where ADC looks for credentials and in what order,\nsee [How Application Default Credentials works](/docs/authentication/application-default-credentials).\n\nIf you are using API keys, then you don't need to set up\nADC. For more information, see [Use API keys to access APIs](/docs/authentication/api-keys-use).\n\nProvide credentials to ADC\n--------------------------\n\nSelect the environment where your code is running:\n\n- [Local development environment](/docs/authentication/set-up-adc-local-dev-environment)\n- [Resource with an attached service account](/docs/authentication/set-up-adc-attached-service-account)\n- [Containerized environment](/docs/authentication/set-up-adc-containerized-environment)\n- [On-premises or another cloud provider](/docs/authentication/set-up-adc-on-premises)\n- [Cloud-based development environment](/docs/authentication/set-up-adc-cloud-dev-environment)\n\nWhat's next\n-----------\n\n- Learn more about [how ADC finds credentials](/docs/authentication/application-default-credentials).\n- [Authenticate for using Cloud Client Libraries](/docs/authentication/client-libraries).\n- [Authenticate for using REST](/docs/authentication/rest).\n- Explore [authentication methods](/docs/authentication)."]]
