Google Cloud express mode FAQs

Google Cloud express mode enables you to quickly experiment with a curated set of Vertex AI APIs at no cost and from a simplified interface without additional setup. You can access Vertex AI via Vertex Studio, and Vertex APIs via SDKs using API keys (see the API keys section). You can use the express mode for 90-days and up to the offered quota limits (see the Billing section).

At any time during the 90-day trial period, you can add your payment information and become eligible for additional quota and new capabilities. After successful addition of payment information, you can also go to full Google Cloud at any time and explore all of the available products and services.

Express mode was designed to be easy to use and understand, even for people who are not familiar with cloud computing. Express mode abstracts many aspects of Google Cloud setup including organizations, projects, resources, and permissions. The goal is to make the express mode accessible to as many developers as possible.

API key is a text string that provides project information for an API request. API keys that are bound to service accounts simplify access to a curated set of Vertex AI APIs, without having to use standard Google authentication methods.

API keys bound to service accounts provide the identity and authorization of the service account. 

API keys, and in particular, API keys bound to service accounts, can pose security risks if not handled properly. Follow our recommended best practices for managing API keys (see the API keys section)

You can use express mode for 90 days. You can enable billing at any time to use express mode as long as you want. If you don’t enable billing, you won’t be able to use express mode after 90 days and 30 days after that, your data will be marked for deletion and access will be revoked.

You can go to full Google Cloud after adding your payment information from the Billing page of express mode. All your workloads, including saved prompts and API keys, will transfer over with no service interruption. 

Google will create an organization and folder on your behalf. Existing workloads will be moved into that folder.  Google will enable the necessary services.

Note: Once you decide to go to full Google Cloud from express mode, you won’t be able to return to express mode.

You should not share your account information with others. From the express mode, you can go to full Google Cloud at any time after successfully enabling billing. From the full Google Cloud, you can invite others to collaborate.

From the express mode, you can go to full Google Cloud at any time and explore all the products and services after successfully enabling billing.

No payment information is required to try the APIs for 90 days up to the allowed quota limits.

You can enable billing at any time to get increased quota and pay only for what you use.

By enabling billing, you’ll get increased quota to try the APIs, unlimited time to try the APIs, and access to more features for those APIs—only paying for what you use. You will only be billed for resources or calls you use or make after you've enabled billing.

API keys you create in Google Cloud express mode are unrestricted API keys. Learn more about restricted and unrestricted API keys

No, any API keys you create do not expire. You can delete API keys from the API keys page.

When you move to full Google Cloud, you will be given an Org and a folder called “express-mode”. The projectA project is created in the “express-mode” folder contains the express mode workloads that were migrated to your organization. Any new project that gets created under the “express-mode” folder supports API keys bound to a service account.

• In any new Project under the “express-mode” folder, create a service account with the following email address: express-mode@<project-id>.iam.gserviceaccount.com
• API keys can be bound only to this service account. 

Note: To access Vertex APIs in the new project, you will need to enable them.

The API keys that you use in express mode are available under “APIs & Services > Credentials” in the console that becomes availableproject that gets created when you move to fullstandard Google Cloud.

• The API keys are bound to a service account with the email address express-mode@<project-id>.iam.gserviceaccount.com
• You can create new API Keys by clicking “Create Credentials > API key”. Select “Bind this key to a service account” and choose the service account.
• The API key binding must be to  express-mode@<project-id>.iam.gserviceaccount.com

When you use API keys in your applications, ensure that they are kept secure during both storage and usage. API keys that are bound to service accounts enable anyone in possession of the API key to access Google Cloud resources without providing a valid user account or service account, which could result in unexpected charges on your account or unauthorized access to your data. 

To help keep your API keys secure, implement the following best practices:

• When possible, avoid using query parameters to provide your API key to Google APIs. 

Query parameters are visible in your URL and can be skimmed. Use the x-goog-api-key HTML parameter or a client library instead.

• Never share your API key, even with other members of your team.

Provide each team member with their own API key, and use code that pulls the API key from an environment variable.

• Create a separate API key for each application.
• Don’t deploy your API keys in client-side environments like browsers or mobile apps
• Never commit your API key to your repository.
• Write your code to ingest API keys from an environment variable.

This enables you to share code without sharing your API key, and ensures that you won’t commit the API key to your repository by mistake.

• Use API restrictions so your key can’t be used for other APIs.
• Delete and recreate your API keys occasionally.
• Monitor your account for unauthorized usage.

No payment information is required to try the APIs for 90 days and up to quota limits 

You can enable billing at any time to get increased quota and pay only for what you use.

By enabling billing, you’ll get increased quota to try the APIs, unlimited time to try the APIs, and access to more features for those APIs—only paying for what you use. You will only be billed for resources or calls you use or make after you've enabled billing.

Vertex AI specific quota is as follows:

Model string; Free-tier quota

• gemini-2.0-flash-001; RPM: 1, TPM: 4M
• gemini-2.0-flash-thinking-exp-01-21; RPM: 2, TPM: 4M
• gemini-exp-1206; RPM: 2, TPM: 4M
• gemini-1.5-pro-002; RPM: 1, TPM: 4M
• gemini-1.5-flash-002; RPM: 1, TPM: 4M
• gemini-1.0-pro-002; RPM: 5, TPM: N/A

After signing-up for express mode, you can view your quota limits in the Quotas UI.

After signing-up, click Share feedback from within Vertex AI Studio’s Chat or Freeform interfaces.

At Google, your privacy is our priority. Privacy plays a critical role in earning and maintaining your trust.

We want to be clear about how we proactively protect your data and prioritize your privacy. We start from the fundamental premise that as a Google Cloud customer, you own your customer data. We implement stringent security measures to help safeguard your customer data and provide you with tools and features to control it on your terms.

We similarly secure any service data generated through providing the services; service data itself is critical to help ensure security and availability. Our privacy practices are also audited against international standards.

Additionally, you can review the Google Cloud express mode terms of service to see more specific information.

Google Cloud express mode enables you to build generative AI applications on Google Cloud with Vertex AI at no cost, from a simplified interface, up to quota limits and for 90 days.

The Google Cloud Free Trial lets you explore and evaluate all Google Cloud products and services. A form of payment is required when signing up. You are provided $300 in free credit to be used within 90 days.