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. If you prefer using a browser-based interface, then use the Google Cloud console to manage your resources.

Alternatively, you can use the Google Cloud CLI or the Compute Engine API.

This document describes how to access the console and highlights key features that the console provides.

Supported browsers

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

  • Chrome
  • Safari
  • Firefox
  • Edge

Access the console

To open the Google Cloud console, click the following button:

Go to Google Cloud console

Console features

The console provides the following capabilities:

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

Generate commands for the command-line tool

When you create a resource by using the Google Cloud console, the console generates the equivalent command for the gcloud CLI that performs the same action. You can copy the command into a terminal and run it to create the same resource with the gcloud CLI instead of the console. Viewing the generated command is also useful when you want an example gcloud CLI command to customize. To view the equivalent gcloud CLI command, do the following:

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

    Go to VM instances

  2. Click Create instance.

  3. Specify the parameters that you want to configure for the instance.

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

Generate REST requests

When you create a resource by using the Google Cloud console, Compute Engine also shows the equivalent REST request that creates the resource. To view the equivalent REST request, do the following:

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

    Go to VM instances

  2. Click Create instance.

  3. Specify the parameters that you want to configure for the instance.

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

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