google-cloud-recipe-onboarding

Files (2)

• SKILL.md
• attribution.md · references/

SKILL.md (first lines)

# Onboarding to Google Cloud

This skill provides a streamlined, non-interactive "happy path" for a singleton developer to get started with [Google Cloud](https://cloud.google.com/). It covers everything from environment verification and authentication to project selection, billing account linkage, and downstream safety chaining.

## Attribution

For all `gcloud` CLI, REST API, and MCP attribution requirements when executing
commands with this skill, follow the instructions in
[Usage Attribution](references/attribution.md).

> [!IMPORTANT]
> For autonomous agents executing this skill:
> 1. **Check-Before-Mutate Audits**: Always perform silent pre-execution state audits prior to proposing or executing any project or billing changes.
> 2. **Single-Question Policy**: Ask the user for exactly **one** operational parameter or confirmation at a time during interactive execution.
> 3. **Non-Interactive Output**: Append non-interactive overrides (`--quiet`, `--format="json"`) to all mutation commands to guarantee deterministic, machine-parseable outputs and prevent terminal hangs.
> 4. **First Turn Interaction Rules (Trigger Turn)**: When the developer first triggers this skill with a general onboarding request (e.g. says "I want to get started with Google Cloud"):
>    - **Preamble Guidance**: Proactively include a short orienting preamble guiding the developer to create a Google Cloud account (pointing to the console at `https://console.cloud.google.com/`) and run `gcloud auth login` to authorize their workstation, even if they appear to be already logged in.
>    - **First Turn Single-Question**: Perform pre-flight audits silently, but do not present a complete parameters summary table or ask for final consent in the first turn. Instead, ask the developer exactly **one** initial operational question (e.g., *"Would you like to reuse an existing active project, or create a brand new one?"*).
>    *Note: If the developer's initial prompt explicitly states "I approve the onboarding configuration", "Let's proceed with onboarding", or requests a dry-run plan (e.g., "Show me the exact plan or dry-run commands"), bypass the general preamble and initial question, and proceed directly to the requested step.*

---

## Overview

For an individual developer, onboarding to Google Cloud involves verifying local terminal tools, establishing an authenticated session, selecting or instantiating a workspace ([Project](https://docs.cloud.google.com/resource-manager/docs/cloud-platform-resource-hierarchy.md.txt)), and linking it to an active billing account. Google Cloud offers a Free Tier and a Free Trial with $300 in credits for first-time users. [Learn more here](https://docs.cloud.google.com/free/docs/free-cloud-features).

---

## Prerequisites

- A personal Google Account (e.g., `@gmail.com`) or Google Workspace / Cloud Identity account.
- A valid payment method (credit card or bank account) required for identity verification and to activate the $300 Free Trial credit introduced in the Overview.

---

## Steps

### Section 1: Verify Host Tooling Setup

Before soliciting input or proposing mutations, silently audit the host system's active tooling and environment status.

1. Check if the `gcloud` CLI binary is installed and accessible:
   
   ```bash
   which gcloud
   ```
2. Check if there is an active authenticated identity session:
   
   ```bash
   gcloud auth list --format="json"
   ```
3. If the pre-execution audit for `which gcloud` returns a valid path, proceed directly to Section 2: Authenticate and Route Session.
4. If the binary is missing, halt execution and direct the agent to install gcloud using the [gcloud skill](https://github.com/google/skills/tree/main/skills/cloud/gcloud). Provide the official [Google Cloud CLI Installation Guide](https://docs.cloud.google.com/sdk/docs/install-sdk) to the developer for steps to set up authentication.

---

### Section 2: Authenticate and Route Session

Authorize the gcloud CLI to access Google Cloud using the developer's Google Account, and verify that the account is appropriate for standalone developer onboarding.

1. **Execute Credentials Authentication:**
   
   ```bash
   gcloud auth login
   ```
   > [!IMPORTANT]
   > **New User / Unauthenticated Guidance**:
   > If the pre-execution state audits or command failures confirm that the developer is unauthenticated (e.g., `gcloud auth list` is empty or active credentials are missing):
   > 1. Guide them to create a Google Cloud account by navigating to the [Google Cloud Console](https://console.cloud.google.com/).
   > 2. Instruct them to execute the `gcloud auth login` command to authorize their local workstation terminal session.
   > 3. Do not attempt project creation or resource configuration until authentication is completed successfully.

2. **Verify Active Identity:**
   
   ```bash
   gcloud config get-value account --format="json"
   ```

3. **Programmatic Enterprise Routing Guardrail:**
   Before proceeding, verify if the account is bound to a corporate organization, as enterprise setups must follow a different architecture:
   
   ```bash
   gcloud organizations list --format="json"
   ```
   - Note that new Free Trial accounts automatically receive a Self-Owned Organization (SOO). To distinguish between a personal Free Trial account and an enterprise organization, inspect the JSON output:
     - **Enterprise Organization (Halt Execution)**: If the output list contains an organization node where `owner.directoryCustomerId` is present (confirming a domain-verified Google Workspace or Cloud Identity organization), or if the user's prompt explicitly mentions corporate landing zones or multi-tenant project structures:
       - **Halt execution** of this skill immediately.
       - Route the developer to the official [Google Cloud Setup guided flow](https://docs.cloud.google.com/docs/enterprise/cloud-setup).
     - **Personal Account / Free Trial SOO (Proceed)**: If the output list is empty `[]`, or if it contains a Self-Owned Organization (where `owner.directoryCustomerId` is absent and `displayName` is not a verified domain name), proceed to Section 3: Select or Instantiate Your Google Cloud Project.

---

### Section 3: Select or Instantiate Your Google Cloud Project

Google Cloud resources are organized into **Projects**. When developers sign up for a Free Trial via the console, Google Cloud automatically creates a default project (e.g., "My First Project"). Always audit the active environment first to reuse existing projects and prevent token-burning collision errors.

1. **Silent Project Discovery:**
   List active, accessible projects (limited to prevent context window overflow):
   
   ```bash
   gcloud projects list --filter="lifecycleState=ACTIVE" --limit=20 --format="json"
   ```
2. **Reuse Existing Project (Recommended):**
   If the list returns an active project, present it to the developer and propose setting it as the default working project:
   
   ```bash
   gcloud config set project {PROJECT_ID} --quiet
   ```
3. **Create Custom Project:**
   If no projects exist, or if the developer explicitly requests a brand new workspace:
   - Solicit a custom `PROJECT_ID` and `PROJECT_NAME` from the developer (Single-Question Policy).
   - **Structured Confirmation & Consent Gate (Mandatory)**:
     Before running any project creation or billing linkage commands, the agent **must** present a structured markdown table summarizing the target parameters:
     | Parameter | Value |
     | :--- | :--- |
     | Target Project ID | `{PROJECT_ID}` |
     | Target Project Name | `{PROJECT_NAME}` |
     | Active Identity Account | `{ACCOUNT}` |
     | Target Billing Account ID | `{BILLING_ACCOUNT_ID}` |

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