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Guide · Agent skill

How to use the AlloyDB Basics agent skill

Updated · written with AI from the project's own documentation and checked against our catalogue data

The AlloyDB Basics skill is a set of instructions and reference files that teaches an AI agent how to set up and manage AlloyDB for PostgreSQL, Google Cloud's managed PostgreSQL-compatible database. This guide explains what an agent skill is, how to install this one, how to ask for help in plain language, and what to check before anything touches your Google Cloud project. By the end you will know how to install the skill, trigger it, and run it safely.

AlloyDB Basicsgoogle/skills · Apache-2.0

Quick start

  1. 1Install gcloud and sign in. Install the Google Cloud SDK and run gcloud auth login. Confirm the correct project is active.
  2. 2Enable the AlloyDB API. Enable alloydb.googleapis.com in your project, since the skill's first quick-start step does this.
  3. 3Download and unzip the skill. Download the ZIP from this page and unzip it into ~/.claude/skills/ for personal use or into a project's .claude/skills/ folder.
  4. 4Ask for a task in plain language. Describe the AlloyDB task, such as creating a cluster, and include the region and network.
  5. 5Review the commands. Read each gcloud, Terraform or REST command the agent proposes and check names, regions, flags and passwords.
  6. 6Run and verify. Run the approved commands, then ask the agent to describe the cluster or instance to confirm the result.

What an agent skill is and what this one does

An agent skill is a folder containing a SKILL.md file and supporting reference files. When the skill is installed and a request matches its description, the agent reads these instructions and follows them for that task.

Once this skill is installed, the agent knows how to create and manage AlloyDB clusters, primary and read instances, scaling, backups and point-in-time recovery. It can give commands using the gcloud CLI, Terraform or Kubernetes Config Connector.

  • Covers architecture, regional availability, connectivity, backups, point-in-time recovery, scaling and quotas.
  • Points to MCP tools for AlloyDB AI features such as AI-powered search and conversational analytics.
  • Points to Google Cloud developer knowledge search for product details the skill does not cover.

How do you install the AlloyDB Basics skill?

Download the ZIP file for the skill from this page and unzip it. For Claude Code, place the unzipped skill folder in ~/.claude/skills/ to make it available for your user, or in a project's .claude/skills/ folder to limit it to that project.

In the Claude apps, you can instead upload the skill under Settings, then Capabilities, then Skills.

  • Personal install: ~/.claude/skills/
  • Project install: .claude/skills/ inside your project folder
  • Claude apps: Settings → Capabilities → Skills

Before you start: what you need

The skill runs commands against your Google Cloud project, so you need the Google Cloud SDK (gcloud) installed and authenticated with gcloud auth login. Your project must have the AlloyDB API enabled and you need IAM permissions that allow the work you ask for.

Creating AlloyDB resources costs money. Anyone without a Google Cloud project and billing enabled cannot complete the examples.

  • Google Cloud SDK (gcloud), installed and authenticated
  • A Google Cloud project with the AlloyDB API enabled and appropriate IAM permissions
  • Optional: Terraform or Kubernetes Config Connector
  • Optional: AlloyDB Auth Proxy
  • Optional: Developer Knowledge MCP server

How do you trigger the skill with natural requests?

You do not need a special command. Describe the AlloyDB task in plain language, and the agent will load the skill when the request matches its description. The skill is meant for creating, configuring and administering AlloyDB databases.

Name AlloyDB and the task. Mention the tool you prefer if you have one, such as gcloud or Terraform. Do not ask for general PostgreSQL or Cloud SQL help, because the skill says it should not be used for those.

  • Create an AlloyDB cluster called orders-db in us-central1 on my VPC, with a primary instance of 2 CPUs.
  • Draft a Terraform configuration for an AlloyDB cluster with private connectivity.
  • Show me how to set up point-in-time recovery for my AlloyDB cluster.
  • Give me the gcloud commands to add a read pool to my AlloyDB cluster and explain its scaling options.

A quick-start example with gcloud

The skill's quick start enables the AlloyDB API, creates a cluster, then creates a primary instance. The commands below come from the skill. The cluster example uses a plaintext password for illustration, and the source notes that production should use IAM database authentication instead.

Review every command before you run it. Replace the example names with your own.

gcloud services enable alloydb.googleapis.com --quiet

Safety notes: scripts, network and production use

This skill runs scripts and uses the network. Its examples include plaintext passwords and --quiet flags that skip confirmations, so do not run them unchanged against production. Ask the agent to show each command first and confirm it before execution.

The skill directs the agent to prefer safer defaults: IAM database authentication over static passwords, Private IP over Public IP, and the AlloyDB Auth Proxy or language connectors over direct connections. It also tells the agent to reject 0.0.0.0/0 in Authorized Networks, and to use roles/alloydb.client for connections rather than roles/alloydb.admin.

For terminal gcloud commands, the skill asks the agent to set a usage attribution environment variable on each command. It says not to use gcloud config set for this, so the setting does not persist.

  • Review commands and flags before running them, especially --quiet.
  • Store any required passwords in Secret Manager, as the skill advises.
  • Confirm which project is active before creating resources.

Tips for better results

Give the agent the region, cluster name, network and instance type up front, so it does not have to guess. For questions about setup methods, ask for both the Google Cloud Console steps and the gcloud commands, since the skill is written to provide both where available.

If the agent needs product details the skill does not cover, it is directed to use developer knowledge search. Set up the Developer Knowledge MCP server first if you want that.

  • State the region and network every time.
  • Ask for a plan or a Terraform draft before asking for execution.
  • Ask about Private IP, which the skill recommends, with PSC for new deployments.

What people use it for

  • Drafting gcloud commands to create an AlloyDB cluster and primary instance in a chosen region.
  • Planning read pool instances and reviewing the scaling options the skill describes.
  • Writing a Terraform or Kubernetes Config Connector draft for AlloyDB networking and clusters.
  • Reviewing an existing AlloyDB setup for public IP exposure, IAM authentication and connector use.
  • Learning how backups and point-in-time recovery are set up before making changes.

Frequently asked questions

Is the AlloyDB Basics skill free?

The skill is licensed under Apache-2.0. The AlloyDB resources its commands create are paid Google Cloud resources, so you pay for them through your Google Cloud billing account.

What do I need to install the AlloyDB Basics skill?

Download the ZIP from this page and unzip it into ~/.claude/skills/ or a project's .claude/skills/ folder, or upload it in the Claude apps under Settings, then Capabilities, then Skills. You also need the Google Cloud SDK installed and authenticated.

Can I use this skill for Cloud SQL or general PostgreSQL?

No. The skill's description says not to use it for general PostgreSQL instances such as Cloud SQL or for other Google Cloud databases. Use it only for AlloyDB for PostgreSQL.

Does the skill run commands on my account?

The skill runs scripts and uses the network, and it can draft commands that create paid resources. Review each command before running it, and do not run the examples unchanged in production because they use plaintext passwords and --quiet flags.

What is the difference between this skill and the AlloyDB Auth Proxy?

The skill is instructions for an agent about AlloyDB setup and management. The AlloyDB Auth Proxy is a separate connector tool that the skill recommends for secure connections instead of direct TCP connections.

Why does the agent keep recommending IAM authentication instead of a password?

The skill defaults to IAM database authentication and the alloydbiamuser database role because static passwords are less secure. It asks the agent to store any unavoidable passwords in Secret Manager.

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Our verdict

Use this skill if you provision or operate AlloyDB for PostgreSQL on Google Cloud and want an agent to draft gcloud or Terraform setup with security-conscious defaults. Pick something else if you work with general PostgreSQL or Cloud SQL, or if you want commands run unreviewed against production.

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