How to use the Google Cloud First-Steps Onboarding agent skill

What is an agent skill and what does this one do?

An agent skill is a folder of instructions, and optionally scripts and reference files, that an AI agent loads when a task matches the skill's description. This skill is designed for a single developer who is starting out on Google Cloud with a personal account.

The skill guides the agent through a fixed sequence: verify that gcloud is installed, authenticate, confirm the account is personal rather than an enterprise organization, select or create a project, link a billing account and verify a first deployment. The source describes it as a streamlined, non-interactive happy path, but the agent is instructed to ask the developer one question at a time and to check the current state before making changes.

• Checks whether the gcloud CLI is installed and whether an authenticated session exists.
• Runs gcloud auth login if needed and reads the active account.
• Checks for a corporate organization and stops if one is found.
• Lists existing projects and offers to reuse one, or creates a new project after your confirmation.
• Links billing and verifies a first deployment.

Install the skill from the ZIP download

Download the skill ZIP from this page and unzip it. You can install the skill for all of your projects or for a single project, depending on where you place the unzipped folder.

For a personal install, place the folder in ~/.claude/skills/. For a single project, place it in that project's .claude/skills/ folder. Both locations are the ones named for this skill's setup, so use the path that matches how you want to use it.

• Personal install: ~/.claude/skills/
• Project install: the .claude/skills/ folder inside your project
• Alternative in the Claude apps: open Settings, go to Capabilities, then Skills, and upload the skill there.

Trigger the skill with a natural request

You do not need a special command. Describe what you want in plain language. The skill's description covers requests about initializing a first Google Cloud project, configuring billing and verifying a deployment.

On the first turn, the agent gives a short orienting message: it points you to the Google Cloud console to create an account and asks you to run gcloud auth login, even if you appear to be logged in. It then asks one question, such as whether to reuse an existing project or create a new one.

• "I want to get started with Google Cloud."
• "Help me set up my first Google Cloud project and link billing."
• "Walk me through verifying a first deployment on Google Cloud."
• If you already want the plan, say "Show me the exact plan or dry-run commands" or "I approve the onboarding configuration" to skip the opening questions.

What the skill needs before you start

You need the gcloud CLI (Google Cloud SDK) installed on your machine, a Google Account, a valid payment method for billing and free trial activation, and internet access to the Google Cloud console and documentation. If gcloud is missing, the skill stops and directs you to the official Google Cloud CLI installation guide.

• gcloud CLI (Google Cloud SDK) installed on the machine
• A personal Google Account (for example @gmail.com) or a Google Workspace or Cloud Identity account
• A valid payment method (credit card or bank account)
• Internet access to the Google Cloud console and docs

Safety notes: scripts, network and approvals

This skill runs scripts and uses the network. It executes gcloud commands on your machine and contacts Google Cloud. Before any project creation or billing change, the source requires the agent to present a summary and get your consent. Mutation commands are run with flags such as --quiet and --format="json" for predictable output.

The skill also asks the agent to tag each gcloud command with a usage attribution environment variable that identifies only the skill and its version. The attribution reference states that this tag carries no user data.

• Read the confirmation table before saying yes to project creation or billing linkage.
• The skill is designed to ask for confirmation, so it is not suited to unattended billing changes.
• If the account belongs to a corporate Google Workspace or Cloud Identity organization, the skill halts and sends you to Google's guided enterprise setup flow.