{"registry_version":"2026.1025.387","generated_at":"2026-10-25T06:27:00Z","content_sha256":"089d16f627d9365e3d0663cc8069203706d7cb23a76c332226e29686968811a5","signed":true,"signature":{"key_id":"ed25519:74ca19268e364242","algorithm":"ed25519","expires_at":"2026-11-24T06:27:09Z","expired":false,"manifest":"/registry/manifest.json"},"id":"google/vertex-ai","name":"Google Vertex AI (Gemini Enterprise Agent Platform) – project, API and credentials","vendor":"Google Cloud","status":"researched","last_verified":null,"last_researched":"2026-10-25","summary":"Use Gemini and partner models on Google Cloud: a project with billing, the aiplatform.googleapis.com API enabled, IAM roles, and authentication via Application Default Credentials / service account (production) or an API key (testing, or express mode with no billing).","account_model":{"summary":"A Google account owns or joins a Google Cloud project; the project is linked to a Cloud Billing account and has the Vertex AI (Agent Platform) API enabled. Quotas and spend are per project; Standard PayGo tiers are set by organisation spend.","accounts":[{"name":"Google account","kind":"personal","owned_by":"you","required":true,"note":"Express mode needs a @gmail.com account; Workspace users take the standard billing path."},{"name":"Google Cloud project","kind":"project","parent":"Google account","required":true,"note":"Express mode creates the organisation, project and billing setup for you."},{"name":"Cloud Billing account","kind":"billing","parent":"Google Cloud project","required":false,"note":"Required outside the express-mode free tier."},{"name":"Service account","kind":"other","parent":"Google Cloud project","required":false,"note":"Typical production identity, granted roles/aiplatform.user and used via ADC [to verify service-account setup page]."}],"notes":["Google now documents Vertex AI as \"Gemini Enterprise Agent Platform\"; the API is still aiplatform.googleapis.com."]},"prerequisites":[{"need":"A Google Cloud project you can administer","note":"Related registry entry google/cloud-project-run covers creating a project (Cloud Run parts not needed)."},{"need":"A Cloud Billing account linked to the project (unless using express mode free tier)","note":"Related id google/cloud-billing [to verify entry exists]."}],"identity_requires":[],"have_ready":[{"kind":"payment_card","description":"Credit card or other payment method for Cloud Billing","why":"The Google Cloud Free Trial and paid billing both need a payment method; some countries also need bank account verification.","needed_for":["link-billing"],"auto_check":"none","source_url":"https://docs.cloud.google.com/free/docs/free-cloud-features"}],"steps":[{"id":"choose-path","title":"Choose standard setup or express mode","summary":"Express mode (@gmail.com only) gives an API key with no billing and a 90-day free tier for new users, with low rate limits. Standard setup (project + billing) is needed for production, ADC and higher quotas.","route":"guided","gate":"none","human_only":false,"gate_label":null,"depends_on":[],"optional":false,"url":null,"lead_time":null,"preflight":[],"captures":null},{"id":"express-mode-signup","title":"Sign up for express mode (optional)","summary":"You sign in with a @gmail.com account and accept the terms; an API key is created automatically and is shown on the API Keys page. Upgrade later with \"Activate now\".","route":"guided","gate":"human_terms","human_only":true,"gate_label":"You accept the terms","depends_on":["choose-path"],"optional":true,"url":null,"lead_time":null,"preflight":[],"captures":"GOOGLE_API_KEY"},{"id":"select-project","title":"Create or select a Google Cloud project","summary":"Pick a project in the console project selector or create one (needs the Project Creator role).","route":"guided","gate":"human_terms","human_only":true,"gate_label":"You accept the terms","depends_on":["choose-path"],"optional":false,"url":"https://console.cloud.google.com/projectselector2/home/dashboard","lead_time":null,"preflight":[],"captures":null},{"id":"link-billing","title":"Link a billing account","summary":"You confirm billing is enabled on the project, creating a billing account (or Free Trial) and entering payment details yourself if needed.","route":"guided","gate":"human_payment","human_only":true,"gate_label":"You add payment details","depends_on":["select-project"],"optional":false,"url":"https://console.cloud.google.com/billing","lead_time":null,"preflight":[],"captures":null},{"id":"enable-api","title":"Enable the Vertex AI (Agent Platform) API","summary":"Enable aiplatform.googleapis.com on the project (needs serviceusage.services.enable, e.g. Owner or Service Usage Admin), or run gcloud services enable aiplatform.googleapis.com.","route":"copilot","gate":"none","human_only":false,"gate_label":null,"depends_on":["link-billing"],"optional":false,"url":"https://console.cloud.google.com/apis/library/aiplatform.googleapis.com","lead_time":null,"preflight":[],"captures":null},{"id":"grant-roles","title":"Grant IAM roles","summary":"Give the calling user or service account roles/aiplatform.user (enough for most use); roles/aiplatform.admin for full control.","route":"guided","gate":"none","human_only":false,"gate_label":null,"depends_on":["enable-api"],"optional":false,"url":"https://console.cloud.google.com/iam-admin/iam","lead_time":null,"preflight":[],"captures":null},{"id":"configure-adc","title":"Configure Application Default Credentials (recommended for production)","summary":"Locally, install the gcloud CLI, run gcloud init then gcloud auth application-default login. In production, run as a service account with the role above. Set the project ID and location in your client.","route":"guided","gate":"human_login","human_only":true,"gate_label":"You sign in","depends_on":["grant-roles"],"optional":false,"url":null,"lead_time":null,"preflight":[],"captures":null},{"id":"create-api-key","title":"Create an API key (testing)","summary":"Alternatively create an API key for the project from the API Keys page, add restrictions, and keep it out of source control and client-side apps. Google recommends API keys for testing and ADC for production.","route":"guided","gate":"none","human_only":false,"gate_label":null,"depends_on":["enable-api"],"optional":true,"url":null,"lead_time":null,"preflight":[],"captures":"GOOGLE_API_KEY"},{"id":"enable-partner-models","title":"Enable partner models in Model Garden (optional)","summary":"For non-Google models (e.g. Claude), open the model card in Model Garden, click Enable and accept the model's terms yourself. Needs the Consumer Procurement Entitlement Manager role and an org policy that allows partner models.","route":"guided","gate":"human_terms","human_only":true,"gate_label":"You accept the terms","depends_on":["enable-api"],"optional":true,"url":null,"lead_time":null,"preflight":[],"captures":null}],"gates":[{"step":"express-mode-signup","gate":"human_terms","label":"You accept the terms"},{"step":"select-project","gate":"human_terms","label":"You accept the terms"},{"step":"link-billing","gate":"human_payment","label":"You add payment details"},{"step":"configure-adc","gate":"human_login","label":"You sign in"},{"step":"enable-partner-models","gate":"human_terms","label":"You accept the terms"}],"lead_times":[],"outputs":[{"name":"GOOGLE_CLOUD_PROJECT","description":"Google Cloud project ID used for Vertex AI calls","secret":false,"example_format":"my-project-…","environments":["development","test","staging","production"]},{"name":"GOOGLE_CLOUD_LOCATION","description":"Region or global endpoint for requests (global is recommended for Standard PayGo)","secret":false,"example_format":"global","environments":["development","test","staging","production"]},{"name":"GOOGLE_API_KEY","description":"API key for Gemini on Vertex AI (express mode or testing)","secret":true,"example_format":"AIza…","environments":["development","test"]}],"renewals":[],"estimated_minutes":null,"guide_url":"https://verapli.com/guides/google/vertex-ai"}