Google Cloud: Creating a Project

Important: This page describes the process of creating a Google Cloud project for students only. Faculty and staff members needing a Google Cloud project are not eligible for the free credit Google offers and must request a project as described in the Google Cloud Platform page in the IT Service Catalog.

Accessing the Google Cloud Console

Visit https://console.cloud.google.com/ and authenticate with your @u.northwestern.edu credentials. After agreeing to the terms of use, you will see the Google Cloud dashboard:

While it is possible to create a project without starting free trial, you will not be able to use any services that have associated costs (e.g. Compute Engine) until you have created a billing account and associated it with your project. It is highly recommended to create a billing account first (see below).

Creating a Billing Account

Click the “Start Free” button at the top right of the console or click the “Enable Billing” button if prompted. You will see the 2-step Billing Account creation form:

After clicking "Agree and Continue", you will be required to set up a payment profile and payment method in order to continue and be eligible for the free credit for new accounts. Note that you may need to verify the payment method by looking for a deposit or charge made by Google in your account and entering the amount on the billing account verification screen. This process may take 2-3 business days.

Once you set up the payment profile and verify the payment method, you will be able to activate your free trial by clicking the “Activate” button on the Billing Account overview screen.

Creating a Project

Once you have an active billing account, you can create a Google Cloud project by following these steps:

1. Visit the Manage Resources page
2. Click the "Create Project" button. In the form that appears:
   1. Choose a name for your project
   2. For Organization, choose "northwestern.edu"
   3. Choose your billing account
   4. In the Location box, click Browse, then choose “Student Projects”

Click Create. It may take a few moments for your project to be created. Documentation for specific Google Cloud services can be found here: https://cloud.google.com/docs