gcloud-config
Manage gcloud SDK configurations
TLDR
Define a property (like compute/zone) for the current configuration
Fetch the value of a gcloud property
Display all the properties for the current configuration
Create a new configuration with a given name
Display a list of all available configurations
Switch to an existing configuration with a given name
SYNOPSIS
gcloud config [GLOBAL-FLAG …] COMMAND [ARG …]
PARAMETERS
configurations
Create, delete, switch between, and describe gcloud configurations.
get-value
Display value for the given config key.
list
Display all gcloud config variables for active configuration.
set
Add or update a config property.
set-value
Set config value (deprecated; use set)
unset
Remove config properties.
config-paths
View and edit gcloud configuration paths.
--configuration=CONFIGURATION
Use named configuration (default: active one).
--format=FORMAT
Output format (e.g., table, json).
DESCRIPTION
gcloud config is a core command in the Google Cloud CLI toolset for viewing, setting, and managing configuration properties used by gcloud and other Cloud SDK components. Configurations control defaults like the active project ID, compute region/zone, billing account, authentication credentials, and API enablement.
This command supports multiple named configurations (e.g., for dev/staging/prod environments), allowing seamless switching without altering environment variables. Properties are stored in INI-style files under ~/.config/gcloud/ on Linux.
Key workflows include initializing with gcloud init (which invokes config commands), listing settings via gcloud config list, and customizing via gcloud config set. It's vital for CI/CD pipelines, scripting, and multi-project management, ensuring reproducible CLI behavior across sessions and users.
Deprecated options like set-value redirect to modern equivalents. Always pair with gcloud auth for credential management.
CAVEATS
User-specific configs; run as sudo affects root user. Requires gcloud initialization. Some props auto-overridden by env vars (e.g., CLOUDSDK_PROJECT).
EXAMPLES
gcloud config set project my-project-id
gcloud config configurations create prod
gcloud config list --format=table(property.value)
CONFIG LOCATIONS
Linux: ~/.config/gcloud/configurations/config_default
Global props in ~/.config/gcloud/configurations/config_default/config_default.
HISTORY
Introduced in 2013 with initial Google Cloud SDK release. Evolved through SDK versions (now CLI v4+), adding multi-config support in 2017 and paths management later.
