gcloud-topic

View supplementary help material for non-command topics like accessibility, filtering, and formatting

$ gcloud topic [topic_name]

$ gcloud topic --help

gcloud topic TOPIC [GLOBAL-FLAGS]

TOPIC
    Required positional argument: name of the help topic to display (e.g., auth, init, troubleshooting).

gcloud topic provides detailed documentation on key gcloud CLI concepts, configurations, and services. It offers in-depth guides beyond basic help, covering authentication, project setup, installation, troubleshooting, networking, IAM, and service-specific instructions like Cloud Storage best practices or SQL flags.

Invoke it with a specific topic name to view formatted text explanations, examples, and tips. This is invaluable for developers and admins managing Google Cloud resources via CLI, helping with complex workflows, debugging, and optimization.

Topics evolve with the platform, ensuring up-to-date guidance. Use gcloud help or IDE autocompletion to discover available topics. Essential for efficient CLI usage without browsing external docs.

Relies on global flags only; no command-specific options. Topics must be known in advance or discovered via gcloud help. Output is text-only.

gcloud topic auth – Shows authentication details.
gcloud topic init – Project initialization guide.

Run gcloud help and search for 'topic:' sections, or use shell completion.

Part of Google Cloud SDK since ~2013; topics added/updated with service launches (e.g., IAM in 2015, Terraform support later). Tracks CLI evolution.

gcloud(1)