Agent skill · Google
gcloud CLI skill for Claude Code, Codex and Cursor
Officialname: gcloud★ 22k (repo)pushed 2026-10-23Apache-2.0SKILL.md on GitHubchecked 2026-11-07
What it does, in the publisher's words
Provides safety-critical validation, guardrails, and data reduction for gcloud CLI operations across Google Cloud Platform (GCP) services and infrastructure. Use when planning, generating, constructing, proposing, describing, or executing any gcloud CLI commands - including when answering questions about gcloud syntax, or formatting flags.
The description field of the SKILL.md. The agent reads only this at startup and decides from it when to load the full skill.
Install gcloud CLI
The skills CLI copies the skill into the folder of each agent you pick (Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, Copilot, Gemini CLI, OpenCode, Windsurf...). Add -g for all projects. Needs Node.js 22.20+. docs
npx skills add google/skills --skill gcloud
This repo is a plugin marketplace. Inside Claude Code, add it and install the plugin that holds the skill (alloydb, alloydb-omni, bigquery, bigtable...), or copy only this skill into ~/.claude/skills. docs
/plugin marketplace add google/skills /plugin install <plugin>@google-plugins # or only this skill: npx skills add google/skills --skill gcloud -a claude-code
Download the skill folder, zip it, then Customize > Skills > + > Create skill > Upload a skill. Code execution must be on (Settings > Capabilities). docs
git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/google/skills.git /tmp/gcloud-src cp -r /tmp/gcloud-src/plugins/cloud/google-cloud-developer/skills/gcloud ./gcloud zip -r gcloud.zip gcloud
Codex reads skills from .agents/skills in the repo or ~/.agents/skills. Type $ in Codex to use one. docs
npx skills add google/skills --skill gcloud -a codex
gh skill (GitHub CLI 2.90+, preview) installs it for Copilot in VS Code, the CLI and the cloud agent. Copilot also reads .github/skills and ~/.copilot/skills. docs
gh skill install google/skills gcloud
Cursor reads .cursor/skills, .agents/skills and ~/.cursor/skills (and .claude/skills). It does not install loose skills from a GitHub URL, so copy it in. docs
npx skills add google/skills --skill gcloud -a cursor
Installs from the GitHub repo; --path picks this skill out of the repo. Default scope is user (all projects). docs
gemini skills install https://github.com/google/skills.git --path plugins/cloud/google-cloud-developer/skills/gcloud
OpenCode reads .opencode/skills, ~/.config/opencode/skills and the Claude and .agents folders. docs
npx skills add google/skills --skill gcloud -a opencode
Windsurf (now Devin Desktop) reads .devin/skills, .windsurf/skills and ~/.codeium/windsurf/skills. docs
npx skills add google/skills --skill gcloud -a windsurf
Works with
Claude Code, Claude.ai and Claude Desktop, Codex, GitHub Copilot, Cursor, Gemini CLI, OpenCode, Windsurf and other agents that read the open Agent Skills format.
What's in the SKILL.md
- Usage Attribution
- Execution Modes
- Core Principles
- 1. Explicit Command Validation (Mandatory)
- 2. Data Reduction Strategies (Mandatory)
- 3. Execution Constraints
- 4. Project and Location Scoping (Critical)
- Safety & Guardrails
- Prohibited Operations (Denylist)
- Execution Guidelines
- Structured Workflows
- Discovery Workflow
- Quick Reference / Cheat Sheet
- Reference Directory
Bundled files
- references/attribution.md
- references/cli-usage.md
- references/mcp-usage.md
Loaded only when the instructions point to them.
Facts
- Skill name
- gcloud
- Publisher
- Google (official)
- Repo
- google/skills
- License
- Apache-2.0
- Version
- 1.0.3
- SKILL.md size
- 1,896 words, 286 lines
- Bundled files
- 3, 3 docs
- Repo stars
- 22k (as of 2026-10-24)
- SKILL.md checked
- 2026-11-07
Pairs with the Google Cloud MCP server: the server gives the agent the tools, the skill teaches it how to use them.
More skills from google/skills
- BigQuery Basics: Runs SQL and manages BigQuery datasets, tables, views and load jobs.
- Sign In With Google (Web): Implements and secures Google sign-in buttons and One Tap with Google Identity Services.
Related cloud & devops skills
- Deploy to Vercel · Vercel
- GitHub: Fix CI · OpenAI
- Cloudflare Platform · Cloudflare
- Next.js on Cloudflare · Cloudflare
- Workers Best Practices · Cloudflare
- Wrangler CLI · Cloudflare
- Azure Deploy · Microsoft (Azure)
- Azure Diagnostics · Microsoft (Azure)
FAQ
What does the gcloud skill do?+
Adds safety checks and guardrails when the agent plans or runs gcloud commands on Google Cloud. In its own SKILL.md, Google describes it as: "Provides safety-critical validation, guardrails, and data reduction for gcloud CLI operations across Google Cloud Platform (GCP) services and infrastructure."
How do I install the gcloud skill?+
Run npx skills add google/skills --skill gcloud and pick your agents, or use the tab for your agent above. In Claude Code the skill ends up in ~/.claude/skills/gcloud/SKILL.md; in Codex and Cursor in .agents/skills/gcloud/.
Does gcloud CLI work in Codex, Cursor and Copilot, or only Claude?+
It's a standard SKILL.md, so any agent that reads the Agent Skills format can use it: Claude Code, the Claude apps, Codex, GitHub Copilot, Cursor, Gemini CLI, OpenCode, Windsurf and more.
Who maintains gcloud CLI?+
Google, the company or project behind it, in the google/skills repo on GitHub, last pushed 2026-10-23. License: Apache-2.0.
Read a skill's SKILL.md and scripts before you install it: skills aren't verified by any agent vendor. Claude skills marketplace · How to install skills · MCP servers