Setting Up a Google Cloud Platform (GCP) Account
Before connecting your GA4 data to BigQuery, you need to set up a Google Cloud Platform account. This guide will walk you through the process.
What is Google Cloud Platform?
Google Cloud Platform (GCP) is a suite of cloud computing services that runs on the same infrastructure Google uses for its end-user products. BigQuery is Google's enterprise data warehouse solution within GCP.
Steps to Set Up a GCP Account
- Create a Google Account
If you don't already have a Google account, create one at accounts.google.com.
- Sign Up for Google Cloud Platform
Visit the Google Cloud website and click "Get started for free".
- Enter Account Information
Fill out the required information and agree to the terms of service.
- Set Up Billing
Even though Google offers a free trial with $300 in credits, you'll need to provide billing information. Don't worry - Google won't charge you without your permission after the trial ends.
- Create Your First Project
After setting up your account, create a new project from the GCP Console. Projects are containers for all GCP resources and services.
- Enable the BigQuery API
In your project, navigate to "APIs & Services" > "Library" and search for "BigQuery API". Click on it and then click "Enable".
Understanding GCP Billing
For BigQuery specifically, you should understand the billing model:
- Storage: You pay for the data you store in BigQuery.
- Queries: You pay for the data processed by your queries.
- Free Tier: Google offers a monthly free tier that includes 10GB of storage and 1TB of query processing.
For most GA4 users with moderate website traffic, the free tier is often sufficient.
Next Steps
After setting up your GCP account, you'll be ready to:
- Connect GA4 to BigQuery (see our guide on Connecting GA4 to BigQuery)
- Connect QueryRush to your BigQuery datasets