> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.segmentstream.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Prepare your Google Cloud Project

> Step-by-step guide to set up your Google Cloud Platform account, billing, and project for use with SegmentStream.

Complete this step-by-step setup guide to make sure your Google BigQuery data warehouse is ready to be connected to SegmentStream.

## Before you begin

You should have an existing [Google account](https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/27441).

## 1. Create a Google Cloud Platform account

BigQuery is a part of Google Cloud Platform. To use BigQuery you need to have a Google Cloud Platform account.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Navigate to Google Cloud Platform">
    Go to the [Google Cloud Platform page](https://cloud.google.com/) and click **Get started for free**.

    <img src="https://mintcdn.com/segmentstream/ZFr6pt66noWB70nu/images/gcp-get-started.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=ZFr6pt66noWB70nu&q=85&s=c4af58952c9d8f77e8312c2efc92fd2c" alt="Google Cloud Platform get started" width="2392" height="1396" data-path="images/gcp-get-started.png" />
  </Step>

  <Step title="Log in to your Google Account">
    Log in to your Google Account.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Complete registration">
    Fill in the registration form. Provide valid payment details -- it's important, as you need an account with an active payment method to use BigQuery with SegmentStream.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## 2. Set up a billing account

To use BigQuery with SegmentStream you need an active billing account so that you'll be able to use Google Cloud Platform resources.

Free Tier Google Cloud accounts don't support some BigQuery services which are required to use SegmentStream.

### Upgrading a Free Tier account

Go to the [main page of your Google Cloud Platform](https://console.cloud.google.com/) project and click **ACTIVATE FULL ACCOUNT**.

<img src="https://mintcdn.com/segmentstream/ZFr6pt66noWB70nu/images/gcp-activate-full-account.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=ZFr6pt66noWB70nu&q=85&s=c15cf18540659cd5c9cec1453919103e" alt="Activate full account" width="2880" height="1368" data-path="images/gcp-activate-full-account.png" />

More information on upgrading your account can be found [here](https://cloud.google.com/free/docs/gcp-free-tier#how-to-upgrade).

### Checking billing account status

If you don't have an **ACTIVATE FULL ACCOUNT** button on the main project page, check that you have an active billing account with a valid payment method:

<Steps>
  <Step title="Go to billing">
    Go to the [Google Cloud Platform Billing page](https://console.cloud.google.com/billing).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Check billing accounts">
    Check that you have at least one billing account with active status.

    <img src="https://mintcdn.com/segmentstream/ZFr6pt66noWB70nu/images/gcp-billing-accounts.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=ZFr6pt66noWB70nu&q=85&s=233a8f886d4db7fdedf293936f8e2d97" alt="Billing accounts" width="1999" height="751" data-path="images/gcp-billing-accounts.png" />
  </Step>

  <Step title="Link billing to project">
    Click on **MY PROJECTS**, and confirm that the billing account is linked to the project that you want to connect with SegmentStream. If it isn't linked, click the "more icon" then **Change billing** to link an active billing account.

    <img src="https://mintcdn.com/segmentstream/ZFr6pt66noWB70nu/images/gcp-billing-my-projects.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=ZFr6pt66noWB70nu&q=85&s=a1a383e829f113a013c464abfa880824" alt="Billing my projects" width="2388" height="1040" data-path="images/gcp-billing-my-projects.png" />
  </Step>

  <Step title="Verify account status">
    Click on the account name and follow instructions to set the status to active if it is different.

    <img src="https://mintcdn.com/segmentstream/ZFr6pt66noWB70nu/images/gcp-billing-account-status.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=ZFr6pt66noWB70nu&q=85&s=adf9900362886761ad4d63b30f460364" alt="Billing account status" width="1999" height="930" data-path="images/gcp-billing-account-status.png" />
  </Step>

  <Step title="Validate payment info">
    Validate your payment info (1) and check that you don't have any critical (red) billing health check issues (2).

    <img src="https://mintcdn.com/segmentstream/ZFr6pt66noWB70nu/images/gcp-billing-health-check.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=ZFr6pt66noWB70nu&q=85&s=b8232f0b083124328e12e58c86eac9af" alt="Billing health check" width="1999" height="918" data-path="images/gcp-billing-health-check.png" />
  </Step>
</Steps>

If you experience an issue with setting up a billing account [consult the documentation on billing accounts](https://cloud.google.com/billing/docs/how-to/manage-billing-account).

## 3. Create a Google Cloud project

<Steps>
  <Step title="Navigate to Manage resources">
    Navigate to the [Manage resources](https://console.cloud.google.com/cloud-resource-manager?walkthrough_id=resource-manager--create-project) page in the Google Cloud console.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Select organisation">
    On the **Select organisation** drop-down list at the top of the page, select the organisation resource in which you want to create a project. If you are a free trial user, skip this step, as this list does not appear.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Create the project">
    Click **Create Project**. In the **New Project** window that appears, enter a project name and select a billing account as applicable.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Set parent organisation">
    Enter the parent organisation or folder resource in the Location box. That resource will be the hierarchical parent of the new project. If No organisation is an option, you can select it to create your new project as the top level of its own resource hierarchy.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Finish creation">
    When you're finished entering new project details, click **Create**.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Warning>
  Before continuing, please ensure that your Google Cloud project has the BigQuery API enabled by navigating to the [BigQuery API](https://console.cloud.google.com/marketplace/product/google/bigquery.googleapis.com) page and clicking "ENABLE" if it isn't already.

  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/segmentstream/ZFr6pt66noWB70nu/images/gcp-bigquery-api-enable.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=ZFr6pt66noWB70nu&q=85&s=5d3a3b74a8c2685650c3adccd049facd" alt="BigQuery API enable" width="1492" height="706" data-path="images/gcp-bigquery-api-enable.png" />
</Warning>

## What's next

Grant SegmentStream access to your Google BigQuery project by following the guide: [Grant BigQuery access to SegmentStream](/project-configuration/data-warehouse/google-bigquery/grant-bigquery-access-to-segmentstream).