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For a static website, the simplest Google Cloud deployment is a Cloud Storage bucket containing your HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and image files. Configure index.html as the main page and an optional 404.html error page, then either use the bucket’s HTTP endpoint or put an external Application Load Balancer and Google-managed certificate in front of it for a custom domain with HTTPS.
This guide covers the complete setup, including project and billing prerequisites, upload commands, public versus private access, DNS records, certificate provisioning, testing, costs, and when a different Google Cloud service is a better fit.
What is the best way to create a website on a Google Cloud server?
It depends on whether your site is static or dynamic. A static site can run without a traditional server: Cloud Storage serves the files, while an external Application Load Balancer provides a custom-domain HTTPS endpoint. A site that executes PHP, Python, Node.js, or another server-side runtime needs a compute service such as App Engine, Cloud Run, Compute Engine, or Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE).
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Cloud Storage is usually the right starting point for a portfolio, documentation site, landing page, or front-end application whose files are built before deployment. It has no operating system to patch and scales without you managing virtual machines. Cloud Storage alone does not provide custom domains over HTTPS; HTTPS requires an SSL certificate attached to an HTTPS load balancer.
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What do I need before deploying?
- A Google Cloud project that you can select or create.
- Billing enabled on that project. The storage and load-balancing components used in the official static-site workflow are billable.
- Website files, including an
index.htmlfile at the location you plan to upload. Add404.htmlso unknown paths receive a useful page. - A domain that you own or manage if you want a branded address such as
example.comorwww.example.com. - For the HTTPS load-balancer procedure, the Compute Engine API enabled and permissions that include Storage Admin and Compute Network Admin.
- A local installation of the Google Cloud CLI (
gcloud) if you prefer commands to the Cloud Console.
Keep the site files in a local directory with the intended relative paths. A common layout is site/index.html, site/404.html, site/css/, site/js/, and site/images/. Uploading the directory contents rather than an extra enclosing directory prevents URLs from becoming /site/index.html.
Which Google Cloud service should host my website?
Choose the service according to whether you need a server-side runtime and how much infrastructure control you want.
| Service | Best fit | Runtime and control | HTTPS and scaling considerations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cloud Storage | Prebuilt static HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and images | No server-side runtime; Google manages the storage service | Custom-domain HTTPS uses an external Application Load Balancer and certificate; storage and network usage are metered |
| App Engine standard | Managed applications and static files using an app.yaml configuration |
Google-managed runtime with a project subdomain and custom-domain mapping | Automatic platform scaling; configure the app and domain mapping rather than a VM |
| Compute Engine | Traditional web servers or applications needing operating-system control | Virtual machine; you install and maintain the OS, web server, and runtime | You manage capacity, patching, firewall rules, and the load-balancing design |
| Cloud Run | Dynamic or containerized web applications | Deploy a container; no VM administration | Managed scaling for request-driven containers; configure the service’s domain and HTTPS path |
| Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE) | Workloads that require Kubernetes orchestration | Container clusters, deployments, services, and cluster-level control | Most operational complexity; HTTPS and ingress depend on the cluster architecture |
If your build produces only files, start with Cloud Storage. Move to a runtime service when requests must execute code, access a database securely, authenticate users on the server, or perform background work.
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Create the project and bucket first, then configure the website document settings. Bucket names are globally unique, so choose a name that has not already been taken.
1. Select a project and enable billing
- Open the Google Cloud Console and create a project or select an existing one.
- Attach a billing account. Without billing, the storage and networking resources required for this deployment cannot be used normally.
- Record the project ID; you will use it in the CLI and when checking resources later.
2. Create the bucket
In the Cloud Storage section of the Console, choose Create, enter a globally unique bucket name, select a location, and finish the creation wizard. Pick a location appropriate for your audience and data-governance requirements; changing location later generally means creating another bucket and moving the files.
With the CLI, authenticate and select the project, then create the bucket:
gcloud auth login
gcloud config set project PROJECT_ID
gcloud storage buckets create gs://BUCKET_NAME --location=LOCATIONReplace the uppercase values with your project ID, bucket name, and chosen location. The command creates an ordinary storage bucket; it does not yet make objects public or configure website pages.
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3. Upload the site files
From the directory that contains your site files, upload the contents recursively:
gcloud storage cp -r ./site/* gs://BUCKET_NAMEAlternatively, use the bucket’s Upload files and Upload folder actions in the Console. Confirm that index.html is at the bucket’s top level (or at the exact prefix you intend to serve).
4. Set the main and error pages
Configure the main-page suffix as index.html and the not-found page as 404.html:
gcloud storage buckets update gs://BUCKET_NAME
--web-main-page-suffix=index.html
--web-error-page=404.htmlIn the Console, open the bucket, go to its website configuration, and enter the same two filenames. A request for a directory-like URL can then resolve to that directory’s index.html, while an unknown object can return your custom error document.
Should the bucket be public or private?
Public objects are the straightforward option for the basic HTTP tutorial: browsers can fetch the files directly from Cloud Storage. A private bucket is safer when the content should not be generally readable; place it behind Cloud Load Balancing (and, if needed, Cloud CDN) so the bucket is not directly exposed.
Public bucket trade-off
Granting public object viewing means anyone who can discover an object URL can request it. Never put passwords, API keys, customer records, backups, or other confidential data in a publicly readable bucket. Review every uploaded file, including source maps and configuration files, before changing access.
The exact IAM change depends on your organization’s policy. Where public access is allowed, the CLI pattern is:
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gcloud storage buckets add-iam-policy-binding gs://BUCKET_NAME
--member=allUsers
--role=roles/storage.objectViewerIf your organization enforces public-access prevention, this command will be rejected; use a private backend design instead of weakening the policy.
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Private backend trade-off
A private bucket limits direct reads and lets the load-balancing layer be the public entry point. This adds configuration and permission work, but is preferable for content that must not be reachable through a raw storage URL. Test the load-balancer path rather than assuming bucket-level permissions are correct.
How do I publish the site over a custom domain with HTTPS?
Cloud Storage does not terminate HTTPS for a custom domain by itself. The supported pattern is an external Application Load Balancer with a backend bucket, a Google-managed SSL certificate, a reserved IP address, and DNS A records pointing your hostname to that address.
1. Enable the required API and permissions
Enable the Compute Engine API in the project. Ensure your account has Storage Admin for bucket and object work and Compute Network Admin for the load-balancing resources. Organizations may separate these duties; in that case, coordinate with an administrator rather than granting broad permissions unnecessarily.
2. Reserve a global static IP address
In the Console, open VPC network > IP addresses, reserve an external, global IPv4 address, and keep the address name and value. A static address prevents your DNS record from changing when the load-balancer configuration is updated.
3. Create a Google-managed certificate
In Certificate Manager or the load-balancer certificate workflow, create a Google-managed certificate and list every hostname you intend to serve, such as the apex domain and www. One certificate can contain up to 100 domains according to Google’s current tutorial guidance. The certificate is not usable until both its certificate status and domain status are active.
4. Create the load balancer and backend bucket
- Start an Application Load Balancer with an external, global frontend.
- Create a backend bucket that points to your Cloud Storage bucket. Enable Cloud CDN only if its caching behavior and additional charges fit your site.
- Configure a URL map so requests for the selected hostnames use that backend bucket.
- Create an HTTPS frontend using the reserved global IP, port 443, and the Google-managed certificate.
- If you want HTTP requests redirected, add an HTTP frontend and redirect rule. Otherwise, test only the HTTPS hostname.
The Console wizard names these objects differently depending on the interface version, but the required relationships remain the same: HTTPS frontend, certificate, URL map, backend bucket, and global IP.
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5. Point DNS at the load balancer
At your DNS provider, create A records for each hostname you included in the certificate. For an apex domain, create an A record for @ (or the provider’s equivalent); for www.example.com, create an A record for www. Set each value to the reserved load-balancer IP. Do not point the records at the bucket’s storage hostname when using the HTTPS architecture.
6. Wait for provisioning and validate
Google notes that a managed certificate may take up to 60–90 minutes to provision. DNS propagation can add delay. Wait until the certificate and domain status are active, then request the HTTPS root URL and a known object such as /images/logo.png. Also request a deliberately nonexistent path to verify that 404.html is returned.
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If a custom domain and HTTPS are not requirements, you can use Cloud Storage’s website endpoint after setting the main and error pages. This avoids the load balancer and certificate, making it the quickest way to demonstrate a static site.
HTTP-only hosting is not appropriate for login forms, private content, or any site where visitors need transport encryption. It also does not give you the branded HTTPS URL that browsers and search engines generally expect. Treat it as a low-complexity option for non-sensitive demonstrations or internal testing.
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The root URL shows an access error
Check that index.html exists at the bucket root, the website main-page suffix is exactly index.html, and the chosen access model permits the request. For a public design, verify that the object-viewer policy actually applies. For a private design, test the load-balancer hostname and backend permissions rather than the direct bucket URL.
CSS, JavaScript, or images return 404
Inspect the browser’s requested path and compare its capitalization with the object name. Cloud Storage object names are case-sensitive. Re-upload missing directories with the recursive copy command and ensure your HTML uses relative paths that match the uploaded structure.
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Confirm that every certificate hostname has a DNS A record pointing to the load-balancer IP and that no stale record directs traffic elsewhere. Check both certificate status and domain status in the Console; HTTPS will not work reliably while either status is inactive. Allow the documented 60–90-minute provisioning window before treating the process as failed.
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The domain resolves but the wrong page appears
Verify that the URL map’s host rules include the requested hostname and that its backend bucket is the intended bucket. If you recently changed objects, test an object with a new name to distinguish a routing problem from cached content, especially when Cloud CDN is enabled.
HTTPS works for one hostname but not another
Each hostname must be listed on the managed certificate and have its own DNS record pointing to the same frontend. A certificate covering the apex domain does not automatically cover www unless that name was included.
What will Google Cloud charge for this website?
There is no single flat hosting price for this architecture. Charges can accrue for stored data, network egress, retrieval operations, the external load balancer, and optional Cloud CDN. The amounts depend on location, traffic, cache behavior, and how often objects are read.
- Cloud Storage: stored bytes, operations, and any applicable retrieval or network charges.
- External Application Load Balancer: forwarding and related networking resources.
- Cloud CDN: optional cache and bandwidth charges when enabled.
- DNS: charges depend on the DNS provider and plan you use.
Use Google’s Pricing Calculator for an estimate based on your expected storage and monthly traffic, and monitor the project’s billing reports after launch. A small site can still incur ongoing load-balancer costs even when it receives little traffic.
How do I remove the site and stop charges?
Delete resources you no longer need instead of leaving the project running indefinitely. Remove DNS records only after you are ready to take the hostname offline, then delete the HTTPS frontend, certificate, URL map, backend bucket, reserved IP address, and any CDN configuration. Empty and delete the Cloud Storage bucket last if its files are no longer required. Deleting the entire project is the simplest cleanup when it contains nothing else; otherwise remove each resource individually and verify that billing reports stop showing usage.
What security and maintenance checks should I perform?
- Keep secrets and personal data out of public buckets; treat every object as potentially discoverable when public access is enabled.
- Use a private bucket behind the load balancer for content that should not have a direct public storage URL.
- Review IAM grants periodically and avoid granting project-wide roles when a narrower resource-level role is sufficient.
- Retest the root page, a nested asset, the custom 404 page, and both apex and
wwwhostnames after configuration changes. - Watch storage, network, load-balancer, retrieval, and CDN usage so unexpected traffic is visible quickly.
- Keep a copy of the site files and deployment commands so you can recreate the bucket or move to another Google Cloud service.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I host PHP, WordPress, or another server-side application in a Cloud Storage bucket?
No. A bucket serves objects and does not execute PHP, database queries, or other server-side code. Use App Engine, Cloud Run, Compute Engine, or GKE for the application runtime, and keep Cloud Storage for static assets if that division suits the design.
Why does my certificate stay pending even though I created the DNS record?
Check that the record is an A record for every hostname on the certificate and that it contains the load-balancer IP, not a bucket address. Also confirm that the certificate’s domain status is active; a correct record can still require the full Google provisioning window before issuance completes.
Do I need separate DNS records for the root domain and www?
Yes, if visitors should reach both names. Create an A record for the apex and another for the www hostname, include both names on the managed certificate, and ensure the load balancer has host rules for each.
Can I delete only the bucket after moving the website elsewhere?
You can, but the load balancer, reserved IP, certificate, and related networking resources may continue generating charges. Remove unused frontend and networking resources as well, or delete the entire project when it contains no other workloads.
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