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To keep a Google Cloud Compute Engine VM from having its own publicly routable IPv4 address, configure its network interface without an external IP. Add Private Google Access if it only needs supported Google APIs and services; use Public Cloud NAT if it must reach arbitrary IPv4 internet destinations. These are different connectivity options, and neither makes outbound traffic anonymous.
What “hide the public IP” means in Google Cloud
Google Cloud distinguishes publicly advertised, publicly routable external IP addresses from internal IP addresses, which are not publicly routed. For a VM, the practical goal is usually to leave the external access configuration off its network interface while retaining only the connectivity the workload needs. See Google Cloud’s IP address documentation.
An internal-only VM does not automatically get general internet access. Choose an egress or private-access option based on the destinations the VM must reach.
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| Need | Option | What it provides | What to check |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reach supported Google APIs and services from a VM without an external IP | Private Google Access | Access to supported Google APIs and services for eligible VMs on a subnet where it is enabled | Confirm API support, subnet setting, DNS, routes, and firewall or network requirements. See Private Google Access and how to configure it. |
| Connect outward to IPv4 internet destinations without assigning the VM an external IP | Public Cloud NAT | Outbound address translation through external NAT addresses; responses to established connections are allowed | Choose automatic or manual NAT address allocation and check egress firewall rules. See Public NAT and NAT IP addresses and ports. |
| Reach a particular Google or third-party service privately | Private Service Connect, private services access, or another supported private-access option | Private connectivity for supported services, with different connection models | Check which option the service supports and how its endpoint is configured. See private access options and private services access configuration. |
Google’s private-access overview notes that a VM without an external IP cannot reach destinations outside its VPC by default, including Google APIs and services. Private access mechanisms vary by service; they are not interchangeable substitutes for internet egress. For example, Private Google Access covers supported Google services, while Public NAT is for outbound IPv4 internet connectivity.
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What Terraform needs to configure
The key VM setting is the network interface’s lack of an external access configuration. The surrounding network must also match the connectivity choice: subnet and region, Private Google Access where needed, and a Cloud Router and Public NAT configuration for general outbound IPv4 internet access.
Google’s Use Public NAT with Compute Engine guide includes a Terraform example that creates a custom VPC and subnet and then a VM without an external IP. Use that official example as the implementation reference, and check its current example and module versions before adapting it. A complete production configuration should keep the VM interface, subnet, router/NAT setup, region, and address-allocation choice consistent.
Do not copy a partial VM snippet and assume it provides the required network path. The correct configuration depends on whether the VM needs Google APIs, general internet egress, or private access to a specific service. Verify resource arguments against the current Google Terraform provider reference and test with the provider version declared by your configuration before applying it.
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Public NAT lets a VM without its own external IPv4 address initiate connections to IPv4 internet destinations. The destination sees the NAT egress address, not the VM’s internal address. If a remote service requires a known source address, Google documents manually assigned NAT addresses as an option; see IP addresses and ports.
NAT permits outbound connections and their established response traffic; it does not provide unsolicited inbound access. Google states: “Public NAT doesn’t permit unsolicited inbound requests from the internet, even if firewall rules would otherwise permit those requests.” Read the Public NAT documentation for the behavior and scope.
For traffic to Google APIs, Public NAT does not replace Private Google Access: Google documents that API traffic is handled through Private Google Access when Public NAT applies to the subnet range. See Cloud NAT product interactions.
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- Confirm the VM network interface has no external IP address.
- Test the exact destinations the workload needs: supported Google APIs, arbitrary IPv4 internet destinations, or a privately connected service.
- If a destination needs an allowlisted source address, confirm which NAT egress address it will see and configure address allocation accordingly.
- Keep firewall policy, IAM controls, workload hardening, and access reviews in place; removing a VM external IP does not replace them.
“No external IP on the VM” describes its interface configuration, not the absence of public egress identity. A VM using Public NAT still reaches internet destinations from an external NAT address, so this configuration should not be described as anonymizing traffic.
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