# GCP Cloud Storage

> GCP Cloud Storage

- Skill: `comeonoliver/gcp-cloud-storage` (Agent Skill)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add comeonoliver/gcp-cloud-storage`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/comeonoliver/gcp-cloud-storage/raw
- Safety review: pending (external: skill-scanner PASS, skillspector CAUTION)
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: DevOps & Infra
- Author: ComeOnOliver (https://skillmd.com/u/comeonoliver)
- Updated: 2026-09-21
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/comeonoliver/gcp-cloud-storage

---

# GCP Cloud Storage

Google Cloud Storage is a unified object storage service with global edge caching. It offers multiple storage classes (Standard, Nearline, Coldline, Archive) for cost optimization, strong consistency, and integration with all GCP services.

## Core Concepts

- **Bucket** — globally unique container, scoped to a project and location
- **Object** — a file with metadata, identified by name (path) within a bucket
- **Storage Class** — Standard, Nearline (30d), Coldline (90d), Archive (365d)
- **Signed URL** — time-limited URL for authenticated access without credentials
- **Lifecycle Rule** — automatic actions based on age, class, or conditions
- **IAM / ACL** — access control at bucket and object level

## Bucket Operations

```bash
# Create a bucket with location and default storage class
gcloud storage buckets create gs://my-app-assets-prod \
  --location=us-central1 \
  --default-storage-class=STANDARD \
  --uniform-bucket-level-access
```

```bash
# List buckets
gcloud storage ls
```

```bash
# Set bucket to public read (for static hosting)
gcloud storage buckets add-iam-policy-binding gs://my-app-assets-prod \
  --member=allUsers \
  --role=roles/storage.objectViewer
```

```bash
# Enable versioning
gcloud storage buckets update gs://my-app-assets-prod --versioning
```

## Object Operations

```bash
# Upload a file
gcloud storage cp ./build/app.zip gs://my-app-assets-prod/releases/v1.2.0/app.zip
```

```bash
# Sync a directory
gcloud storage rsync ./dist gs://my-app-assets-prod/static/ \
  --delete-unmatched-destination-objects \
  --cache-control="public, max-age=86400"
```

```bash
# Copy between buckets
gcloud storage cp gs://source-bucket/data.csv gs://dest-bucket/data.csv
```

```bash
# List objects with prefix
gcloud storage ls gs://my-app-assets-prod/releases/ --recursive
```

```bash
# Remove objects
gcloud storage rm gs://my-app-assets-prod/old-file.txt
```

## Signed URLs

```python
# Generate signed URL for download (1 hour)
from google.cloud import storage
from datetime import timedelta

client = storage.Client()
bucket = client.bucket('my-app-assets-prod')
blob = bucket.blob('reports/q4.pdf')

url = blob.generate_signed_url(
    version='v4',
    expiration=timedelta(hours=1),
    method='GET'
)
print(f"Download URL: {url}")
```

```python
# Generate signed URL for upload
url = blob.generate_signed_url(
    version='v4',
    expiration=timedelta(minutes=15),
    method='PUT',
    content_type='application/octet-stream'
)
print(f"Upload URL: {url}")
# Client uploads with: curl -X PUT -H "Content-Type: application/octet-stream" --data-binary @file "$url"
```

```bash
# Generate signed URL with gsutil
gcloud storage sign-url gs://my-app-assets-prod/reports/q4.pdf \
  --duration=1h \
  --private-key-file=service-account.json
```

## Lifecycle Rules

```json
// lifecycle-config.json — transition and expire objects automatically
{
  "rule": [
    {
      "action": {"type": "SetStorageClass", "storageClass": "NEARLINE"},
      "condition": {"age": 30, "matchesPrefix": ["logs/"]}
    },
    {
      "action": {"type": "SetStorageClass", "storageClass": "COLDLINE"},
      "condition": {"age": 90, "matchesPrefix": ["logs/"]}
    },
    {
      "action": {"type": "Delete"},
      "condition": {"age": 365, "matchesPrefix": ["logs/"]}
    },
    {
      "action": {"type": "AbortIncompleteMultipartUpload"},
      "condition": {"age": 7}
    },
    {
      "action": {"type": "Delete"},
      "condition": {"numNewerVersions": 3, "isLive": false}
    }
  ]
}
```

```bash
# Apply lifecycle rules
gcloud storage buckets update gs://my-app-assets-prod \
  --lifecycle-file=lifecycle-config.json
```

## Static Website Hosting

```bash
# Configure bucket for static website
gcloud storage buckets update gs://my-app-website \
  --web-main-page-suffix=index.html \
  --web-not-found-page=404.html
```

```bash
# Upload website files with appropriate content types
gcloud storage cp -r ./build/* gs://my-app-website/ \
  --cache-control="public, max-age=3600"
```

## Event Notifications

```bash
# Notify Pub/Sub when objects are created
gcloud storage buckets notifications create gs://my-app-assets-prod \
  --topic=storage-events \
  --event-types=OBJECT_FINALIZE \
  --object-prefix=uploads/
```

## CORS Configuration

```json
// cors-config.json — allow browser uploads
[
  {
    "origin": ["https://myapp.com"],
    "method": ["GET", "PUT", "POST"],
    "responseHeader": ["Content-Type"],
    "maxAgeSeconds": 3600
  }
]
```

```bash
# Apply CORS
gcloud storage buckets update gs://my-app-assets-prod --cors-file=cors-config.json
```

## Access Control

```bash
# Grant a service account read access
gcloud storage buckets add-iam-policy-binding gs://my-app-assets-prod \
  --member=serviceAccount:app@my-project.iam.gserviceaccount.com \
  --role=roles/storage.objectViewer
```

```bash
# Remove public access
gcloud storage buckets remove-iam-policy-binding gs://my-app-assets-prod \
  --member=allUsers \
  --role=roles/storage.objectViewer
```

## Best Practices

- Enable uniform bucket-level access (disable ACLs) for simpler permissions
- Use lifecycle rules to automatically transition cold data to cheaper classes
- Generate signed URLs for temporary access instead of making objects public
- Enable versioning on buckets with critical data
- Use `gcloud storage rsync` for efficient directory synchronization
- Set appropriate Cache-Control headers for CDN and browser caching
- Use Pub/Sub notifications for event-driven processing of uploads
- Enable Object Versioning + lifecycle rules to limit stored versions