Private Google Access in GCP: What It Is and How It Works

In GCP, Private Google Access allows virtual machines without public IP addresses to reach Google APIs and services securely over internal IPs. This means your VMs can access Google services without exposing themselves to the public internet.

How It Works

Imagine your virtual machines (VMs) are like houses in a gated community without direct roads to the outside world. Normally, to get to Google services, these houses would need a public road (public IP). Private Google Access builds a private tunnel inside the community, letting these houses reach Google services safely without stepping outside.

Technically, when enabled on a subnet, VMs without public IPs use internal IP addresses to connect to Google APIs and services. Google routes this traffic internally, so it never goes through the public internet. This keeps your network safer and more private.

Example

This example shows how to enable Private Google Access on a subnet using gcloud CLI.

bash

gcloud compute networks subnets update SUBNET_NAME \
  --region=REGION \
  --enable-private-google-access

Output

Updated subnet [SUBNET_NAME].

When to Use

Use Private Google Access when your VMs need to call Google APIs but you want to keep them isolated from the public internet. For example:

• Running backend services that access Cloud Storage or BigQuery securely.
• Maintaining compliance by avoiding public IP exposure.
• Improving security by limiting internet access points.

Key Points

• Private Google Access works only for VMs without public IPs.
• It allows access to Google APIs via internal IPs.
• It enhances security by avoiding public internet traffic.
• Must be enabled per subnet in your VPC network.

Key Takeaways

Private Google Access lets VMs without public IPs reach Google services securely over internal IPs.

Enable it on your subnet to keep traffic to Google APIs off the public internet.

Ideal for secure, private backend workloads needing Google API access.

It improves security and compliance by limiting public exposure.