Overview
Google Cloud Platform offers enterprise-grade infrastructure with advanced features like sustained use discounts, live migration, and global load balancing. PloyWP's integration with Google Cloud enables you to:
- Deploy WordPress to 35+ regions worldwide with 106 zones
- Automatic Compute Engine instance provisioning with optimized configurations
- Leverage Google's premium network tier for superior performance
- Automated backups to Google Cloud Storage with lifecycle policies
- Enterprise security with IAM, VPC, and Cloud Armor integration
Prerequisites
Before connecting Google Cloud to PloyWP, ensure you have:
Google Cloud Account
An active Google Cloud account with a project created. Get $300 free credit for new accounts
Service Account
A service account with Compute Admin role and JSON key for authentication
Billing Account
Active billing account linked to your project (required even with free credits)
Compute Engine API
Compute Engine API must be enabled in your project
Creating Your Google Cloud Service Account
Important Security Note
Service account keys provide programmatic access to your Google Cloud resources. Keep the JSON key file secure and never commit it to version control. PloyWP encrypts and stores your credentials securely.
Enable Compute Engine API
First, ensure the Compute Engine API is enabled. Go to the API Library and click "Enable" if it's not already active.
Navigate to Service Accounts
In the Google Cloud Console, go to IAM & Admin → Service Accounts, or visit console.cloud.google.com/iam-admin/serviceaccounts
Create Service Account
Click "Create Service Account" and fill in the details:
Service Account Name:
Service Account ID:
This will be auto-generated based on the name
Description:
Grant Permissions
On the "Grant this service account access to project" page, add these roles:
Compute Admin
Full control of Compute Engine resources
Service Account User
Required to act as the service account
Click "Continue" then "Done" to create the service account
Create JSON Key
- 1. Find your new service account in the list and click on it
- 2. Go to the "Keys" tab
- 3. Click "Add Key" → "Create new key"
- 4. Select "JSON" as the key type
- 5. Click "Create"
✓ Your JSON key file will automatically download. Save it securely!
Connecting Google Cloud to PloyWP
Once you have your service account JSON key, follow these steps to connect Google Cloud:
- 1
Navigate to Settings → Cloud Providers in your PloyWP dashboard
- 2
Click "Add Provider" and select Google Cloud Platform
- 3
Enter a friendly name (e.g., "My GCP Account")
- 4
Upload your JSON key file or paste its contents
- 5
Select your preferred Google Cloud project
- 6
Click "Connect" to verify and save the connection
Connection Successful!
Once connected, you can start deploying WordPress sites to any Google Cloud region.
Recommended Machine Types for WordPress
PloyWP optimizes WordPress performance with Docker containers. Here are our recommended Google Cloud machine types:
Personal Blog
Low traffic personal sites
~$7/month
Eligible for free tier
- e2-micro
- 1 vCPU (0.25-2 vCPU burst)
- 1 GB RAM
- 10 GB SSD
Business Site
Most WordPress sites
~$13/month
30% off with sustained use
- e2-small
- 2 vCPUs (0.5-2 vCPU)
- 2 GB RAM
- 20 GB SSD
WooCommerce
E-commerce & high traffic
~$26/month
30% off with sustained use
- e2-medium
- 2 vCPUs (1-2 vCPU)
- 4 GB RAM
- 50 GB SSD
💡 Google Cloud Advantages
- • Sustained Use Discounts: Automatically save up to 30% for instances running more than 25% of the month
- • Live Migration: Zero downtime during maintenance - your sites stay online
- • Per-Second Billing: Pay only for what you use with 1-second billing increments
Google Cloud Regions & Zones
Google Cloud offers 35+ regions with 106 zones worldwide. Choose regions close to your target audience for optimal performance:
Popular Regions
- US us-central1 (Iowa) - Free tier eligible
- US us-east1 (South Carolina) - Free tier eligible
- US us-west1 (Oregon) - Free tier eligible
- EU europe-west1 (Belgium)
- EU europe-west4 (Netherlands)
- AP asia-southeast1 (Singapore)
- AP asia-northeast1 (Tokyo)
Region Features
Multi-Zone Deployment
Each region has 3+ zones for high availability
Low Latency Network
Google's private fiber network connects all regions
Carbon Neutral
All regions operate on carbon-neutral infrastructure
Free Tier Tip: The e2-micro instance is free in us-west1, us-central1, and us-east1 regions (up to 744 hours per month). Perfect for testing PloyWP!
Understanding Google Cloud Pricing
What You Pay Google Cloud
- Compute Engine instances (per-second billing)
- Persistent disk storage ($0.04/GB/month)
- Network egress (free up to 1GB/month)
- Cloud Storage for backups ($0.02/GB/month)
What You Pay PloyWP
- Deployment automation platform fee
- No markup on server costs
- Unlimited WordPress deployments
- All features included
💰 Example Monthly Cost
Business site with 50k visitors: ~$13/mo to Google Cloud + $5-$29/mo to PloyWP = $18-$42/mo total for complete WordPress deployment automation with enterprise features.
$300 Free Credits
New Google Cloud accounts get $300 in free credits for 90 days
Always Free Tier
e2-micro instance free forever in eligible regions (744 hours/month)
Common Issues & Troubleshooting
Service Account Authentication Failed
If you receive an authentication error when connecting Google Cloud:
- • Verify the JSON key file is complete and valid
- • Ensure the service account has Compute Admin role
- • Check that Compute Engine API is enabled in your project
- • Confirm the project ID in the JSON matches your intended project
Quota Exceeded Error
If you encounter quota limits during deployment:
- • Check your project quotas in IAM & Admin → Quotas
- • Request quota increase for CPUs or IP addresses if needed
- • Try deploying in a different region with available capacity
- • New accounts may have lower initial quotas - increases are usually approved quickly
Billing Account Not Linked
If you see billing-related errors:
- • Ensure your project has an active billing account linked
- • Free trial accounts still need billing setup (you won't be charged)
- • Check Billing → Account Management to verify status
- • Organization policies may restrict billing - contact your admin
SSH Connection Issues
If PloyWP can't connect to your instance:
- • Allow 1-2 minutes for instance initialization
- • Check VPC firewall rules allow SSH (port 22) from PloyWP IPs
- • Verify instance status is "Running" in Compute Engine console
- • OS Login may interfere - disable if using custom SSH keys
Need Help?
Our support team is here to help with any Google Cloud integration issues.
Next Steps
Deploy Your First Site
Learn how to deploy your first WordPress site to Google Cloud with our step-by-step guide.
Security Best Practices
Configure Cloud Armor, SSL certificates, and security hardening for your WordPress deployments.
Domain Configuration
Connect your domain names and configure Cloud DNS for your WordPress sites.
Backup Configuration
Set up automated backups to Google Cloud Storage with lifecycle policies.