Introduction:

Google service accounts provide a way for applications to access Google APIs programmatically. In this guide, we'll walk through the process of creating a service account step-by-step.

Why we create Service account in Google API's?

service accounts play a vital role in enabling secure, automated, and scalable access to Google APIs services in various application scenarios. They provide a robust mechanism for managing authentication and authorization, ensuring the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of data and resources.

Prerequisite:

To create a Service account, first, we need to create an O-Auth Account with enabled APIs. I have provided a step-wise guide for OAuth account creation here

Step Guide to Creating a Service Account for Google APIs

Step 1: Accessing the Google Cloud Console

Navigate https://console.cloud.google.com/ and logging in with your Google account credentials

Step 2: Selecting the Project

(If you haven't created a project already, you'll need to do so. Once you're in the Cloud Console, select the project you want to create the service account for from the project dropdown menu.)

Step 3: Navigating to IAM & Admin(IAM stands for Identity and Access Management, and this is where you manage access to your Google Cloud resources.)

In the IAM & Admin section, select "Service Accounts" from the left-hand menu. This will bring up a list of existing service accounts for your project, if any.

Step 4: click on the "Create Service Account" button.(You'll be prompted to provide a name and description for your service account.)

Then Enter Service account ID and (Optional) For Service account description, (enter a description of the service account.)

Step 5. Assigning Roles

After naming your service account, you'll need to assign it the appropriate roles. Roles define the permissions that the service account will have. Google provides several predefined roles with different levels of access, such as Viewer, Editor, and Owner. Choose the roles that best suit your application's needs. Click on Done

Step 6: Generating or Manage Key

Once you've assigned roles to your service account, click on the "Create Key" button. This will generate a JSON key file that you can download. This key file will be used by your application to authenticate with Google API's.

Step 7: Managing Service Accounts

Back in the Service Accounts section, you can manage your service accounts by editing their settings, deleting them, or creating more keys if needed.

Conclusion:

Service accounts are a powerful tool for securely accessing Google APIs. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can create service accounts for your projects and manage their access to resources effectively. Whether you're building a web application, a mobile app, or a backend service, service accounts can help you authenticate with Google APIs securely and efficiently.