A Google Cloud project is required to use Merchant API. A Cloud project
forms the basis for creating, enabling, and using all Google Cloud services,
including managing APIs, adding and removing collaborators, and managing
permissions.


This document is part of a multi-part series about getting started with
Merchant API. If you already have a Cloud project, you can skip to
the next section:
[Set up authentication](https://developers.google.com/merchant/api/guides/quickstart/authentication)

## Create your Cloud project

### Google Cloud console

1. In the Google Cloud console, go to Menu \> **IAM \& Admin** \> **Create a Project** .

   [Go to Create a Project](https://console.cloud.google.com/projectcreate)
2. In the **Project Name** field, enter a descriptive name for your project.


   Optional: To edit the **Project ID** , click **Edit**. The project ID can't be changed
   after the project is created, so choose an ID that meets your needs for the lifetime of the
   project.
3. In the **Location** field, click **Browse** to display potential locations for your project. Then, click **Select**.
4. Click **Create**. The Google Cloud console navigates to the Dashboard page and your project is created within a few minutes.

### gcloud command

In one of the following development environments, access the Google Cloud
command-line tool (`gcloud`):

- **Cloud Shell** : To use an online terminal with the gcloud command-line tool already set up, activate Cloud Shell.   
  [Activate Cloud Shell](https://console.cloud.google.com/?cloudshell=true)
- **Local Shell** : To use a local development environment, [install](https://cloud.google.com/sdk/docs/install) and [initialize](https://cloud.google.com/sdk/docs/initializing) the gcloud command-line tool.   
  To create a Cloud project, use the `gcloud projects create` command:

      gcloud projects create PROJECT_ID

  Replace <var translate="no">PROJECT_ID</var> by setting the ID for the project you want to create.

For further information on Cloud projects, refer to
[Creating and managing projects](https://cloud.google.com/resource-manager/docs/creating-managing-projects)
in the Google Cloud documentation.

## Enable Merchant API

You must activate Merchant API within your project before you can make calls to
it.

### Google Cloud console

- In the [Google Cloud console](https://console.cloud.google.com/), open the left side menu and select **APIs \& services** \> **Library**.
- Search for **Merchant API** and click the result.
- Click **ENABLE**.

  [Enable the Merchant API](https://console.cloud.google.com/apis/library/merchantapi.googleapis.com)

### gcloud command

    gcloud services enable merchantapi.googleapis.com

For more information, see [Enable and disable APIs](https://support.google.com/googleapi/answer/6158841?content_ref=open+the+console+left+side+menu+and+select+apis+services+and+then+select+library).