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# Google Cloud Storage API Skill
## Quick Start
Google Cloud Storage (GCS) is the GCP equivalent of S3, optimized for high durability and tight integration with Google's ML and BigQuery ecosystems.
```bash
npm install @google-cloud/storage
```
## Common Workflows
### Signed URLs for Client Uploads
Never pass file buffers through your Node.js application. Generate a V4 Signed URL using `@google-cloud/storage`, send it to the frontend, and have the browser PUT the file directly into GCS.
## Production Patterns
### Resumable Uploads
For files exceeding 5MB, always utilize resumable uploads. The SDK handles this automatically via `bucket.file().createWriteStream({ resumable: true })`.
## Error Recovery
Handle intermittent network failures during massive downloads by wrapping stream pipes in error handlers and relying on GCS's native retry capabilities built into the Node.js SDK.
## Security Notes
Use Workload Identity Federation instead of downloading static JSON Service Account keys. Enforce Uniform Bucket-Level Access to prevent accidental public exposure via individual object ACLs.
## Performance Considerations
If you are serving thousands of small images globally, place Cloud CDN in front of your GCS bucket. Do not serve highly-trafficked public assets directly from GCS storage nodes.
## Testing Guidance
Use the Google Cloud Storage emulator (`fs-test-server`) to mock GCS APIs locally during CI without incurring egress charges.
## Troubleshooting
If Signed URLs fail with 'SignatureDoesNotMatch', ensure the `Content-Type` header sent by the browser exactly matches the `contentType` specified when generating the URL.
## References
- [GCS Node.js SDK](https://googleapis.dev/nodejs/storage/latest/)
## Related Skills
- [AWS S3](/skills/aws s3)
- [Firebase](/skills/firebase)
## Why use this skill
Use this when your agent works with **google-cloud-storage** — structured patterns beat pasted docs and prevent common hallucinations.
## AI pitfalls
- Using outdated SDK or API versions from training data
- Inventing environment variable names
- Omitting error handling and retry logic
## Production checklist
- [ ] Secrets in environment variables, not source code
- [ ] Error handling and logging in place
- [ ] Rate limits and timeouts configured
## Related skills
- [`aws s3`](../aws s3/SKILL.md) — related to
- [`firebase`](../firebase/SKILL.md) — related to
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> **Last Verified:** 2026-07-02
