Google Cloud Platform (GCP) is a suite of cloud computing services offered by Google. If you're new to GCP and need to create an account and obtain a JSON credentials file, this guide will walk you through the process step-by-step.

Step 1: Create a Google Cloud Platform account (if you don’t have any - otherwise go to the next step)

1. Sign up for GCP

• Go to Google Cloud Platform website
• Click on the "Start free" button
• Sign in with your existing Google account or create a new one if you don't have an account yet

1. Set up your billing account
   • After signing in, you will be prompted to set up a billing account. This is required even if you're using the free tier
   • Fill in your billing information. Google offers a $300 free credit for new users, which can be used over the first 90 days

Step 2: Create a new project

1. Navigate to the Google Cloud Console

Once logged in, go to the Google Cloud Console

1. Create a new project
   • Click on the project drop-down menu at the top of the page
   • Select "New Project”
   • Enter a name for your project and select your billing account (organization)
   • Click "Create”

Step 3: Enable required APIs

1. Go to the API library:
   • In the Google Cloud Console, navigate to the "API & Services" > "Library”
2. Enable APIs:
   • Search for and enable the APIs that your project will need:
     • Service Usage API
     • Identity and Access Management (IAM) API

Step 4: Create your service account and generate JSON credentials