Host Your Static Website on GCP

A step-by-step guide to hosting a static website on Google Cloud Platform — works with any domain registrar.

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Hey there! I recently went through the process of moving my website hosting from traditional providers like GoDaddy and Squarespace over to Google Cloud Platform. I wanted to take advantage of GCP's more advanced features — things like custom load balancing, better performance controls, and more flexibility with how my sites are served.

The process wasn't always straightforward, and I found myself piecing together information from different sources. So I put together this guide with the exact steps I took, hoping it makes things easier for you if you're looking to do the same.

These steps should work regardless of where your domain is currently registered — whether that's GoDaddy, Squarespace, Namecheap, Google Domains, or anywhere else. The DNS concepts are universal; you're just updating nameservers and records.

1

Pointing Nameservers to GCP

To manage your site in Google Cloud, you need to tell your domain registrar to hand over DNS control to GCP.

  1. In GCP: Go to Network Services › Cloud DNS. Create a Public Zone for your domain (e.g., example.com).
  2. Copy Nameservers: Note the four nameservers Google provides (e.g., ns-cloud-e1.googledomains.com).
  3. At Your Registrar: Log into your domain registrar (GoDaddy, Squarespace, Namecheap, etc.) and find the DNS or Nameservers settings for your domain.
  4. Action: Select Use Custom Nameservers (or similar) and enter the four GCP nameservers.
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Once saved, all DNS records at your registrar are ignored. You must manage all future records (email, verification, subdomains, etc.) in GCP Cloud DNS.

2

Domain Verification

Google needs to prove you own the domain before it serves traffic via GCP.

  1. Get the Code: During setup (or in Google Search Console), copy the CNAME or TXT record provided.
  2. Add to Cloud DNS:
    • Go to your DNS Zone in GCP. Click Add Record Set.
    • Type: Select CNAME (or TXT).
    • DNS Name: Paste the "Label/Host."
    • Canonical Name: Paste the "Destination/Target."
  3. Verify: Return to the verification tool and click Verify. Propagation usually takes 5–15 minutes.
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Crucial: Always add a trailing dot . at the end of the destination (e.g., googlehosted.com.).

3

Cloud Storage Setup

  1. Create Bucket: Go to Cloud Storage › Buckets. The bucket name must be exactly your domain (e.g., www.example.com).
  2. Upload Content: Upload your index.html and assets.
  3. Enable Public Access:
    • Go to the Permissions tab. Click Grant Access.
    • Principal: allUsers
    • Role: Storage Object Viewer
  4. Set Main Page: Click the three dots on the bucket row › Edit website configuration. Set Index page to index.html.
4

Enabling HTTPS (Load Balancer)

Google Cloud Storage does not support HTTPS for custom domains directly. You must use a Load Balancer.

Choice A: Add to an EXISTING Load Balancer

$0 extra

If you already pay ~$18/month for a load balancer, use this to avoid a second charge.

  1. Edit LB: Go to Network Services › Load Balancing. Click your LB and select Edit.
  2. Frontend: Find the HTTPS (Port 443) entry. Click Create a new certificate.
    • Mode: Google-managed. Enter example.com and www.example.com.
    • Add this as an Additional Certificate.
  3. Backend: Go to Backend Configuration. Create a New Backend Bucket pointing to your new storage bucket.
  4. Routing: In Routing Rules, add a new rule:
    • Host: example.com and www.example.com
    • Path: /*
    • Backend: Select the backend bucket you just created.
  5. Update: Click Update at the bottom.

Choice B: Create a NEW Load Balancer

~$18/month
  1. Start: Go to Load Balancing › Create Load Balancer. Choose Application Load Balancer (HTTP/HTTPS) and Global/External.
  2. Frontend: Create two rules:
    • Rule 1: Protocol: HTTPS, Port: 443. Create a Google-managed certificate for your domain.
    • Rule 2: Protocol: HTTP, Port: 80. (Enable HTTP to HTTPS Redirect if available).
  3. Backend: Create a Backend Bucket pointing to your storage bucket.
  4. Routing: Set the "Default" rule to point to your backend bucket.
5

Final DNS Pointing

Once the Load Balancer is set up, you must point your domain to its Static IP Address.

  1. Find IP: On the Load Balancer details page, copy the Frontend IP Address.
  2. In Cloud DNS:
    • Delete any old CNAME records for your domain.
    • Add an A Record for @ (root). Value: [Your LB IP].
    • Add an A Record for www. Value: [Your LB IP].
  3. Wait for SSL: The certificate status will show PROVISIONING until Google detects that the domain points to the LB IP. This usually takes 30–60 minutes.
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Once the SSL certificate shows ACTIVE, your site is live with HTTPS!