Google Cloud uses quotas to help ensure fairness and reduce spikes in resource use and availability. A quota restricts how much of a Google Cloud resource your Google Cloud project can use. Quotas apply to a range of resource types, including hardware, software, and network components. For example, quotas can restrict the number of API calls to a service, the number of load balancers used concurrently by your project, or the number of projects that you can create. Quotas protect the community of Google Cloud users by preventing the overloading of services. Quotas also help you to manage your own Google Cloud resources.
The Cloud Quotas system does the following:
- Monitors your consumption of Google Cloud products and services
- Restricts your consumption of those resources
- Provides a way to request changes to the quota value and automate quota adjustments
In most cases, when you attempt to consume more of a resource than its quota allows, the system blocks access to the resource, and the task that you're trying to perform fails.
Quotas generally apply at the Google Cloud project level. Your use of a resource in one project doesn't affect your available quota in another project. Within a Google Cloud project, quotas are shared across all applications and IP addresses.
Many services also have system limits. System limits are fixed constraints, such as maximum file sizes or database schema limitations, which cannot be increased or decreased.
To learn about the quotas and system limits for a product, see the product's quotas and limits page—for example, Cloud Storage quotas and limits.
The following links provide additional information related to resource usage:
For resource pricing, see the product's pricing page—for example, Cloud Storage pricing.
For other API usage metrics, see Monitoring API usage.
To generate a cost estimate based on your projected usage, use the pricing calculator.
If you are a new Google Cloud user, you might be eligible for a Free Trial.
Types of quotas
Google Cloud has three types of quotas:
Allocation quotas: Allocation quotas restrict how much of a resource Google Cloud allocates to you. For example, Compute Engine applies an allocation quota to the number of VMs allocated for a Google Cloud project.
Rate quotas: Rate quotas restrict the rate at which you can consume a resource. Rate quotas specify a time period, and the amount of the resource that you are permitted to consume over that time period.
Concurrent quotas: Concurrent quotas restrict the number of operations that run concurrently. Concurrent quotas usually apply to long-running operations. For example, some Compute Engine
insertoperations can run for as long as one hour and are limited by a concurrent quota.
Quotas and the Google Cloud hierarchy
Most quotas apply to one of the following levels of the Google Cloud hierarchy:
Project-level quotas: Project-level quotas restrict your resource usage within a Google Cloud project. Using the resource in one project doesn't affect your available quota in another project.
Folder-level quotas: Folder-level quotas restrict your resource usage within a Google Cloud folder. Child folders and projects contribute to your quota usage. Folders and projects outside of your folder don't affect your available quota.
Organization-level quotas: Organization-level quotas restrict your resource usage within a Google Cloud organization. Child folders and projects contribute to your quota usage. Resource usage outside of your organization doesn't affect your available quota.
For example, the Compute Engine API has a project-level quota for the number of queries you can make per minute. If one project reaches the quota value in less than a minute, the project cannot make any more queries. Other projects can continue to make queries.
Some quotas apply at the user level. For example, the number of Google Cloud projects you can create is limited by a quota applied at the level of the user or service account.
To identify the Google Cloud hierarchy level of the quotas for your product, see the product's quotas and limits page—for example, Cloud Storage quotas and limits.
Regions and zones
Quotas are global, regional, or zonal:
- Global: Global quotas restrict resource usage across all regions and zones. Resource usage in one region or zone reduces quota availability for all regions and zones.
- Regional: Regional quotas restrict resource usage in a Google Cloud region. Resource use in any zone in the region contributes to regional quota use. Resource usage in one region doesn't affect available quota in another region.
- Zonal: Zonal quotas restrict resource usage in a Google Cloud zone. Resource usage in one zone doesn't affect available zonal quota in another zone. If the resource is also subject to a regional quota, usage in one zone affects available quota in other zones by reducing the regional quota shared across zones, even though the zonal quota for other zones is unaffected.
Some resources have multiple location-based quotas. For example, a resource might have both a regional quota and a zonal quota. The zonal quota restricts the amount of use in each zone. The regional quota restricts the total use across all zones in a given region. To find out whether a quota is regional, zonal, or global, follow the instructions to view dimensions.
Regions and zones are examples of quota dimensions. For more information about working with dimensions, see Configure dimensions.
Manage quota
The amount of a shared resource you can use is specific to your project and organization. For example, you might request an adjustment to the value of a quota in one project, but continue to use the default value in another project. If you're using a free trial account, you might have lower quota values for some resources compared to a billed account. When you enable billing for your project, the quota values increase for most services.
Some quotas are configurable, and you can use as much of that resource as your budget allows. However, some system limits cannot be increased from their default values. For example, where higher usage is counterproductive or where resources are very limited. These limitations are typically documented in the relevant Quotas and system limits page for that service, for example, the rate limits documentation for Cloud Run functions.
Outside of these extreme cases, shared resources are set to a default value that should be sufficient for most projects. However, if your project needs more of a particular resource than your current values allow, you can set a quota preference for a higher value, or if you want to restrict (or cap) a resource, you can set a quota preference for a lower value. To request more quota, see Requesting a higher quota value.
When you run out of quota
Usually, if you run out of quota the task that you're trying to perform fails and you get a quota error. Tasks that throw this error might include deploying an application, creating a new project, or calling an API. Subsequently, the task continues to fail until you free up resources (for allocation quota), the time period resets (for rate quota), or you're granted a quota increase.
How the quota error appears depends on the tool or client that you use to interact with Google Cloud. You can see details of quota errors in Quota errors.
To avoid quota errors, try the following:
- Use the quota adjuster to automatically create quota increase requests before you exceed quota.
- Create an alert when you are nearing your maximum quota value. For more information, see Set up quota alerts.
About quota adjustments
Most quota adjustment requests are evaluated by automated systems. Their decision is based on criteria including the availability of resources, the length of time you've used Google Cloud, and other factors. Requests that don't meet the criteria are denied.
Evaluation criteria for automated reviews is not disclosed to ensure fairness for all customers and prevent attempts to manipulate the process. Sometimes quota adjustment requests are escalated to human reviewers, who also follow criteria, but can consider your unique circumstances.
For quota adjustment requests that increase your quota value, you might be asked to pay in advance. For example, you might be asked to make a payment if you request more projects that will use paid Google Cloud services. The payment can be applied to any charges you incur in the future and will be visible as a credit in your account.
To learn how to request a quota adjustment, see Request a quota adjustment. You don't need to have a paid Customer Care service to request a quota adjustment.