Google Cloud CLI Cache
Google Cloud CLI stores per-command log files and a local cache of API discovery documents, auth-related metadata, and other fetched responses under its gcloud configuration directory to avoid re-downloading the same data on every command. Over time those logs accumulate and cached API descriptions can become stale after SDK component updates, API changes, or interrupted requests, leading to confusing command behavior. Kudu removes the gcloud logs directory and cached API data while leaving configured accounts, credentials, active project settings, and other user configuration untouched.
Why clean Google Cloud CLI Cache?
- Stale cached API discovery documents can make gcloud reject valid flags or resource fields after a service update, showing unexpected 'unrecognized arguments' or schema-related errors until fresh metadata is fetched
- A partially written cache entry from an interrupted command or network drop can cause repeated parsing failures, where the same gcloud command errors immediately instead of retrying cleanly
- Old cached responses can make listings and describe commands appear inconsistent with the current cloud state, so newly added features or properties do not show up until the cache is rebuilt
- Large accumulated log directories make it harder to find the current failure you are troubleshooting, with debug output buried under months of old command logs
- Verbose and debug sessions can leave many sizable log files behind, causing the gcloud config folder to grow unexpectedly and consume disk space on developer workstations and CI runners
- After upgrading Cloud SDK components, leftover cache data from the previous command surface can lead to odd one-off failures or warnings on first use, while clearing it forces gcloud to download fresh command metadata
- Removing stale logs and cached API data can resolve cases where commands feel stuck in a bad local state, with repeated errors disappearing once gcloud rebuilds its cache from the live service
Cache paths Kudu targets
Windows
%AppData%/gcloud/logs |
%AppData%/gcloud/cache |
macOS
~/.config/gcloud/logs |
~/.config/gcloud/cache |
Linux
~/.config/gcloud/logs |
~/.config/gcloud/cache |
Common questions about Google Cloud CLI Cache
Download Kudu and reclaim your disk space.
Available on Windows, macOS, and Linux. No account required, no feature gates, no telemetry without consent. All cleaning targets are open source and community-auditable.