Apps
Google Cloud CLI Cache
Google Cloud CLI stores command logs and cached API response data under its gcloud configuration directory to speed up repeated operations and preserve request history for diagnostics. Those files can include HTTP discovery document caches, credentialed API metadata, and rotating log files from commands like gcloud auth, compute, and config operations. Kudu removes the cached API data and accumulated log files without touching your projects, credentials, active account configuration, or saved settings.
Why clean Google Cloud CLI Cache?
- Stale cached discovery documents or API metadata can make newer flags or resource fields appear unsupported, with gcloud commands returning unexpected argument or schema errors until fresh metadata is fetched
- Old cached API responses can cause the CLI to show outdated project, instance, or configuration details, so you see resources missing or old values even though the cloud console shows current data
- Large gcloud log directories grow from repeated auth, deploy, and compute commands, wasting disk space and leaving behind verbose request traces that are no longer useful
- Corrupted cache files can trigger inconsistent command behavior such as retries, parsing failures, or commands that work only after rerunning because the CLI has to rebuild local metadata
- After Google Cloud service changes, cached endpoint or discovery data may no longer match live APIs, leading to confusing 404, invalid field, or unrecognized resource errors during otherwise valid commands
- Long-lived cache and log folders can slow troubleshooting because current command output gets buried under old runs, making it harder to spot the latest auth failure or API error in the logs
What gets cleaned
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 |
Frequently asked
Common questions about Google Cloud CLI Cache
Related cleaners
Free & open source
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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.