Setting Up a Google Cloud Platform Organization (Without Google Workspace)

The Lean Startup Guide

If you use Zoho Mail or another third-party email provider for your business, setting up a Google Cloud Platform (GCP) Organization can feel like a trap. Google often pushes you toward a paid Workspace subscription.

This guide shows you how to establish a professional, managed GCP Organization for your LLP or startup using Cloud Identity Free.

Phase 1: The “Identity” Foundation

Before touching GCP, you need a Google Identity for your domain. This acts as the management layer.

1. Sign up for Cloud Identity Free

• The Link: Go to the Cloud Identity Free Signup.
• The “Admin” Account: Create a primary admin account like [email protected].
• Important: When asked for your Date of Birth, use your own (the founder’s) real birthdate. Do not use the company’s incorporation date; if the date is less than 18 years ago, Google will flag the account as a “minor” and lock you out.

2. Domain Verification (The Verify-Ownership Step)

Google needs to know you actually own yourdomain.com.

• Choose the TXT Record verification method.
• Log into Cloudflare (or your DNS provider), add the TXT record Google provides.
• Crucial: Once verified, do NOT follow any prompts to “Activate Gmail” or “Set up MX records.” Your MX records must stay pointed to Zoho so your email keeps working.

Phase 2: Professional User Management

Now you need to add your team members (like <Name>) so they can access GCP without using their personal @gmail.com accounts.

1. Unlock Free “Seats”

• Log into the Google Admin Console (admin.google.com).
• Go to Billing > Buy or Upgrade.
• Search for Cloud Identity Free and “buy” it (Price: ₹0). This gives you 50 free user licenses.
• Go to Billing > License settings and ensure Auto-assign is ON for Cloud Identity Free and OFF for any paid Workspace trials.

2. Creating Managed Users

• Go to Directory > Users > Add New User.
• Create an account for your partner (e.g., [email protected]).
• The Result: The user now has a “Google Identity.” The user can use this to log into the GCP Console, but the user will still receive their actual emails in their Zoho (or any Mail Provider configured) inbox.

Phase 3: The GCP Organization Setup

Now that your identity is ready, let’s “claim” your space in the cloud.

• Log into the GCP Console.
• Click the Project Picker (top bar). You should now see a dropdown for your Organization (yourdomain.com).
• Renaming: If it says something like admin-org, go back to the Google Admin Console under Account Settings > Profile and change the “Name” to your legal company name (e.g., MyCompany LLP). It may take a few hours to sync.

Phase 4: Billing & The India Prepayment

For users in India, GCP has a specific verification flow.

• Prepayment: You will likely be asked to make a one-time prepayment of ₹1000. This acts as a credit in your account.
• Setup: Go to Billing > Manage Billing Accounts and create a “Business” account.
• Tax Info: Enter your GST number and official company registered address to ensure your invoices are tax-compliant for your business filings.
• Refunds: If you ever close the account, this ₹1000 is refundable.

You now have a setup that grows with you — centralized, secure, and professional — but one that stays out of your way and respects your existing workflow. The heavy lifting is done. Now, you and your team have a clean slate to do what you actually set out to do: build something great. 🥃

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