Using the API catalogue.
WHAT THE CATALOGUE CONTAINS
Hundreds of APIs: Maps, Drive, Calendar, Gmail, translation, vision, and many more.
WHAT TO DO BEFORE USING ONE
Enable it, on the specific project.
WHY THAT TRIPS PEOPLE
Calls fail with a permission error that actually means the API is not enabled.
WHAT CREDENTIALS EXIST
API keys, identifying the project Client identifiers, for user authorisation Service accounts, for application identity
WHAT AN API KEY DOES
Identifies the calling project for billing and quota.
WHAT IT DOES NOT DO
Authorise access to user data.
WHY THAT MATTERS
A key is not a secret in the usual sense, but an unrestricted key can be used by anyone who finds it, at your cost.
WHAT TO ALWAYS APPLY
Restrictions: which APIs the key may call, and from where.
WHAT TO RESTRICT BY
Referring website, for browser keys Address range or application identity, for server and mobile keys
WHAT TO MONITOR
Usage and quota consumption.
WHAT TO SET
Quotas, limiting damage from a runaway loop.
