Overview of Firebase-related service accounts

Firebase uses service accounts to operate and manage services without sharing user credentials. When you create a Firebase project or add Firebase to an existing Google Cloud project, you might notice that a couple service accounts are already available in your Firebase project.

You might also notice that new service accounts are added to your Firebase project when you start using services or perform certain actions (for example, linking a Firebase product to BigQuery). Some of these service accounts are added directly by Firebase; others are added by the Google Cloud project associated with your Firebase project.

You can view all service accounts for your project in the Service accounts tab of your > Project Settings in the Firebase console.

Here is the list of Firebase-related service accounts:

Service account name Account usage When account is added to project
service-PROJECT_NUMBER@gcp-sa-firebase.iam.gserviceaccount.com To manage and link Firebase services to Google Cloud projects (required for all Firebase projects)

Added at the time of creating a Firebase project / adding Firebase services to an existing Google Cloud project

firebase-adminsdk-random5char@PROJECT_ID.iam.gserviceaccount.com To provide credentials for the Firebase Admin SDK

Added at the time of creating a Firebase project / adding Firebase services to an existing Google Cloud project

firebase-app-hosting-compute@PROJECT ID.iam.gserviceaccount.com

To build, run, and monitor your app. It also has permission to authenticate the Admin SDK with Application Default Credentials, for performing operations like loading data from Cloud Firestore.

Learn more about this service account.

Added at the time of enabling Firebase App Hosting

service-PROJECT_NUMBER@gcf-admin-robot.iam.gserviceaccount.com To operate Cloud Functions for Firebase

(as of 2020) Added at the time of enabling the Cloud Functions API in the project

(legacy) Added at the time of creating a Firebase project / adding Firebase services to an existing Google Cloud project

Might have already existed for some Google Cloud projects before adding Firebase to the project.

service-PROJECT_NUMBER@firebase-rules.iam.gserviceaccount.com To manage access via Firebase Security Rules for Cloud Firestore

(as of 2021) Added at the time of provisioning the project's first Cloud Firestore instance

(legacy) Added at the time of creating a Firebase project / adding Firebase services to an existing Google Cloud project

PROJECT_ID@appspot.gserviceaccount.com To manage resources associated with App Engine:
  • default Cloud Firestore instance
  • default .appspot Cloud Storage for Firebase bucket
  • Cloud Functions for Firebase (1st gen scheduled functions)

(as of 2021) Added at the time of provisioning the project's App Engine app

(legacy) Added at the time of creating a Firebase project / adding Firebase services to an existing Google Cloud project

Might have already existed for some Google Cloud projects before adding Firebase to the project.

service-PROJECT_NUMBER@gcp-sa-firebasestorage.iam.gserviceaccount.com To manage Cloud Storage for Firebase buckets

Added at the time of provisioning the project's first Cloud Storage for Firebase bucket / importing an existing Cloud Storage bucket into Firebase

In 2022, this service account was added to all existing projects that had a Cloud Storage for Firebase bucket. See the FAQ.

firebase-measurement@system.gserviceaccount.com To export Google Analytics data to BigQuery Added at the time of linking any Firebase product to BigQuery
crashlytics-exporter@crashlytics-bigquery-prod.iam.gserviceaccount.com To export Firebase Crashlytics data to BigQuery Added at the time of linking any Firebase product to BigQuery
exporter@fcm-bq-export-prod.iam.gserviceaccount.com To export Firebase Cloud Messaging data to BigQuery Added at the time of linking any Firebase product to BigQuery
exporter@performance-bq-export-prod.iam.gserviceaccount.com To export Firebase Performance Monitoring data to BigQuery Added at the time of linking any Firebase product to BigQuery
service-PROJECT_NUMBER@gcp-sa-bigquerydatatransfer.iam.gserviceaccount.com To import data into BigQuery from any Firebase product (that is, Google Analytics, Crashlytics, Cloud Messaging, and Performance Monitoring) Added at the time of linking any Firebase product to BigQuery
ext-EXTENSION_INSTANCE_ID@PROJECT_ID.iam.gserviceaccount.com To manage installation of and to run a Firebase extension

Added at the time of installing an extension (each extension instance has its own service account)

Deprecated service accounts

(deprecated)
PROJECT_NUMBER@cloudservices.gserviceaccount.com

(deprecated)
To use Google APIs

(deprecated) No longer added to Firebase projects.

Added at the time of creating a Firebase project / adding Firebase services to an existing Google Cloud project

Might have already existed for some Google Cloud projects before adding Firebase to the project.

(deprecated)
firebase-service-account@firebase-sa-management.iam.gserviceaccount.com
(deprecated)
To manage and link Firebase services to Google Cloud projects

(deprecated) No longer added to Firebase projects.

Added at the time of creating a Firebase project / adding Firebase services to an existing Google Cloud project

(deprecated)
firebase-storage@system.gserviceaccount.com
(deprecated)
To manage Cloud Storage for Firebase buckets

(deprecated) No longer added to Firebase projects.

Added at the time of creating a Firebase project / adding Firebase services to an existing Google Cloud project

As of 2022, the firebase-storage@ service account is no longer added to new projects. See the FAQ.

(deprecated)
firebase-crashreporting-random4char@PROJECT_ID.iam.gserviceaccount.com
(deprecated)
To upload crash symbols to Firebase Crash Reporting

(deprecated) No longer added to Firebase projects.

Added at the time of creating a Firebase project / adding Firebase services to an existing Google Cloud project