Use the gcloud compute firewall-rules list command to view, manage, and audit firewall rules in GCP. Our Google Cloud Team is always here to help you.

How to Use gcloud compute firewall-rules list

When working with Google Cloud Platform (GCP), managing firewall rules is essential to secure your network and control traffic flow.

If you’re troubleshooting access issues or auditing configurations, the gcloud compute firewall-rules list command is your go-to solution for inspecting firewall rules efficiently. Updating project SSH metadata failed gcloud.

Let’s dive straight into how this command works and how you can use it to manage your GCP environment with confidence.

What Does gcloud compute firewall-rules list Do?

This command allows you to view all the configured firewall policies tied to your Google Cloud project, giving you a clear overview of network security rules in place. Firewall rules are crucial in GCP because, by default, all incoming traffic, even from other VM instances, is blocked unless explicitly allowed.

In the default network, GCP automatically creates a set of default rules, like allowing internal communication between instances and basic SSH access. However, if you create a custom network, you’ll have to manually define every necessary rule.

Why Listing Firewall Rules Matters

Here are a few situations where this command becomes indispensable:

• You’re troubleshooting access problems to a VM.
• You’re auditing firewall configurations during a security review.
• You’re scripting automation and need exact rule references (like URIs).
• You’re working in environments with custom VPCs and no default rules.

Essential Use Cases

1. List All Firewall Rules in a Project

To get a simple overview of all firewall rules in your GCP project, run: gcloud

gcloud beta compute firewall-rules list

This provides a clear table output, making it easy to identify rule names, directions, and priorities at a glance.

2. List the URIs of All Firewall Rules

If you’re scripting or need precise identifiers, URIs can be useful:

gcloud beta compute firewall-rules list --uri

This output just the Uniform Resource Identifiers (URIs) for each rule.

3. List All Firewall Rule Fields

To view every detail of your firewall rules in one place, including IP ranges, allowed or denied protocols, tags, and service accounts, use the following format flag:

gcloud compute firewall-rules list --format="table(

name,

network,

direction,

priority,

sourceRanges.list():label=SRC_RANGES,

destinationRanges.list():label=DEST_RANGES,

allowed[].map().firewall_rule().list():label=ALLOW,

denied[].map().firewall_rule().list():label=DENY,

sourceTags.list():label=SRC_TAGS,

sourceServiceAccounts.list():label=SRC_SVC_ACCT,

targetTags.list():label=TARGET_TAGS,

targetServiceAccounts.list():label=TARGET_SVC_ACCT,

disabled

)"

This is particularly useful for administrators and security teams who need to audit all details at once.

Important Notes

• Custom Networks: Unlike the default network, custom networks do not include any predefined ingress rules (aside from a default rule allowing all egress traffic).
• For More Detailed Info: If you need specific data on one rule:

gcloud compute firewall-rules describe [RULE_NAME]

[If needed, Our team is available 24/7 for additional assistance.]

Conclusion

The gcloud compute firewall-rules list command is a vital part of managing GCP firewall configurations. Be it a quick review or a full-scale audit, this command helps you stay in control without sifting through the Cloud Console UI. Use it often to keep your cloud environment secure and transparent.