Feeling a bit overwhelmed by your Google Cloud project and looking to rein in some services? Perhaps you've been experimenting with Vertex AI, Google Cloud's powerful machine learning platform, and now you want to disable its API. Whatever your reasons, understanding how to properly disable APIs in Google Cloud is crucial for managing costs, security, and project resources.
This comprehensive guide will walk you through the process of disabling the Vertex AI API in the Google Cloud Console, along with important considerations and frequently asked questions. Let's dive in!
A Step-by-Step Guide to Disabling the Vertex AI API
Disabling a Google Cloud API is a straightforward process, but it's essential to follow the steps carefully to avoid unintended consequences.
How To Disable Vertex Ai Api |
Step 1: Let's start by understanding why you might want to disable the Vertex AI API.
Before we jump into the technical steps, take a moment to consider your motivations. Are you looking to:
Reduce costs? Even if you're not actively using an API, some services might still incur charges, especially if resources provisioned by the API are still running (e.g., deployed models, storage). Disabling the API can help prevent new API calls, but you'll need to ensure associated resources are also removed.
Improve security? Limiting the number of enabled APIs reduces your project's attack surface. If an API is not in use, disabling it is a good security practice.
Clean up your project? Over time, projects can accumulate many enabled APIs. Disabling unused ones helps keep your project organized and manageable.
Troubleshoot an issue? Sometimes, temporarily disabling an API can help diagnose problems with your application or project.
Understanding your "why" will guide your actions and help you ensure you take all necessary follow-up steps.
Step 2: Navigate to the Google Cloud Console
This is where all the magic happens!
QuickTip: Every section builds on the last.
Sign in to the Google Cloud Console: Open your web browser and go to
.console.cloud.google.com Select your Project: In the top bar, ensure you have selected the correct Google Cloud Project where the Vertex AI API is enabled. Mistakes here can lead to disabling the API in the wrong project, which could have unexpected consequences for other applications. If you have multiple projects, use the project selector dropdown to choose the relevant one.
Step 3: Access the APIs & Services Dashboard
Once you're in your project, you need to find the central hub for managing APIs.
Open the Navigation Menu: Click the Navigation menu (three horizontal lines) in the top-left corner of the Google Cloud Console.
Locate "APIs & Services": Scroll down or use the search bar within the navigation menu to find and click on "APIs & Services". This will take you to the API Dashboard.
Step 4: Find the Vertex AI API
Now, let's locate the specific API you wish to disable.
Go to the "Enabled APIs & Services" Page: On the APIs & Services Dashboard, you will see a list of all APIs currently enabled for your selected project.
Search for "Vertex AI API": In the search bar provided, type "Vertex AI API" (or simply "Vertex AI") and press Enter. This will filter the list and show you the relevant API.
You might see multiple Vertex AI-related APIs. The primary one is typically just named "Vertex AI API". If you have enabled specific sub-services like "Vertex AI Workbench API" or "Vertex AI Search API," you may need to disable those individually if your goal is a complete shutdown of all Vertex AI functionalities.
Step 5: Disable the Vertex AI API
This is the crucial step where you perform the disable action.
Click on the "Vertex AI API": From the filtered list, click on the "Vertex AI API" entry to open its details page.
Locate the "Disable API" Button: On the Vertex AI API details page, you will see an "API Enabled" status and a "DISABLE API" button.
Confirm Disabling: Click the "DISABLE API" button. A confirmation dialog box will appear, asking you to confirm your decision. Read this warning carefully! It will often inform you about the potential impact of disabling the API, such as interrupting services that rely on it.
Type "DISABLE" to Confirm (if prompted): For critical APIs like Vertex AI, Google Cloud often requires you to type the word "DISABLE" into a text field to explicitly confirm that you understand the implications. Do this, and then click the final "DISABLE" button.
The API will then begin the disabling process. This might take a few moments. You will usually see a notification confirming the API has been disabled.
Step 6: Verify and Manage Related Resources (Crucial!)
QuickTip: Read with curiosity — ask ‘why’ often.
Disabling the API primarily stops new API calls and prevents new resources from being provisioned via that API. However, it does not automatically delete existing resources that were created while the API was enabled.
This is a very important step, especially for cost management and data retention.
Check for Deployed Models and Endpoints: If you had any models deployed to Vertex AI endpoints, these will likely continue to incur costs even after disabling the API. You need to manually undeploy or delete them.
Navigate back to the Vertex AI section in the Google Cloud Console (via the Navigation menu > Vertex AI).
Check for "Models," "Endpoints," "Notebooks," "Datasets," and any other related resources.
Undeploy/Delete: Carefully review and delete any resources you no longer need. For example, if you have deployed a model to an endpoint, you will typically need to undeploy it first, and then delete the model.
Review Billing: Go to the Billing section of your Google Cloud Console to monitor your charges and ensure that costs related to Vertex AI are indeed decreasing or stopping as expected. It might take some time for billing updates to reflect the changes.
Clean Up Storage Buckets: Vertex AI often uses Cloud Storage buckets for datasets, model artifacts, and training outputs. Disabling the API does not delete these buckets or their contents.
Go to the Cloud Storage section in the Google Cloud Console.
Identify and delete any buckets or objects that were associated with your Vertex AI workloads and are no longer needed. Be extremely careful here not to delete any critical data!
Important Considerations When Disabling Vertex AI API
Impact on Dependent Applications: Any applications, services, or scripts that rely on the Vertex AI API for their functionality will immediately cease to work once the API is disabled. Ensure you communicate this change to all relevant stakeholders.
Data Retention: As mentioned, disabling the API does not delete your data or resources. If you want to permanently remove data, you must do so manually.
Re-enabling the API: You can re-enable the Vertex AI API at any time. However, any resources you manually deleted will not be restored. You would need to recreate them if you decide to use Vertex AI again in the future.
Permissions: You need appropriate Identity and Access Management (IAM) permissions to disable APIs in a Google Cloud project. Typically, roles like "Project Editor" or "Owner" will have the necessary permissions. If you don't, you'll need to ask your Google Cloud administrator.
Pending Charges: You will still be charged for any billable API use that occurred before disabling the API, and for any lingering resources (like deployed models or storage) that you have not manually deleted.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How to check if Vertex AI API is enabled?
To check if Vertex AI API is enabled, navigate to the Google Cloud Console, select your project, go to "APIs & Services" from the navigation menu, and then click on "Enabled APIs & Services". You can then search for "Vertex AI API" in the list.
How to determine which applications use the Vertex AI API?
Tip: The details are worth a second look.
To determine which applications use the Vertex AI API, you can review your project's codebases, deployment configurations, and service accounts. Google Cloud Logging and Monitoring can also provide insights into API call origins.
How to disable Vertex AI API using gcloud CLI?
To disable Vertex AI API using the gcloud CLI, open your terminal and run the command: gcloud services disable aiplatform.googleapis.com --project YOUR_PROJECT_ID
. Replace YOUR_PROJECT_ID
with your actual project ID.
How to ensure no further charges after disabling Vertex AI API?
To ensure no further charges after disabling Vertex AI API, you must also manually delete or undeploy any existing Vertex AI resources like deployed models, endpoints, datasets, and associated Cloud Storage buckets, as disabling the API only stops new API calls, not charges for existing resources.
How to re-enable Vertex AI API after disabling it?
To re-enable Vertex AI API after disabling it, go to "APIs & Services" > "Enabled APIs & Services" in the Google Cloud Console, search for "Vertex AI API," and then click the "ENABLE" button on its details page.
QuickTip: Save your favorite part of this post.
How to find all resources associated with Vertex AI in my project?
To find all resources associated with Vertex AI in your project, go to the "Vertex AI" section in the Google Cloud Console's navigation menu. From there, explore sub-sections like "Models," "Endpoints," "Datasets," "Notebooks," and "Training" to see all related resources.
How to get help if I encounter issues disabling the API?
To get help if you encounter issues disabling the API, you can refer to the official Google Cloud documentation, search the Google Cloud Community forums, or contact Google Cloud Support if you have a support plan.
How to view billing for Vertex AI services?
To view billing for Vertex AI services, navigate to the "Billing" section in your Google Cloud Console. From there, you can view detailed reports and breakdowns of your costs by service.
How to prevent accidental re-enabling of Vertex AI API?
To prevent accidental re-enabling of Vertex AI API, ensure proper IAM permissions are in place, limiting who can enable/disable APIs in your project. Regular audits of enabled APIs are also recommended.
How to know the impact of disabling a specific Vertex AI sub-service (e.g., AutoML Tables API)?
To know the impact of disabling a specific Vertex AI sub-service like AutoML Tables API, review the documentation for that specific service. Generally, it will cease functionality for any applications or workflows relying on that particular sub-service.
This page may contain affiliate links — we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
💡 Breath fresh Air with this Air Purifier with washable filter.