# Google Vertex AI Models

Instructions for using language models hosted on Google Vertex AI with Spice.

`from: google:<model-id>` selects a Vertex AI language model. A model ID, GCP project, location, and Google Cloud credentials are required. Google AI Studio API keys are not supported.

| Parameter | Description | Default |
| - | - | - |
| `google_project` | Required. GCP project ID containing lowercase letters, digits, and hyphens. | - |
| `google_location` | Required. GCP region (for example `us-central1`) or `global`. | - |
| `google_service_account_path` | Path to a GCP service account JSON key file. | - |
| `google_service_account_key` | Service account JSON. Supports [secret replacement](https://spiceai.org/docs/components/secret-stores). | - |
| `google_application_default_credentials` | Application Default Credentials from the file specified by `GOOGLE_APPLICATION_CREDENTIALS`. | `false` |

Authentication requires exactly one of `google_service_account_path`, `google_service_account_key`, or `google_application_default_credentials: true`.

Example `spicepod.yml` configuration:

```yaml
models:
  - from: google:gemini-2.5-pro
    name: gemini
    params:
      google_project: my-gcp-project
      google_location: us-central1
      google_service_account_path: /etc/spice/gcp-service-account.json
```

`google_service_account_key: ${ secrets:GCP_SERVICE_ACCOUNT_KEY }` selects a secret instead of a file.

[Vertex AI Generative AI models](https://cloud.google.com/vertex-ai/generative-ai/docs/learn/models) lists model availability by project and region.

See [Large Language Models](https://spiceai.org/docs/features/large-language-models) for additional configuration options:

- [Tools](https://spiceai.org/docs/features/large-language-models/tools)
- [Memory](https://spiceai.org/docs/features/large-language-models/memory)
- [Parameter overrides](https://spiceai.org/docs/features/large-language-models/parameter_overrides)