> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://notes.kodekloud.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Connecting to GKE cluster using Cloud shell > This article provides a guide to connect to a GKE cluster using Cloud Shell, authenticate, verify connectivity, and explore workloads. Welcome to this step-by-step guide on establishing a secure connection to your Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE) cluster via Google Cloud Shell. You’ll learn how to authenticate your session, verify connectivity with `kubectl`, and explore workloads directly in the Google Cloud Console. ## 1. Retrieve Cluster Credentials 1. Open the [GKE Clusters](https://console.cloud.google.com/kubernetes/list) page in the Google Cloud Console. 2. Click your cluster name. 3. Select **Connect**, then choose **Run in Cloud Shell**. Cloud Shell will launch at the bottom of your browser with the following command pre-filled: ```bash theme={null} gcloud container clusters get-credentials gcp-devops-project \ --region us-central1 \ --project flowing-castle-374710 ``` Press **Enter**, then **Authorize** when prompted. This updates your local kubeconfig so that `kubectl` can interact with your GKE cluster. You need to run this `gcloud container clusters get-credentials` command each time you start a new Cloud Shell session, as kubeconfig configurations aren’t persisted across sessions. ## 2. Verify Connection with kubectl After retrieving credentials, confirm your connection and inspect system components: | kubectl Command | Description | | --------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------- | | `kubectl get namespaces` | List all namespaces in the cluster | | `kubectl get pods -n kube-system` | List all pods in the **kube-system** namespace | Run: ```bash theme={null} # List namespaces kubectl get namespaces # List pods in kube-system kubectl get pods -n kube-system ``` Example output: ```bash theme={null} $ kubectl get pods -n kube-system NAME READY STATUS RESTARTS AGE filestore-node-7havk 3/3 Running 0 9m56s filestore-node-hzc64 0/0 ---- 0 9m56s fluentbit-gce-small-4n47s 0/0 ---- 0 9m56s kube-api-access-tnhmb 0/0 ---- 0 9m56s gke-metadata-server-6srb6 1/1 Running 0 9m56s gke-metrics-agent-tmb8p 1/1 Running 0 9m56s ip-attach-agent-4kjdz 0/0 ---- 0 9m56s konnectivity-agent-8t894 1/1 Running 0 9m56s kube-dns-648f67d9c4-kz6h6 1/1 Running 0 10m kube-dns-648f67d9c4-6rxnl 1/1 Running 0 10m metrics-server-6d49bb6c5-7xjg 1/1 Running 0 10m metadefender 0/0 ---- 0 9m56s metra-8cfb5dff73-9c8g 1/1 Running 0 9m55s node-local-dns-9v4vd 2/2 Running 0 9m56s ``` ## 3. View Workloads in Google Cloud Console Inspect workloads and system metrics without leaving the Console: 1. Close the Cloud Shell terminal window. 2. In the left-hand navigation, click **Workloads**. 3. Toggle **Show system workloads**. 4. Filter by **kube-system** to view system pods. ![The image shows a Google Cloud Kubernetes Engine dashboard displaying a list of workloads with their status, type, pods, namespace, and cluster information.](https://kodekloud.com/kk-media/image/upload/v1752875419/notes-assets/images/GCP-DevOps-Project-Connecting-to-GKE-cluster-using-Cloud-shell/google-cloud-kubernetes-dashboard-workloads.jpg) To see per-pod resource metrics: * Use the namespace filter to select one or more namespaces. * Examine CPU and memory usage, restarts, and error logs in the metrics panel. ![The image shows a Google Cloud Kubernetes Engine dashboard displaying metrics for workloads, including CPU and memory usage, container restarts, and error logs.](https://kodekloud.com/kk-media/image/upload/v1752875421/notes-assets/images/GCP-DevOps-Project-Connecting-to-GKE-cluster-using-Cloud-shell/google-cloud-kubernetes-dashboard-metrics.jpg) *** You’ve successfully connected to your GKE cluster via Cloud Shell, executed essential `kubectl` commands, and explored workloads in the GCP Console. Next, we’ll guide you through deploying applications to your cluster. ## References * [Google Kubernetes Engine Documentation](https://cloud.google.com/kubernetes-engine/docs) * [kubectl Cheat Sheet](https://kubernetes.io/docs/reference/kubectl/cheatsheet/) * [Google Cloud Shell Overview](https://cloud.google.com/shell/docs/)