This page shows you how to get started with the Cloud Natural Language API using the Google Cloud SDK.

To follow step-by-step guidance for this task directly in the Google Cloud console, click Guide me:

Guide me

Before you begin

Sign in to your Google Account.

If you don't already have one, sign up for a new account.

Install the Google Cloud CLI.

If you're using an external identity provider (IdP), you must first sign in to the gcloud CLI with your federated identity.

To initialize the gcloud CLI, run the following command:

gcloud init

Create or select a Google Cloud project.

Roles required to select or create a project

• Select a project: Selecting a project doesn't require a specific IAM role—you can select any project that you've been granted a role on.
• Create a project: To create a project, you need the Project Creator role (roles/resourcemanager.projectCreator), which contains the resourcemanager.projects.create permission. Learn how to grant roles.

• Create a Google Cloud project:

  gcloud projects create PROJECT_ID

  Replace PROJECT_ID with a name for the Google Cloud project you are creating.

• Select the Google Cloud project that you created:

  gcloud config set project PROJECT_ID

  Replace PROJECT_ID with your Google Cloud project name.

Verify that billing is enabled for your Google Cloud project.

Enable the Cloud Natural Language API, if it is not already enabled:

Roles required to enable APIs

To enable APIs, you need the serviceusage.services.enable permission. If you created the project, then you likely already have this permission through the Owner role (roles/owner). Otherwise, you can get this permission through the Service Usage Admin role (roles/serviceusage.serviceUsageAdmin). Learn how to grant roles.

gcloud services enable language.googleapis.com

Install the Google Cloud CLI.

If you're using an external identity provider (IdP), you must first sign in to the gcloud CLI with your federated identity.

To initialize the gcloud CLI, run the following command:

gcloud init

Create or select a Google Cloud project.

Roles required to select or create a project

• Select a project: Selecting a project doesn't require a specific IAM role—you can select any project that you've been granted a role on.
• Create a project: To create a project, you need the Project Creator role (roles/resourcemanager.projectCreator), which contains the resourcemanager.projects.create permission. Learn how to grant roles.

• Create a Google Cloud project:

  gcloud projects create PROJECT_ID

  Replace PROJECT_ID with a name for the Google Cloud project you are creating.

• Select the Google Cloud project that you created:

  gcloud config set project PROJECT_ID

  Replace PROJECT_ID with your Google Cloud project name.

Verify that billing is enabled for your Google Cloud project.

Enable the Cloud Natural Language API, if it is not already enabled:

Roles required to enable APIs

To enable APIs, you need the serviceusage.services.enable permission. If you created the project, then you likely already have this permission through the Owner role (roles/owner). Otherwise, you can get this permission through the Service Usage Admin role (roles/serviceusage.serviceUsageAdmin). Learn how to grant roles.

gcloud services enable language.googleapis.com

Make an entity analysis request

gcloud ml language analyze-entities --content="Michelangelo Caravaggio, Italian painter, is known for 'The Calling of Saint Matthew'."

curl -X POST \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer "$(gcloud auth application-default print-access-token) \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json; charset=utf-8" \
 "https://language.googleapis.com/v1/documents:analyzeEntities" \
  --data "{
  'document':{
    'type':'PLAIN_TEXT',
    'content':'Michelangelo Caravaggio, Italian painter, is known for
              \'The Calling of Saint Matthew\'.'
  },
  'encodingType':'UTF8'
}"

You should see a response similar to the following:

{
  "entities": [
    {
      "name": "Michelangelo Caravaggio",
      "type": "PERSON",
      "metadata": {
        "wikipedia_url": "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caravaggio",
        "mid": "/m/020bg"
      },
      "salience": 0.83047235,
      "mentions": [
        {
          "text": {
            "content": "Michelangelo Caravaggio",
            "beginOffset": 0
          },
          "type": "PROPER"
        },
        {
          "text": {
            "content": "painter",
            "beginOffset": 33
          },
          "type": "COMMON"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "name": "Italian",
      "type": "LOCATION",
      "metadata": {
        "mid": "/m/03rjj",
        "wikipedia_url": "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italy"
      },
      "salience": 0.13870546,
      "mentions": [
        {
          "text": {
            "content": "Italian",
            "beginOffset": 25
          },
          "type": "PROPER"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "name": "The Calling of Saint Matthew",
      "type": "EVENT",
      "metadata": {
        "mid": "/m/085_p7",
        "wikipedia_url": "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Calling_of_St_Matthew_(Caravaggio)"
      },
      "salience": 0.030822212,
      "mentions": [
        {
          "text": {
            "content": "The Calling of Saint Matthew",
            "beginOffset": 69
          },
          "type": "PROPER"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "language": "en"
}

Clean up

1. In the Google Cloud console, go to the Manage resources page.

   Go to Manage resources

2. In the project list, select the project that you want to delete, and then click Delete.
3. In the dialog, type the project ID, and then click Shut down to delete the project.

What's next

• Get started with the Natural Language API in your language of choice by using a Cloud Natural Language Client Library.

• Consult the Natural Language Basics for conceptual information on forming Natural Language API requests and handling responses.

• Try the Sentiment Analysis Tutorial and browse the Sample Applications.