What is a service account, and how do I create it?

A service account is a special type of Google account that belongs to your application or a virtual machine (VM) instead of an individual end user. Service accounts are used to securely and predictably perform automated tasks, such as accessing APIs or running scripts.

To create a service account in Google Cloud Platform (GCP), follow these steps:

• Go to the GCP Console: Log in to the GCP Console using your Google account.
• Navigate to the project: Select the project where you want to create the service account.
• Open the IAM & Admin page: Click on the hamburger menu at the top-left corner and select "IAM & Admin" from the dropdown menu.
• Click on "Service accounts": In the IAM & Admin page, select "Service accounts" from the menu on the left.
• Create a new service account: Click on the "Create Service Account" button to create a new service account.
• Name the service account: Enter a name for the service account, such as "my-app-service-account".
• Add a description: Provide a brief description of the service account's purpose.
• Grant role(s) to the service account: Choose the roles you want to grant to the service account. You can grant the roles of Project Editor, Project Viewer, or others, depending on the service account's use case.
• Create the service account: Click on the "Create" button to create the service account.
• Download the private key: After creating the service account, you will be prompted to download the private key in JSON format. This key is used to authenticate the service account in your application or scripts.

The exact steps may vary depending on the specific platform you are using.