- About this article
- In a nutshell
- Looking at Google through the lens of what you want to achieve
- Overall -> Components -> Users
- Distinguishing between "services" and "mechanisms" in the encyclopedia
- Concrete example: Wanting to automatically aggregate company schedules
- Different perspectives for different readers
- How should users familiar with Microsoft approach this?
- The number of articles in the encyclopedia differs from the "total official Google count"
- Principles for safe experimentation
- What kind of article is this, ultimately?
- Hands-on with Papanda: An encyclopedia for filtering Google services by "purpose"
- Official Google Resources
- What kind of service is this, ultimately?
About this article
About this article
This article was created using an automated generation workflow powered by generative AI. By reviewing official Google product catalogs and primary developer resources, it is organized as a starting point to understand Google's numerous products, services, APIs, and authentication foundations based on "what you want to achieve."Information verification date: 2026-09-18
Google's product names, availability, and links are subject to change. This article has verified official information as of the verification date above.
In a nutshell
Google is not merely a "list of search company apps," but rather:a massive group of services with numerous components tailored to specific purposes, such as searching for information, collaborating, using AI, building web services, analyzing data, running advertisements, embedding maps, and authenticating securely.Rather than memorizing individual product names, we will first create an overall map.
Looking at Google through the lens of what you want to achieve
| Main objective | Representative components | Primary users |
|---|---|---|
| Search for information | Search, Lens, News, Scholar, Trends | General / Business |
| Process text and information with AI | Gemini, NotebookLM, AI Studio | General / Business / Development |
| Collaborate at work | Gmail, Drive, Docs, Sheets, Meet, Calendar | General / Office / Administrators |
| Build web and enterprise systems | Cloud Run, Cloud SQL, Firebase, IAM | Developers / IT Administrators |
| Collect and analyze data | Analytics, BigQuery, Looker | Web Managers / Analysts / Developers |
| Improve websites | Search Console, Analytics, Tag Manager | Web Managers / Developers |
| Use map and location information | Maps, Places API, Routes API | General / Development |
| Use APIs securely | Cloud Project, OAuth, Service Account, IAM | Developers / IT Administrators |
Overall -> Components -> Users
flowchart TD GOAL[やりたいこと] --> W[共同作業] GOAL --> DEV[システムを作る] GOAL --> DATA[分析する] GOAL --> MAP[場所を扱う] GOAL --> AI[AIを使う] W --> WS[Google Workspace] DEV --> GC[Google Cloud / Firebase] DATA --> GA[Analytics / BigQuery / Looker] MAP --> GMP[Google Maps Platform] AI --> GEM[Gemini / AI Studio] GC --> AUTH[Cloud Project / IAM / OAuth] WS --> USER[一般利用者・事務職] GC --> ADMIN[IT管理者・開発者]
It is important to note here that things like Cloud Project and OAuth should not be considered the same type of "app" as Gmail. The former serve as foundations and mechanisms to run other services securely.
Distinguishing between "services" and "mechanisms" in the encyclopedia
| Type | Example | Meaning for beginners |
|---|---|---|
| PRODUCT | Gmail / Google Maps | Products used directly by people via a screen |
| SERVICE | BigQuery / Cloud Run | Components used to perform work in the cloud |
| PLATFORM | Google Cloud / Maps Platform | Foundations that bundle multiple components |
| API | Search Console API | An entry point for programs to use services instead of manual screen operations |
| IDENTITY | Service Account | An ID that identifies programs rather than people |
| PROTOCOL | OAuth 2.0 | A standard mechanism to grant permissions without handing over passwords |
| CONCEPT | Google Cloud Project | A management unit that groups APIs, permissions, billing, and more |
An APIis an interface that allows programs to access features and data, replacing manual screen operations.OAuth 2.0is a mechanism for granting permissions—such as "allow this app only to read calendar events"—without handing over the actual password to the app.
Concrete example: Wanting to automatically aggregate company schedules
Rather than just memorizing the name "Google Calendar API," looking at the processing flow helps clarify each role.
sequenceDiagram participant U as 担当者 participant A as 集計アプリ participant G as Google認証 participant C as Google Calendar API U->>A: 来週の予定を集計 A->>G: 必要な権限を要求 G-->>A: 許可された認証情報 A->>C: 予定を読み取り C-->>A: 予定データ A-->>U: CSVや一覧として表示
In this example, Calendar is the "component holding the schedule," the API is the "programmatic entry point," OAuth is the "mechanism for securely granting permissions," and the Cloud Project is the "management unit bundling API and authentication settings."
Different perspectives for different readers
General users and office workers
The focus is on products that directly advance work, such as Gmail, Drive, Docs, Sheets, and Meet. However, automating routine tasks quickly makes APIs and OAuth feel much closer to home.
IT administrators
Key concerns include who has access, how far data can be shared, whether actions can be audited, and how billing and permissions are segregated. Alongside Workspace management features, Cloud Projects, IAM, and logs are also relevant.
Developers
They combine APIs, SDKs, CLIs, authentication, Cloud Run, Firebase, and other tools to build applications and automated workflows.An SDKis a set of development components designed to make APIs easier to use across various programming languages.A CLIis a tool for operating services via commands rather than graphical interfaces.
How should users familiar with Microsoft approach this?
| Google side | Closest equivalent on the Microsoft side | Differences to note |
|---|---|---|
| Google Workspace | Microsoft 365 | Product composition, management models, and licensing are not identical |
| Google Drive | OneDrive / parts of SharePoint | Organizational sharing designs like Shared Drives differ |
| Google Cloud | Microsoft Azure | Service names, IAM, and resource hierarchies differ |
| Google Cloud Project | Concepts akin to Azure Subscriptions / Resource Groups | Not a 1-to-1 correspondence; Google's unique fundamental unit bundling API enablement, IAM, etc. |
| IAM | Azure RBAC / parts of Microsoft Entra permission controls | Boundaries and terminology between identity foundations and resource permissions differ |
The key takeaway is to use correspondences with Microsoft product names as a scaffolding for understanding, without assuming they are exact equivalents.
The number of articles in the encyclopedia differs from the "total official Google count"
Google's official product pages list numerous products for consumers, businesses, and developers. Meanwhile, the exact figure varies depending on what is counted as a single item—APIs, authentication methods, or individual Cloud services.
Therefore, the GG numbers and management counts in this encyclopedia representarticle management figuresrather than the "total number of services" announced by Google. It is important not to treat these fixed counts as official figures.
Principles for safe experimentation
When experimenting with APIs, do not commit credentials, tokens, Service Account JSONs, private keys, Access Tokens, Refresh Tokens, or real account IDs to GitHub. Keep initial sample code read-only wherever possible, and use dummy values in public code.
What kind of article is this, ultimately?
It serves as an entry point to the Google Services Encyclopedia. Rather than memorizing product names, it provides a map to understand Google's vast array of services in the order of:"What do you want to do -> Which platform to use -> Which component is responsible -> Who uses it."Individual articles will dive deeper into a single component on this map.
Hands-on with Papanda: An encyclopedia for filtering Google services by "purpose"
Visible output: Clicking buttons in the browser such as "Collaboration," "AI," "Analytics," "Maps," or "Development" filters the list to show only relevant GG articles.Rather than forcing API calls, this overview article is well-suited for a Daily Code approach where metadata for GG01 to GG160 is compiled into JSON and filtered using static HTML + JavaScript. The success criterion is enabling users to find services by purpose rather than name.
Official Google Resources
What kind of service is this, ultimately?
"How many Google services are there? Organizing Google services by use case in a service encyclopedia" helps you easily understand Google services by keeping in mind the roles, use cases, and precautions organized in this article, while checking official primary sources and trying things out on a small scale.

