grpc/grpc-go · error

failed to create cloudLoggingExporter

Error message

failed to create cloudLoggingExporter: %v

What it means

newCloudLoggingExporter could not construct the Cloud Logging client. The underlying cause comes from gcplogging.NewClient, which dials logging.googleapis.com using Application Default Credentials; the wrapped %v carries the real error. Emitted at exporting.go:67.

Solutions

1. Run `gcloud auth application-default login` (or set GOOGLE_APPLICATION_CREDENTIALS to a valid SA key JSON) and retry.
2. Check the inner error: '403' -> enable Cloud Logging API and grant roles/logging.logWriter; 'dial tcp' -> network/proxy problem.
3. Verify config.ProjectID is a valid, lowercase GCP project id where Cloud Logging is enabled.
4. If running on GCE/GKE/Cloud Run, confirm the node SA has logging.write scope and the metadata server is reachable.
5. Pass a context with a longer timeout if the failure is a deadline exceeded during dial.

Example fix

// before: ADC missing
$ ./svc
failed to create cloudLoggingExporter: google: could not find default credentials

// after
$ gcloud auth application-default login
$ export GOOGLE_CLOUD_PROJECT=my-proj
$ ./svc

// Pre-flight: can we reach Cloud Logging with current ADC?
func canCreateLoggingClient(ctx context.Context, project string) error {
    c, err := gcplogging.NewClient(ctx, "projects/"+project)
    if err != nil { return err }
    return c.Close()
}

if err := canCreateLoggingClient(ctx, projectID); err != nil { return err }

if err := observability.Start(ctx); err != nil {
    if strings.Contains(err.Error(), "failed to create cloudLoggingExporter") {
        // most likely ADC / network / API; do not retry in-process, fix env and restart
        log.Fatalf("Cloud Logging exporter unavailable (check ADC, project, API, network): %v", err)
    }
    return err
}

When it happens

Trigger: No/bad Application Default Credentials, network blocked to logging.googleapis.com, an invalid project id (e.g. projects/<bad>), missing cloud-platform scope on the instance SA, quota/API disabled, or a context cancellation during dial.

Common situations: Local run without `gcloud auth application-default login`; SA key rotated but GOOGLE_APPLICATION_CREDENTIALS still pointing at old file; project id with uppercase or invalid chars; Cloud Logging API disabled in the target project; egress firewall/proxy blocking googleapis.com; test/stage environment without metadata access.

Related errors

• failed to start logging
• unable to create CloudLogging exporter
• credentials: audience cannot be empty
• credentials: ctx cannot be nil
• credentials: failed to create ID token credentials

AI-assisted analysis of grpc/grpc-go@0c51461d27 (2026-08-11). Data as JSON: /api/errors/da43aacb58a0a37a. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at gcp/observability/exporting.go:67

// In future, we might expose this to allow users provide custom exporters. But
// now, it exists for testing purposes.
type loggingExporter interface {
	// EmitGrpcLogRecord writes a gRPC LogRecord to cache without blocking.
	EmitGcpLoggingEntry(entry gcplogging.Entry)
	// Close flushes all pending data and closes the exporter.
	Close() error
}

type cloudLoggingExporter struct {
	projectID string
	client    *gcplogging.Client
	logger    *gcplogging.Logger
}

func newCloudLoggingExporter(ctx context.Context, config *config) (loggingExporter, error) {
	c, err := gcplogging.NewClient(ctx, fmt.Sprintf("projects/%v", config.ProjectID), cOptsDisableLogTrace...)
	if err != nil {
		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to create cloudLoggingExporter: %v", err)
	}
	defer logger.Infof("Successfully created cloudLoggingExporter")
	if len(config.Labels) != 0 {
		logger.Infof("Adding labels: %+v", config.Labels)
	}
	return &cloudLoggingExporter{
		projectID: config.ProjectID,
		client:    c,
		logger:    c.Logger("microservices.googleapis.com/observability/grpc", gcplogging.CommonLabels(config.Labels), gcplogging.BufferedByteLimit(1024*1024*50), gcplogging.DelayThreshold(time.Second*10)),
	}, nil
}

func (cle *cloudLoggingExporter) EmitGcpLoggingEntry(entry gcplogging.Entry) {
	cle.logger.Log(entry)
	if logger.V(2) {
		logger.Infof("Uploading event to CloudLogging: %+v", entry)
	}
}

View on GitHub (pinned to 0c51461d27)