Service Account Setup

Get the JSON key you need to send FCM notifications through FCMDebug.

What You Need

A service account JSON key — this is how Google verifies that you have permission to send push notifications to your Firebase project. It takes about 30 seconds to get one.

Step-by-Step

1. Go to Firebase Console

Open console.firebase.google.com and select your project.

Don't have a project yet? Click Add project, give it a name, and follow the prompts. You can skip Google Analytics if you want.

2. Open Project Settings

Click the gear icon (⚙️) next to Project Overview in the top-left sidebar, then select Project settings.

3. Go to Service Accounts

In the settings page, click the Service accounts tab at the top.

You'll see a page with a tab bar on the left. Make sure Firebase Admin SDK is selected (it's the default).

4. Generate a New Private Key

Click the Generate new private key button at the bottom.

A confirmation dialog will appear — click Generate key.

A .json file will download to your computer. That's your service account key.

5. Use It in FCMDebug

Go to the FCM Tester and either:

Upload the JSON file — drag & drop it onto the upload zone, or click to browse
Paste the JSON — open the file in any text editor, copy everything, and paste it

The JSON file looks something like this:

json
{
  "type": "service_account",
  "project_id": "my-app-12345",
  "private_key_id": "abc123...",
  "private_key": "-----BEGIN RSA PRIVATE KEY-----\n...",
  "client_email": "firebase-adminsdk-xxxxx@my-app-12345.iam.gserviceaccount.com",
  "client_id": "123456789"
}

Once loaded, you can toggle "Remember in this browser" so you don't have to upload it every time.

Security Notes

Do	Don't
Store the key file in a safe place	Commit it to Git or public repos
Use the "Remember" toggle on your own device only	Share it with others
Rotate keys if you suspect a leak	Put it in client-side code

Your key is sent directly to Google's FCM API to authenticate the request. FCMDebug never stores or logs your credentials on any server.

Common Issues

Problem	Fix
"Invalid service account"	Make sure you uploaded/pasted the complete JSON file
"Permission denied"	Your service account needs Cloud Messaging permissions (the default Firebase Admin SDK account has them)
"Invalid grant"	The key was revoked — generate a new one from Firebase Console

Next Steps

Head to the FCM Tester and send your first notification
Read Getting Started for a full walkthrough