Every Firepanel project connects to a Firebase project through the same onboarding wizard. You'll go through it in one of two places:
- First project on your account — the wizard opens automatically at sign-up and includes a step to choose a plan.
- Adding another project — click New Project from an existing account. The wizard skips the plan step entirely; the new project is billed to your existing subscription.
Note:
There's no separate "import" flow. Connecting an existing Firebase project — including scanning its data into Firepanel content types — is part of this same wizard.
Connect to Firebase
Choose a connection method
Pick one of two cards — selecting either one advances you to the next step immediately:
- Connect with Google — sign in with the Google account that owns (or can access) the Firebase project. Firepanel provisions access automatically; no key to manage.
- Upload a service account key — connect using a Firebase service account JSON key instead, useful if you'd rather not grant Google OAuth access.
An FAQ accordion below the cards answers common questions about each method.
Connect Firebase Project
What you see next depends on the method you chose.
If you connected with Google:
Pick a Firebase project
Choose an existing Firebase project from a gallery of the projects your Google account can access, or select Create a new project to start one from scratch (name, Project ID, and Firestore location). Firepanel also lets you enable Firestore Enterprise with MongoDB compatibility at this point if you need it.
If you uploaded a service account key:
Generate a service account key
In the Firebase Console:
- Go to Project Settings → Service Accounts
- Click Generate new private key
- Download the JSON file
Step-by-step guides for both the Firebase Console and the Firebase CLI are shown inline to help you find the right screen.
Upload the key
Drag the JSON file onto the upload area, or click to browse for it.
Note:
Keep your service account key private. Never share it publicly or commit it to version control.
Grant the required roles
The service account needs these IAM roles in Google Cloud:
| Role | Purpose |
|---|---|
roles/firebase.admin | General Firebase project administration |
roles/firebase.sdkAdminServiceAgent | Admin SDK access used by Firepanel |
roles/firebase.managementServiceAgent | Managing Firebase resources on your behalf |
Configure Project
Review the service checklist
Firepanel checks that the following Google Cloud services are enabled:
| Service | Required? |
|---|---|
| Google Cloud APIs | Required |
| Firebase | Required |
| Firestore | Required |
| Vertex AI (Agent Platform API) | Optional — needed for AI content generation |
| Cloud Storage | Optional — needed for Storage |
| Billing | Optional |
If you connected with Google, the three required services are enabled automatically. If you uploaded a key, enable any missing services in the Google Cloud Console, then click Refresh to re-check.
Continue
Once all required services are ready, continue to the next step.
Set Up Collections
This is where Firepanel imports your existing project data.
Scan your database
Firepanel scans your connected Firestore database and lists the collections it finds, along with a document count for each.
Choose whether to generate content types automatically
Turn on Set up content types automatically to have Firepanel create matching content types for the collections it detected. You can also click Skip to start with a blank project and set up content types yourself later.
Note:
This is the same scanning engine used by Generating Content Types — you can re-run it later from Content Types if you add new collections.
Choose a Plan
Note:
This step only appears the first time you set up a Firepanel account. If you're adding another project to an existing account, this step is skipped — the new project is added to your current subscription.
Pick a plan
Choose Monthly or Yearly billing, then pick a plan. See Plans for current pricing and feature comparisons. Paid plans include a 7-day free trial handled through Stripe Checkout.
Finishing Up
Firepanel finalizes your project — creating it, generating content types if you opted in, and setting up billing. A progress screen shows each stage; once it completes, click View my project to open your new Project Dashboard.
What's Next?
- Define or review content types to structure your data
- Browse your Firestore collections and documents
- Manage users and their access
- Explore Cloud Storage files
Note:
Didn't import your data during setup? You can generate content types automatically at any time from Content Types.