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docs: add FAQ for "BigQuery Streaming Insert Not Allowed in Free Tier" error#643

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docs: add FAQ for "BigQuery Streaming Insert Not Allowed in Free Tier" error#643
SangeetaMishr wants to merge 4 commits into
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docs/bigquery-streaming-insert-free-tier-faq

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@SangeetaMishr SangeetaMishr commented Jul 4, 2026

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Summary

Fixes #323

Adds a new FAQ page explaining the Access Denied: BigQuery Streaming Insert not allowed in the free tier error reported on Discord:

  • Why it happens: BigQuery's free tier covers storage/queries, but streaming inserts (how Glific writes messages/contacts into BigQuery in real time) require the Google Cloud project to have an upgraded or linked billing account — regardless of whether usage stays within free-tier limits.
  • How to fix it: steps to upgrade the free trial / link a billing account in Google Cloud Console for the project connected to Glific.
  • Reassurance that this doesn't mean immediate charges — the existing free-tier limits (10GB storage, 1TB queries/month) documented in "BigQuery Setup and link with Glific" still apply.

Cross-links to the existing BigQuery Setup and link with Glific page rather than duplicating its content.

Verification

Confirmed the underlying cause against Google Cloud's documented behavior: streaming inserts (tabledata.insertAll) are blocked until a project's Cloud Billing account is upgraded past the free trial / linked, even when actual usage is within free-tier limits.

Test plan

  • Docs site renders the new FAQ page and shows up under the FAQ section (auto-generated index, no _category_.json changes needed)
  • Reviewer confirms the fix steps match current Google Cloud Console UI

Summary by CodeRabbit

  • Documentation
    • Added a new FAQ page explaining the “BigQuery Streaming Insert Not Allowed in Free Tier” error.
    • Clarified common causes, including missing billing setup and free-trial limitations.
    • Included step-by-step guidance for linking or upgrading billing so syncing can resume.
    • Noted that enabling billing does not necessarily mean immediate charges unless usage exceeds free-tier limits.

Explains why "Access Denied: BigQuery Streaming Insert Not Allowed in
Free Tier" happens (streaming inserts need an upgraded/linked billing
account, unlike regular BigQuery storage/queries) and how to fix it
in Google Cloud Console.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Sonnet 5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
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Configuration used: Organization UI

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📥 Commits

Reviewing files that changed from the base of the PR and between fe5abd8 and d696b81.

📒 Files selected for processing (1)
  • docs/8. FAQ/Fixing BigQuery Streaming Insert Not Allowed in Free Tier Error.md
📝 Walkthrough

Walkthrough

A new FAQ documentation page was added to explain the "Access Denied: BigQuery Streaming Insert Not Allowed in Free Tier" error encountered during Glific BigQuery syncing. The document outlines the cause of the error, common triggering scenarios such as missing billing links or an active free trial, and provides step-by-step remediation instructions via Google Cloud Console, along with a note clarifying that linking billing does not automatically incur charges unless free-tier limits are exceeded.

Changes

Area Change
Documentation Added new FAQ page "Fixing BigQuery Streaming Insert Not Allowed in Free Tier Error.md" covering error cause, scenarios, and resolution steps

Sequence Diagram(s)

Not applicable — this change is a documentation-only addition with no code execution flow.

Estimated code review effort: 1 (Low)

Related issues: None specified

Related PRs: None specified

Suggested labels: documentation

Suggested reviewers: None specified

Poem

A rabbit hops through billing's maze,
Streaming inserts blocked, a free-tier haze,
Now docs explain the fix with cheer,
Link your billing, banish the fear,
Hop along, the error's clear! 🐇📄

🚥 Pre-merge checks | ✅ 5
✅ Passed checks (5 passed)
Check name Status Explanation
Title check ✅ Passed The title is concise and accurately summarizes the new FAQ about the BigQuery free-tier streaming insert error.
Description check ✅ Passed The description is clearly related to the docs change and explains the FAQ, fix steps, and context.
Linked Issues check ✅ Passed The FAQ covers the error cause and the billing upgrade/auto payment fix required by issue #323.
Out of Scope Changes check ✅ Passed The changes stay within the documentation scope and add no unrelated code or features.
Docstring Coverage ✅ Passed No functions found in the changed files to evaluate docstring coverage. Skipping docstring coverage check.

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@github-actions

github-actions Bot commented Jul 4, 2026

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@github-actions github-actions Bot temporarily deployed to pull request July 4, 2026 10:32 Inactive
@SangeetaMishr SangeetaMishr requested a review from Fawas003 July 4, 2026 10:36
Reference the related page and Google Cloud Console by name instead
of as clickable links, per review feedback.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Sonnet 5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
@github-actions github-actions Bot temporarily deployed to pull request July 4, 2026 10:40 Inactive
Keep the cross-links to the BigQuery setup page and Google Cloud
Console, but write out Billing/Upgrade/Link a billing account as
plain text instead of code-formatted terms.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Sonnet 5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
@github-actions github-actions Bot temporarily deployed to pull request July 4, 2026 10:45 Inactive
Updated headings and formatting for clarity in the FAQ section regarding BigQuery streaming insert errors.

1. Go to [Google Cloud Console](https://console.cloud.google.com/) and sign in with the account used to set up BigQuery for your organization.
2. Select the same project that is linked to Glific for BigQuery (refer [BigQuery Setup and link with Glific](https://glific.github.io/docs/docs/Product%20Features/Reporting%20&%20Dashboard/BigQuery%20Setup%20and%20link%20with%20Glific/) if you're not sure which project this is).
3. From the left navigation menu, select Billing.

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do you think it's better to add screenshot for 3rd point? @SangeetaMishr

2. Select the same project that is linked to Glific for BigQuery (refer [BigQuery Setup and link with Glific](https://glific.github.io/docs/docs/Product%20Features/Reporting%20&%20Dashboard/BigQuery%20Setup%20and%20link%20with%20Glific/) if you're not sure which project this is).
3. From the left navigation menu, select Billing.
4. If you see an option to Upgrade, select it and complete the steps to convert your free trial to a full Cloud Billing account. If no billing account is linked at all, select Link a billing account and either choose an existing one or create a new one.
5. Add a valid payment method when prompted, and confirm.

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Is it mandatory to add a credit card as the payment method? I'm not sure, I think I heard that in one of the meetings.
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FAQ - Fixing 'Access Denied: BigQuery Streaming Insert Not Allowed in Free Tier' Error

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