Gemini CLI is an open-source terminal coding agent maintained under the Google Gemini organization (google-gemini/gemini-cli). It provides a command-line and terminal-based agentic workflow for navigating codebases, generating code, and executing engineering tasks directly inside local developer environments. In daily use, the agent operates through an interactive Terminal User Interface (TUI) as well as direct command-line invocations. It reads and edits files within local repositories, runs shell operations, and connects to Google's Gemini models via Google AI Studio or Google Cloud Platform (GCP) authentication backends. A key differentiator for Gemini CLI is its built-in integration with the Model Context Protocol (MCP), including support for OAuth-based tool discovery and authentication. It also supports repository-level skill definitions stored within a .gemini directory to configure specialized agent behaviors across monorepos and complex projects. The project is open-source and distributed through the npm ecosystem. Model access depends on Google Gemini API keys or GCP credentials, subject to standard API pricing tiers and quota limits.
Terminal User Interface (TUI) — Provides an interactive terminal workspace for prompt execution, code review, and session management. - Model Context Protocol (MCP) Support — Connects to MCP servers with support for OAuth discovery and external tool calling. - Workspace Skill System — Enables custom agent skills and project-specific instructions configured via repository .gemini directories. - GCP and Gemini API Integration — Connects directly to Google's Gemini models using standard API keys or Google Cloud credentials. - Monorepo-Aware Navigation — Inspects, analyzes, and modifies multi-package codebases within local terminal sessions.
Use cases
Use Case: Terminal-Based Codebase Refactoring Developers can invoke the agent within a project directory to parse multi-file dependencies, analyze functions, and apply structural refactoring without leaving the terminal.
Use Case: External Tool Integration via MCP Teams can attach local or remote MCP servers with OAuth authentication, giving the terminal agent access to internal APIs, database schemas, and documentation tools during development sessions.
Use Case: Repository Task Automation Engineers can leverage custom repository skills to generate boilerplate, run test suites, and resolve failed builds through agentic command execution.
Who it is for
Gemini CLI is built for software engineers, DevOps practitioners, and terminal-first developers who want an agentic workflow integrated with Google's Gemini models and MCP tools. It is less relevant for developers who require a dedicated graphical IDE extension or teams exclusively using alternative LLM providers.
Install guide
Installation Install the package globally via npm (the standard distribution channel for this repository): bash npm install -g @google-gemini/gemini-cli
First Run Set your Gemini API key in your environment and launch the CLI: bash export GEMINI_API_KEY="your-gemini-api-key" gemini
Example Session Run an interactive query or pass a command directly from your project root: bash gemini "Inspect src/index.ts and refactor unhandled promise rejections"
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