Gemini CLI

Gemini CLI – AI Agent for Your Terminal

What is Gemini CLI?

Gemini CLI is Google's official open-source command-line tool that brings Gemini 2.5 Pro AI functionalities—including coding help, research, content generation, and task management—directly into the terminal. It’s powered by Gemini’s large language model with a massive 1 million-token context window, providing a powerful, multimodal experience for developers

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Why Use Gemini CLI?

• Native terminal experience: Interact with AI via simple NAT prompts in your shell—without an IDE .
• Free and open-source: Preview is accessible to all with a Google account. The CLI is released under open-source license .
• Deep model integration: Includes advanced features like Gemini Code Assist, Model Context Protocol, web search, and multimedia capabilities via Veo/Imagen
• High usage limits: Offers 60 requests per minute and up to 1,000 requests per day, among the most generous free quotas available

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Core Features

• Chat-based code assistance: Write, debug, and refactor code directly from your terminal via natural language
• Rich task support: Beyond coding—create content, perform research, analyze files, manage tasks, and troubleshoot issues
• Multimodal and extendable: Access Gemini's language, code, image, audio, and video capabilities. Integrates plugins and supports custom prompts via MCP
• Open-source codebase: Inspect and contribute to the code on GitHub—Apache 2.0 / MIT licensed

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How to Get Started

1. Go to the Gemini CLI GitHub repo (https://github.com/google-gemini/gemini-cli/).
2. Download the latest release or build from source in Go or other supported languages
3. Set your GEMINI_API_KEY from Google AI Studio.
4. Run gemini with --help to explore chat, embed, prompt, code features, and more
5. Start typing prompts and interact straight from your shell.

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Tips & Tricks

• Use Gemini Code Assist seamlessly: Enjoy the same code help available in IDEs, right in your terminal
• Explore multimodal features: Try generating images or summarizing videos directly via CLI.
• Customize via system commands: Use commands like !m (toggle multiline), set models, or clear memory within chat sessions

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FAQ

Q: Is Gemini CLI available now?
A: Yes. It's in public preview and open-source. You can access it with a personal Google account and a Gemini Code Assist license

Q: Do I need an API key?
A: Yes. Obtain your Gemini API key from Google AI Studio or Vertex AI and set it in the GEMINI_API_KEY environment variable

Q: Can I use it for free?
A: Free preview users get up to 60 requests per minute and 1,000 per day. Paid users can exceed this via Vertex AI or enterprise plans

Q: What makes it different from IDE-based tools?
A: Gemini CLI stands out by offering a pure terminal-native AI experience with no need for heavy IDE setups, covering code, text, research, and media—all via shell interaction
Q: Who is it for?
A: Ideal for terminal-loving developers, DevOps professionals, researchers, and AI enthusiasts who prefer AI tools tightly integrated into their command-line workflows