This repository contains both the Gemini CLI and Gemini CLI Enhanced, command-line AI workflow tools that connect to your tools, understand your code and accelerate your workflows.
The standard Gemini CLI experience with all core features.
An enhanced version that includes:
- Default Custom Instruction: Built-in system prompt focusing on task verification, concise communication, systematic planning, security-first development, and code convention adherence
- Integrated TODO Tool: Task management with status indicators (⭕ not started, 🔄 in progress, ✅ completed)
- Enhanced Workflow: Optimized for professional development workflows
Both versions can be installed and used side-by-side.
With the Gemini CLI you can:
- Query and edit large codebases in and beyond Gemini's 1M token context window.
- Generate new apps from PDFs or sketches, using Gemini's multimodal capabilities.
- Automate operational tasks, like querying pull requests or handling complex rebases.
- Use tools and MCP servers to connect new capabilities, including media generation with Imagen, Veo or Lyria
- Ground your queries with the Google Search tool, built in to Gemini.
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Prerequisites: Ensure you have Node.js version 20 or higher installed.
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Install:
For installing both standard version and the enhanced version with TODO tool and custom instructions:
# Clone and build from source git clone https://github.com/efebilici/gemini-cli-enhanced cd gemini-cli-enhanced npm install npm run build:packages # Install both versions globally npm install -g ./packages/cli # Standard: gemini npm install -g ./packages/cli-enhanced # Enhanced: gemini-enhanced
Then run either version:
gemini # Standard version gemini-enhanced # Enhanced version
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Pick a color theme
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Authenticate: When prompted, sign in with your personal Google account. This will grant you up to 60 model requests per minute and 1,000 model requests per day using Gemini.
You are now ready to use the Gemini CLI!
The enhanced version includes additional productivity features:
The enhanced CLI automatically includes a comprehensive system prompt that:
- Emphasizes task verification and systematic planning
- Promotes concise, direct communication
- Enforces security-first development practices
- Ensures adherence to existing code conventions
AI automatically creates a TODO plan and with status indicators you can watch the development.
After you approve plan, it proceed the plan. If you want to make a change in plan, just tell to AI.
Status Indicators:
- ⭕ Not started
- 🔄 In progress
- ✅ Completed
The Gemini API provides a free tier with 100 requests per day using Gemini 2.5 Pro, control over which model you use, and access to higher rate limits (with a paid plan):
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Generate a key from Google AI Studio.
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Set it as an environment variable in your terminal. Replace
YOUR_API_KEYwith your generated key.export GEMINI_API_KEY="YOUR_API_KEY"
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(Optionally) Upgrade your Gemini API project to a paid plan on the API key page (will automatically unlock Tier 1 rate limits)
The Vertex AI API provides a free tier using express mode for Gemini 2.5 Pro, control over which model you use, and access to higher rate limits with a billing account:
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Generate a key from Google Cloud.
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Set it as an environment variable in your terminal. Replace
YOUR_API_KEYwith your generated key and set GOOGLE_GENAI_USE_VERTEXAI to trueexport GOOGLE_API_KEY="YOUR_API_KEY" export GOOGLE_GENAI_USE_VERTEXAI=true
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(Optionally) Add a billing account on your project to get access to higher usage limits
For other authentication methods, including Google Workspace accounts, see the authentication guide.
Once the CLI is running, you can start interacting with Gemini from your shell.
You can start a project from a new directory:
cd new-project/
gemini
> Write me a Gemini Discord bot that answers questions using a FAQ.md file I will provideOr work with an existing project:
git clone https://github.com/google-gemini/gemini-cli
cd gemini-cli
gemini
> Give me a summary of all of the changes that went in yesterday- Learn how to contribute to or build from the source.
- Explore the available CLI Commands.
- If you encounter any issues, review the troubleshooting guide.
- For more comprehensive documentation, see the full documentation.
- Take a look at some popular tasks for more inspiration.
- Check out our Official Roadmap
Head over to the troubleshooting guide if you're having issues.
Start by cding into an existing or newly-cloned repository and running gemini.
> Describe the main pieces of this system's architecture.
> What security mechanisms are in place?
> Implement a first draft for GitHub issue #123.
> Help me migrate this codebase to the latest version of Java. Start with a plan.
Use MCP servers to integrate your local system tools with your enterprise collaboration suite.
> Make me a slide deck showing the git history from the last 7 days, grouped by feature and team member.
> Make a full-screen web app for a wall display to show our most interacted-with GitHub issues.
> Convert all the images in this directory to png, and rename them to use dates from the exif data.
> Organize my PDF invoices by month of expenditure.
Head over to the Uninstall guide for uninstallation instructions.
For details on the terms of service and privacy notice applicable to your use of Gemini CLI, see the Terms of Service and Privacy Notice.
