gemini-cli/README.md

# Gemini CLI

[![Gemini CLI CI](https://github.com/google-gemini/gemini-cli/actions/workflows/ci.yml/badge.svg)](https://github.com/google-gemini/gemini-cli/actions/workflows/ci.yml)

This repository contains the Gemini CLI tool.

## Quickstart

1. **Prerequisites:** Ensure you have [Node.js version 18](https://nodejs.org/en/download) or higher installed.
2. **Run the CLI:** Execute the following command in your terminal:

   ```bash
   npx https://github.com/google-gemini/gemini-cli
   ```

3. **Authenticate:** When prompted, sign in with your Google account. This will grant you up to 60 model requests per minute and 1,000 model requests per day using Gemini 2.5 Pro.

You are now ready to use the Gemini CLI!

### For advanced use or increased limits:

If you need to use a specific model or require a higher request capacity, you can use an API key:

1. Generate a key from [Google AI Studio](https://aistudio.google.com/apikey).
2. Set it as an environment variable in your terminal. Replace `YOUR_API_KEY` with your generated key.

   ```bash
   export GEMINI_API_KEY="YOUR_API_KEY"
   ```

For other authentication methods, see the [authentication](./docs/cli/authentication.md) guide.

## Examples

Once the CLI is running, you can start interacting with Gemini from your shell. Try a simple query:

```
> How can I build a web app?
```

Or ask it to perform a task using its tools:

```
> List files in the current directory.
```

### Next steps

- Learn how to [contribute to or build from the source](./CONTRIBUTING.md).
- Explore the available **[CLI Commands](./docs/cli/commands.md)**.
- If you encounter any issues, review the **[Troubleshooting guide](./docs/troubleshooting.md)**.
- For more comprehensive documentation, see the [full documentation](./docs/index.md).
- Take a look at some [popular tasks](#popular-tasks) for more inspiration.

## Popular tasks

### Explore a new codebase

Start by `cd`ing into an existing or newly-cloned repository and running `gemini`.

```text
> Describe the main pieces of this system's architecture.
```

```text
> What security mechanisms are in place?
```

### Work with your existing code

```text
> Implement a first draft for GitHub issue #123.
```

```text
> Help me migrate this codebase to the latest version of Java. Start with a plan.
```

### Automate your workflows

Use MCP servers to integrate your local system tools with your enterprise collaboration suite.

```text
> Make me a slide deck showing the git history from the last 7 days, grouped by feature and team member.
```

```text
> Make a full-screen web app for a wall display to show our most interacted-with GitHub issues.
```

### Interact with your system

```text
> Convert all the images in this directory to png, and rename them to use dates from the exif data.
```

```text
> Organise my PDF invoices by month of expenditure.
```

## Gemini APIs

This project leverages the Gemini APIs to provide AI capabilities. For details on the terms of service governing the Gemini API, please refer to the [Gemini API Terms of Service](https://ai.google.dev/gemini-api/terms).