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Docs: Refresh docs to organize and standardize reference materials. (#18403)

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docs/cli/authentication.md
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# Authentication setup
See: [Getting Started - Authentication Setup](../get-started/authentication.md).

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docs/cli/checkpointing.md
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The Gemini CLI includes a Checkpointing feature that automatically saves a
snapshot of your project's state before any file modifications are made by
AI-powered tools. This allows you to safely experiment with and apply code
changes, knowing you can instantly revert back to the state before the tool was
run.
AI-powered tools. This lets you safely experiment with and apply code changes,
knowing you can instantly revert back to the state before the tool was run.
## How it works

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docs/cli/cli-reference.md
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# CLI cheatsheet
# Gemini CLI cheatsheet
This page provides a reference for commonly used Gemini CLI commands, options,
and parameters.
@@ -9,8 +9,7 @@ and parameters.
| ---------------------------------- | ---------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------- |
| `gemini` | Start interactive REPL | `gemini` |
| `gemini "query"` | Query non-interactively, then exit | `gemini "explain this project"` |
| `gemini -p "query"` | Query via SDK, then exit | `gemini -p "explain this function"` |
| `cat file \| gemini -p "query"` | Process piped content | `cat logs.txt \| gemini -p "explain"` |
| `cat file \| gemini` | Process piped content | `cat logs.txt \| gemini` |
| `gemini -i "query"` | Execute and continue interactively | `gemini -i "What is the purpose of this project?"` |
| `gemini -r "latest"` | Continue most recent session | `gemini -r "latest"` |
| `gemini -r "latest" "query"` | Continue session with a new prompt | `gemini -r "latest" "Check for type errors"` |
@@ -53,8 +52,8 @@ and parameters.
## Model selection
The `--model` (or `-m`) flag allows you to specify which Gemini model to use.
You can use either model aliases (user-friendly names) or concrete model names.
The `--model` (or `-m`) flag lets you specify which Gemini model to use. You can
use either model aliases (user-friendly names) or concrete model names.
### Model aliases

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docs/cli/commands.md
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@@ -10,333 +10,353 @@ Slash commands provide meta-level control over the CLI itself.
### Built-in Commands
- **`/about`**
- **Description:** Show version info. Please share this information when
filing issues.
### `/about`
- **`/auth`**
- **Description:** Open a dialog that lets you change the authentication
method.
- **Description:** Show version info. Share this information when filing issues.
- **`/bug`**
- **Description:** File an issue about Gemini CLI. By default, the issue is
filed within the GitHub repository for Gemini CLI. The string you enter
after `/bug` will become the headline for the bug being filed. The default
`/bug` behavior can be modified using the `advanced.bugCommand` setting in
your `.gemini/settings.json` files.
### `/auth`
- **`/chat`**
- **Description:** Save and resume conversation history for branching
conversation state interactively, or resuming a previous state from a later
session.
- **Sub-commands:**
- **`delete <tag>`**
- **Description:** Deletes a saved conversation checkpoint.
- **`list`**
- **Description:** Lists available tags for chat state resumption.
- **Note:** This command only lists chats saved within the current
project. Because chat history is project-scoped, chats saved in other
project directories will not be displayed.
- **`resume <tag>`**
- **Description:** Resumes a conversation from a previous save.
- **Note:** You can only resume chats that were saved within the current
project. To resume a chat from a different project, you must run the
Gemini CLI from that project's directory.
- **`save <tag>`**
- **Description:** Saves the current conversation history. You must add a
`<tag>` for identifying the conversation state.
- **Details on checkpoint location:** The default locations for saved chat
checkpoints are:
- Linux/macOS: `~/.gemini/tmp/<project_hash>/`
- Windows: `C:\Users\<YourUsername>\.gemini\tmp\<project_hash>\`
- **Behavior:** Chats are saved into a project-specific directory,
determined by where you run the CLI. Consequently, saved chats are
only accessible when working within that same project.
- **Note:** These checkpoints are for manually saving and resuming
conversation states. For automatic checkpoints created before file
modifications, see the
[Checkpointing documentation](../cli/checkpointing.md).
- **`share [filename]`**
- **Description** Writes the current conversation to a provided Markdown
or JSON file. If no filename is provided, then the CLI will generate
one.
- **Usage** `/chat share file.md` or `/chat share file.json`.
- **Description:** Open a dialog that lets you change the authentication method.
- **`/clear`**
- **Description:** Clear the terminal screen, including the visible session
history and scrollback within the CLI. The underlying session data (for
history recall) might be preserved depending on the exact implementation,
but the visual display is cleared.
- **Keyboard shortcut:** Press **Ctrl+L** at any time to perform a clear
action.
### `/bug`
- **`/compress`**
- **Description:** Replace the entire chat context with a summary. This saves
on tokens used for future tasks while retaining a high level summary of what
has happened.
- **Description:** File an issue about Gemini CLI. By default, the issue is
filed within the GitHub repository for Gemini CLI. The string you enter after
`/bug` will become the headline for the bug being filed. The default `/bug`
behavior can be modified using the `advanced.bugCommand` setting in your
`.gemini/settings.json` files.
- **`/copy`**
- **Description:** Copies the last output produced by Gemini CLI to your
clipboard, for easy sharing or reuse.
- **Behavior:**
- Local sessions use system clipboard tools (pbcopy/xclip/clip).
- Remote sessions (SSH/WSL) use OSC 52 and require terminal support.
- **Note:** This command requires platform-specific clipboard tools to be
installed.
- On Linux, it requires `xclip` or `xsel`. You can typically install them
using your system's package manager.
- On macOS, it requires `pbcopy`, and on Windows, it requires `clip`. These
tools are typically pre-installed on their respective systems.
### `/chat`
- **`/directory`** (or **`/dir`**)
- **Description:** Manage workspace directories for multi-directory support.
- **Sub-commands:**
- **`add`**:
- **Description:** Add a directory to the workspace. The path can be
absolute or relative to the current working directory. Moreover, the
reference from home directory is supported as well.
- **Usage:** `/directory add <path1>,<path2>`
- **Note:** Disabled in restrictive sandbox profiles. If you're using
that, use `--include-directories` when starting the session instead.
- **`show`**:
- **Description:** Display all directories added by `/directory add` and
`--include-directories`.
- **Usage:** `/directory show`
- **Description:** Save and resume conversation history for branching
conversation state interactively, or resuming a previous state from a later
session.
- **Sub-commands:**
- **`delete <tag>`**
- **Description:** Deletes a saved conversation checkpoint.
- **`list`**
- **Description:** Lists available tags for chat state resumption.
- **Note:** This command only lists chats saved within the current project.
Because chat history is project-scoped, chats saved in other project
directories will not be displayed.
- **`resume <tag>`**
- **Description:** Resumes a conversation from a previous save.
- **Note:** You can only resume chats that were saved within the current
project. To resume a chat from a different project, you must run the
Gemini CLI from that project's directory.
- **`save <tag>`**
- **Description:** Saves the current conversation history. You must add a
`<tag>` for identifying the conversation state.
- **Details on checkpoint location:** The default locations for saved chat
checkpoints are:
- Linux/macOS: `~/.gemini/tmp/<project_hash>/`
- Windows: `C:\Users\<YourUsername>\.gemini\tmp\<project_hash>\`
- **Behavior:** Chats are saved into a project-specific directory,
determined by where you run the CLI. Consequently, saved chats are only
accessible when working within that same project.
- **Note:** These checkpoints are for manually saving and resuming
conversation states. For automatic checkpoints created before file
modifications, see the
[Checkpointing documentation](../cli/checkpointing.md).
- **`share [filename]`**
- **Description** Writes the current conversation to a provided Markdown or
JSON file. If no filename is provided, then the CLI will generate one.
- **Usage** `/chat share file.md` or `/chat share file.json`.
- **`/docs`**
- **Description:** Open the Gemini CLI documentation in your browser.
### `/clear`
- **`/editor`**
- **Description:** Open a dialog for selecting supported editors.
- **Description:** Clear the terminal screen, including the visible session
history and scrollback within the CLI. The underlying session data (for
history recall) might be preserved depending on the exact implementation, but
the visual display is cleared.
- **Keyboard shortcut:** Press **Ctrl+L** at any time to perform a clear action.
- **`/extensions`**
- **Description:** Lists all active extensions in the current Gemini CLI
session. See [Gemini CLI Extensions](../extensions/index.md).
### `/compress`
- **`/help`**
- **Description:** Display help information about Gemini CLI, including
available commands and their usage.
- **Description:** Replace the entire chat context with a summary. This saves on
tokens used for future tasks while retaining a high level summary of what has
happened.
- **`/shortcuts`**
- **Description:** Toggle the shortcuts panel above the input.
- **Shortcut:** Press `?` when the prompt is empty.
- **Note:** This is separate from the clean UI detail toggle on double-`Tab`,
which switches between minimal and full UI chrome.
### `/copy`
- **`/hooks`**
- **Description:** Manage hooks, which allow you to intercept and customize
Gemini CLI behavior at specific lifecycle events.
- **Sub-commands:**
- **`disable-all`**:
- **Description:** Disable all enabled hooks.
- **`disable <hook-name>`**:
- **Description:** Disable a hook by name.
- **`enable-all`**:
- **Description:** Enable all disabled hooks.
- **`enable <hook-name>`**:
- **Description:** Enable a hook by name.
- **`list`** (or `show`, `panel`):
- **Description:** Display all registered hooks with their status.
- **Description:** Copies the last output produced by Gemini CLI to your
clipboard, for easy sharing or reuse.
- **Behavior:**
- Local sessions use system clipboard tools (pbcopy/xclip/clip).
- Remote sessions (SSH/WSL) use OSC 52 and require terminal support.
- **Note:** This command requires platform-specific clipboard tools to be
installed.
- On Linux, it requires `xclip` or `xsel`. You can typically install them
using your system's package manager.
- On macOS, it requires `pbcopy`, and on Windows, it requires `clip`. These
tools are typically pre-installed on their respective systems.
- **`/ide`**
- **Description:** Manage IDE integration.
- **Sub-commands:**
- **`disable`**:
- **Description:** Disable IDE integration.
- **`enable`**:
- **Description:** Enable IDE integration.
- **`install`**:
- **Description:** Install required IDE companion.
- **`status`**:
- **Description:** Check status of IDE integration.
### `/directory` (or `/dir`)
- **`/init`**
- **Description:** To help users easily create a `GEMINI.md` file, this
command analyzes the current directory and generates a tailored context
file, making it simpler for them to provide project-specific instructions to
the Gemini agent.
- **Description:** Manage workspace directories for multi-directory support.
- **Sub-commands:**
- **`add`**:
- **Description:** Add a directory to the workspace. The path can be
absolute or relative to the current working directory. Moreover, the
reference from home directory is supported as well.
- **Usage:** `/directory add <path1>,<path2>`
- **Note:** Disabled in restrictive sandbox profiles. If you're using that,
use `--include-directories` when starting the session instead.
- **`show`**:
- **Description:** Display all directories added by `/directory add` and
`--include-directories`.
- **Usage:** `/directory show`
- **`/introspect`**
- **Description:** Provide debugging information about the current Gemini CLI
session, including the state of loaded sub-agents and active hooks. This
command is primarily for advanced users and developers.
### `/docs`
- **`/mcp`**
- **Description:** Manage configured Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers.
- **Sub-commands:**
- **`auth`**:
- **Description:** Authenticate with an OAuth-enabled MCP server.
- **Usage:** `/mcp auth <server-name>`
- **Details:** If `<server-name>` is provided, it initiates the OAuth flow
for that server. If no server name is provided, it lists all configured
servers that support OAuth authentication.
- **`desc`**
- **Description:** List configured MCP servers and tools with
descriptions.
- **`list`** or **`ls`**:
- **Description:** List configured MCP servers and tools. This is the
default action if no subcommand is specified.
- **`refresh`**:
- **Description:** Restarts all MCP servers and re-discovers their
available tools.
- **`schema`**:
- **Description:** List configured MCP servers and tools with descriptions
and schemas.
- **Description:** Open the Gemini CLI documentation in your browser.
- **`/memory`**
- **Description:** Manage the AI's instructional context (hierarchical memory
loaded from `GEMINI.md` files).
- **Sub-commands:**
- **`add`**:
- **Description:** Adds the following text to the AI's memory. Usage:
`/memory add <text to remember>`
- **`list`**:
- **Description:** Lists the paths of the GEMINI.md files in use for
hierarchical memory.
- **`refresh`**:
- **Description:** Reload the hierarchical instructional memory from all
`GEMINI.md` files found in the configured locations (global,
project/ancestors, and sub-directories). This command updates the model
with the latest `GEMINI.md` content.
- **`show`**:
- **Description:** Display the full, concatenated content of the current
hierarchical memory that has been loaded from all `GEMINI.md` files.
This lets you inspect the instructional context being provided to the
Gemini model.
- **Note:** For more details on how `GEMINI.md` files contribute to
hierarchical memory, see the
[CLI Configuration documentation](../get-started/configuration.md).
### `/editor`
- [**`/model`**](./model.md)
- **Description:** Opens a dialog to choose your Gemini model.
- **Description:** Open a dialog for selecting supported editors.
- **`/policies`**
- **Description:** Manage policies.
- **Sub-commands:**
- **`list`**:
- **Description:** List all active policies grouped by mode.
### `/extensions`
- **`/privacy`**
- **Description:** Display the Privacy Notice and allow users to select
whether they consent to the collection of their data for service improvement
purposes.
- **Description:** Lists all active extensions in the current Gemini CLI
session. See [Gemini CLI Extensions](../extensions/index.md).
- **`/quit`** (or **`/exit`**)
- **Description:** Exit Gemini CLI.
### `/help` (or `/?`)
- **`/restore`**
- **Description:** Restores the project files to the state they were in just
before a tool was executed. This is particularly useful for undoing file
edits made by a tool. If run without a tool call ID, it will list available
checkpoints to restore from.
- **Usage:** `/restore [tool_call_id]`
- **Note:** Only available if checkpointing is configured via
[settings](../get-started/configuration.md). See
[Checkpointing documentation](../cli/checkpointing.md) for more details.
- **Description:** Display help information about Gemini CLI, including
available commands and their usage.
- [**`/rewind`**](./rewind.md)
- **Description:** Navigates backward through the conversation history,
allowing you to review past interactions and potentially revert to a
previous state. This feature helps in managing complex or branched
conversations.
### `/hooks`
- **`/resume`**
- **Description:** Browse and resume previous conversation sessions. Opens an
interactive session browser where you can search, filter, and select from
automatically saved conversations.
- **Features:**
- **Management:** Delete unwanted sessions directly from the browser
- **Resume:** Select any session to resume and continue the conversation
- **Search:** Use `/` to search through conversation content across all
sessions
- **Session Browser:** Interactive interface showing all saved sessions with
timestamps, message counts, and first user message for context
- **Sorting:** Sort sessions by date or message count
- **Note:** All conversations are automatically saved as you chat - no manual
saving required. See [Session Management](../cli/session-management.md) for
complete details.
- **Description:** Manage hooks, which allow you to intercept and customize
Gemini CLI behavior at specific lifecycle events.
- **Sub-commands:**
- **`disable-all`**:
- **Description:** Disable all enabled hooks.
- **`disable <hook-name>`**:
- **Description:** Disable a hook by name.
- **`enable-all`**:
- **Description:** Enable all disabled hooks.
- **`enable <hook-name>`**:
- **Description:** Enable a hook by name.
- **`list`** (or `show`, `panel`):
- **Description:** Display all registered hooks with their status.
- [**`/settings`**](./settings.md)
- **Description:** Open the settings editor to view and modify Gemini CLI
settings.
- **Details:** This command provides a user-friendly interface for changing
settings that control the behavior and appearance of Gemini CLI. It is
equivalent to manually editing the `.gemini/settings.json` file, but with
validation and guidance to prevent errors. See the
[settings documentation](./settings.md) for a full list of available
settings.
- **Usage:** Simply run `/settings` and the editor will open. You can then
browse or search for specific settings, view their current values, and
modify them as desired. Changes to some settings are applied immediately,
while others require a restart.
### `/ide`
- **`/shells`** (or **`/bashes`**)
- **Description:** Toggle the background shells view. This allows you to view
and manage long-running processes that you've sent to the background.
- **`/setup-github`**
- **Description:** Set up GitHub Actions to triage issues and review PRs with
Gemini.
- **Description:** Manage IDE integration.
- **Sub-commands:**
- **`disable`**:
- **Description:** Disable IDE integration.
- **`enable`**:
- **Description:** Enable IDE integration.
- **`install`**:
- **Description:** Install required IDE companion.
- **`status`**:
- **Description:** Check status of IDE integration.
- [**`/skills`**](./skills.md)
- **Description:** Manage Agent Skills, which provide on-demand expertise and
specialized workflows.
- **Sub-commands:**
- **`disable <name>`**:
- **Description:** Disable a specific skill by name.
- **Usage:** `/skills disable <name>`
- **`enable <name>`**:
- **Description:** Enable a specific skill by name.
- **Usage:** `/skills enable <name>`
- **`list`**:
- **Description:** List all discovered skills and their current status
(enabled/disabled).
- **`reload`**:
- **Description:** Refresh the list of discovered skills from all tiers
(workspace, user, and extensions).
### `/init`
- **`/stats`**
- **Description:** Display detailed statistics for the current Gemini CLI
session, including token usage, cached token savings (when available), and
session duration. Note: Cached token information is only displayed when
cached tokens are being used, which occurs with API key authentication but
not with OAuth authentication at this time.
- **Description:** To help users easily create a `GEMINI.md` file, this command
analyzes the current directory and generates a tailored context file, making
it simpler for them to provide project-specific instructions to the Gemini
agent.
- **`/terminal-setup`**
- **Description:** Configure terminal keybindings for multiline input (VS
Code, Cursor, Windsurf).
### `/mcp`
- [**`/theme`**](./themes.md)
- **Description:** Open a dialog that lets you change the visual theme of
Gemini CLI.
- **Description:** Manage configured Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers.
- **Sub-commands:**
- **`auth`**:
- **Description:** Authenticate with an OAuth-enabled MCP server.
- **Usage:** `/mcp auth <server-name>`
- **Details:** If `<server-name>` is provided, it initiates the OAuth flow
for that server. If no server name is provided, it lists all configured
servers that support OAuth authentication.
- **`desc`**
- **Description:** List configured MCP servers and tools with descriptions.
- **`list`** or **`ls`**:
- **Description:** List configured MCP servers and tools. This is the
default action if no subcommand is specified.
- **`refresh`**:
- **Description:** Restarts all MCP servers and re-discovers their available
tools.
- **`schema`**:
- **Description:** List configured MCP servers and tools with descriptions
and schemas.
- [**`/tools`**](../tools/index.md)
- **Description:** Display a list of tools that are currently available within
Gemini CLI.
- **Usage:** `/tools [desc]`
- **Sub-commands:**
- **`desc`** or **`descriptions`**:
- **Description:** Show detailed descriptions of each tool, including each
tool's name with its full description as provided to the model.
- **`nodesc`** or **`nodescriptions`**:
- **Description:** Hide tool descriptions, showing only the tool names.
### `/memory`
- **`/vim`**
- **Description:** Toggle vim mode on or off. When vim mode is enabled, the
input area supports vim-style navigation and editing commands in both NORMAL
and INSERT modes.
- **Features:**
- **Count support:** Prefix commands with numbers (e.g., `3h`, `5w`, `10G`)
- **Editing commands:** Delete with `x`, change with `c`, insert with `i`,
`a`, `o`, `O`; complex operations like `dd`, `cc`, `dw`, `cw`
- **INSERT mode:** Standard text input with escape to return to NORMAL mode
- **NORMAL mode:** Navigate with `h`, `j`, `k`, `l`; jump by words with `w`,
`b`, `e`; go to line start/end with `0`, `$`, `^`; go to specific lines
with `G` (or `gg` for first line)
- **Persistent setting:** Vim mode preference is saved to
`~/.gemini/settings.json` and restored between sessions
- **Repeat last command:** Use `.` to repeat the last editing operation
- **Status indicator:** When enabled, shows `[NORMAL]` or `[INSERT]` in the
footer
- **Description:** Manage the AI's instructional context (hierarchical memory
loaded from `GEMINI.md` files).
- **Sub-commands:**
- **`add`**:
- **Description:** Adds the following text to the AI's memory. Usage:
`/memory add <text to remember>`
- **`list`**:
- **Description:** Lists the paths of the GEMINI.md files in use for
hierarchical memory.
- **`refresh`**:
- **Description:** Reload the hierarchical instructional memory from all
`GEMINI.md` files found in the configured locations (global,
project/ancestors, and sub-directories). This command updates the model
with the latest `GEMINI.md` content.
- **`show`**:
- **Description:** Display the full, concatenated content of the current
hierarchical memory that has been loaded from all `GEMINI.md` files. This
lets you inspect the instructional context being provided to the Gemini
model.
- **Note:** For more details on how `GEMINI.md` files contribute to
hierarchical memory, see the
[CLI Configuration documentation](../get-started/configuration.md).
### `/model`
- **Description:** Opens a dialog to choose your Gemini model.
### `/policies`
- **Description:** Manage policies.
- **Sub-commands:**
- **`list`**:
- **Description:** List all active policies grouped by mode.
### `/privacy`
- **Description:** Display the Privacy Notice and allow users to select whether
they consent to the collection of their data for service improvement purposes.
### `/quit` (or `/exit`)
- **Description:** Exit Gemini CLI.
### `/restore`
- **Description:** Restores the project files to the state they were in just
before a tool was executed. This is particularly useful for undoing file edits
made by a tool. If run without a tool call ID, it will list available
checkpoints to restore from.
- **Usage:** `/restore [tool_call_id]`
- **Note:** Only available if checkpointing is configured via
[settings](../get-started/configuration.md). See
[Checkpointing documentation](../cli/checkpointing.md) for more details.
### `/rewind`
- **Description:** Navigates backward through the conversation history, letting
you review past interactions and potentially revert both chat state and file
changes.
- **Usage:** Press **Esc** twice as a shortcut.
- **Features:**
- **Select Interaction:** Preview user prompts and file changes.
- **Action Selection:** Choose to rewind history only, revert code changes
only, or both.
### `/resume`
- **Description:** Browse and resume previous conversation sessions. Opens an
interactive session browser where you can search, filter, and select from
automatically saved conversations.
- **Features:**
- **Management:** Delete unwanted sessions directly from the browser
- **Resume:** Select any session to resume and continue the conversation
- **Search:** Use `/` to search through conversation content across all
sessions
- **Session Browser:** Interactive interface showing all saved sessions with
timestamps, message counts, and first user message for context
- **Sorting:** Sort sessions by date or message count
- **Note:** All conversations are automatically saved as you chat - no manual
saving required. See [Session Management](../cli/session-management.md) for
complete details.
### `/settings`
- **Description:** Open the settings editor to view and modify Gemini CLI
settings.
- **Details:** This command provides a user-friendly interface for changing
settings that control the behavior and appearance of Gemini CLI. It is
equivalent to manually editing the `.gemini/settings.json` file, but with
validation and guidance to prevent errors. See the
[settings documentation](./settings.md) for a full list of available settings.
- **Usage:** Simply run `/settings` and the editor will open. You can then
browse or search for specific settings, view their current values, and modify
them as desired. Changes to some settings are applied immediately, while
others require a restart.
### `/shells` (or `/bashes`)
- **Description:** Toggle the background shells view. This allows you to view
and manage long-running processes that you've sent to the background.
### `/setup-github`
- **Description:** Set up GitHub Actions to triage issues and review PRs with
Gemini.
### `/skills`
- **Description:** Manage Agent Skills, which provide on-demand expertise and
specialized workflows.
- **Sub-commands:**
- **`disable <name>`**:
- **Description:** Disable a specific skill by name.
- **Usage:** `/skills disable <name>`
- **`enable <name>`**:
- **Description:** Enable a specific skill by name.
- **Usage:** `/skills enable <name>`
- **`list`**:
- **Description:** List all discovered skills and their current status
(enabled/disabled).
- **`reload`**:
- **Description:** Refresh the list of discovered skills from all tiers
(workspace, user, and extensions).
### `/stats`
- **Description:** Display detailed statistics for the current Gemini CLI
session, including token usage, cached token savings (when available), and
session duration. Note: Cached token information is only displayed when cached
tokens are being used, which occurs with API key authentication but not with
OAuth authentication at this time.
### `/terminal-setup`
- **Description:** Configure terminal keybindings for multiline input (VS Code,
Cursor, Windsurf).
### `/theme`
- **Description:** Open a dialog that lets you change the visual theme of Gemini
CLI.
### `/tools`
- **Description:** Display a list of tools that are currently available within
Gemini CLI.
- **Usage:** `/tools [desc]`
- **Sub-commands:**
- **`desc`** or **`descriptions`**:
- **Description:** Show detailed descriptions of each tool, including each
tool's name with its full description as provided to the model.
- **`nodesc`** or **`nodescriptions`**:
- **Description:** Hide tool descriptions, showing only the tool names.
### `/vim`
- **Description:** Toggle vim mode on or off. When vim mode is enabled, the
input area supports vim-style navigation and editing commands in both NORMAL
and INSERT modes.
- **Features:**
- **Count support:** Prefix commands with numbers (e.g., `3h`, `5w`, `10G`)
- **Editing commands:** Delete with `x`, change with `c`, insert with `i`,
`a`, `o`, `O`; complex operations like `dd`, `cc`, `dw`, `cw`
- **INSERT mode:** Standard text input with escape to return to NORMAL mode
- **NORMAL mode:** Navigate with `h`, `j`, `k`, `l`; jump by words with `w`,
`b`, `e`; go to line start/end with `0`, `$`, `^`; go to specific lines with
`G` (or `gg` for first line)
- **Persistent setting:** Vim mode preference is saved to
`~/.gemini/settings.json` and restored between sessions
- **Repeat last command:** Use `.` to repeat the last editing operation
- **Status indicator:** When enabled, shows `[NORMAL]` or `[INSERT]` in the
footer
### Custom commands

30
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@@ -19,18 +19,18 @@ order:
- **Location:** `~/.gemini/GEMINI.md` (in your user home directory).
- **Scope:** Provides default instructions for all your projects.
2. **Project root and ancestor context files:**
- **Location:** The CLI searches for a `GEMINI.md` file in your current
working directory and then in each parent directory up to the project root
(identified by a `.git` folder).
- **Scope:** Provides context relevant to the entire project.
2. **Environment and workspace context files:**
- **Location:** The CLI searches for `GEMINI.md` files in your configured
workspace directories and their parent directories.
- **Scope:** Provides context relevant to the projects you are currently
working on.
3. **Sub-directory context files:**
- **Location:** The CLI also scans for `GEMINI.md` files in subdirectories
below your current working directory. It respects rules in `.gitignore`
and `.geminiignore`.
- **Scope:** Lets you write highly specific instructions for a particular
component or module.
3. **Just-in-time (JIT) context files:**
- **Location:** When a tool accesses a file or directory, the CLI
automatically scans for `GEMINI.md` files in that directory and its
ancestors up to a trusted root.
- **Scope:** Lets the model discover highly specific instructions for
particular components only when they are needed.
The CLI footer displays the number of loaded context files, which gives you a
quick visual cue of the active instructional context.
@@ -106,3 +106,11 @@ While `GEMINI.md` is the default filename, you can configure this in your
}
}
```
## Next steps
- Learn about [Ignoring files](./gemini-ignore.md) to exclude content from the
context system.
- Explore the [Memory tool](../tools/memory.md) to save persistent memories.
- See how to use [Custom commands](./custom-commands.md) to automate common
prompts.

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@@ -1,388 +1,50 @@
# Headless mode
# Headless mode reference
Headless mode allows you to run Gemini CLI programmatically from command line
scripts and automation tools without any interactive UI. This is ideal for
scripting, automation, CI/CD pipelines, and building AI-powered tools.
Headless mode provides a programmatic interface to Gemini CLI, returning
structured text or JSON output without an interactive terminal UI.
- [Headless Mode](#headless-mode)
- [Overview](#overview)
- [Basic Usage](#basic-usage)
- [Direct Prompts](#direct-prompts)
- [Stdin Input](#stdin-input)
- [Combining with File Input](#combining-with-file-input)
- [Output Formats](#output-formats)
- [Text Output (Default)](#text-output-default)
- [JSON Output](#json-output)
- [Response Schema](#response-schema)
- [Example Usage](#example-usage)
- [Streaming JSON Output](#streaming-json-output)
- [When to Use Streaming JSON](#when-to-use-streaming-json)
- [Event Types](#event-types)
- [Basic Usage](#basic-usage)
- [Example Output](#example-output)
- [Processing Stream Events](#processing-stream-events)
- [Real-World Examples](#real-world-examples)
- [File Redirection](#file-redirection)
- [Configuration Options](#configuration-options)
- [Examples](#examples)
- [Code review](#code-review)
- [Generate commit messages](#generate-commit-messages)
- [API documentation](#api-documentation)
- [Batch code analysis](#batch-code-analysis)
- [Code review](#code-review-1)
- [Log analysis](#log-analysis)
- [Release notes generation](#release-notes-generation)
- [Model and tool usage tracking](#model-and-tool-usage-tracking)
- [Resources](#resources)
## Technical reference
## Overview
Headless mode is triggered when the CLI is run in a non-TTY environment or when
providing a query as a positional argument without the interactive flag.
The headless mode provides a headless interface to Gemini CLI that:
### Output formats
- Accepts prompts via command line arguments or stdin
- Returns structured output (text or JSON)
- Supports file redirection and piping
- Enables automation and scripting workflows
- Provides consistent exit codes for error handling
You can specify the output format using the `--output-format` flag.
## Basic usage
#### JSON output
### Direct prompts
Returns a single JSON object containing the response and usage statistics.
Use the `--prompt` (or `-p`) flag to run in headless mode:
- **Schema:**
- `response`: (string) The model's final answer.
- `stats`: (object) Token usage and API latency metrics.
- `error`: (object, optional) Error details if the request failed.
```bash
gemini --prompt "What is machine learning?"
```
#### Streaming JSON output
### Stdin input
Returns a stream of newline-delimited JSON (JSONL) events.
Pipe input to Gemini CLI from your terminal:
- **Event types:**
- `init`: Session metadata (session ID, model).
- `message`: User and assistant message chunks.
- `tool_use`: Tool call requests with arguments.
- `tool_result`: Output from executed tools.
- `error`: Non-fatal warnings and system errors.
- `result`: Final outcome with aggregated statistics.
```bash
echo "Explain this code" | gemini
```
## Exit codes
### Combining with file input
The CLI returns standard exit codes to indicate the result of the headless
execution:
Read from files and process with Gemini:
- `0`: Success.
- `1`: General error or API failure.
- `42`: Input error (invalid prompt or arguments).
- `53`: Turn limit exceeded.
```bash
cat README.md | gemini --prompt "Summarize this documentation"
```
## Next steps
## Output formats
### Text output (default)
Standard human-readable output:
```bash
gemini -p "What is the capital of France?"
```
Response format:
```
The capital of France is Paris.
```
### JSON output
Returns structured data including response, statistics, and metadata. This
format is ideal for programmatic processing and automation scripts.
#### Response schema
The JSON output follows this high-level structure:
```json
{
"response": "string", // The main AI-generated content answering your prompt
"stats": {
// Usage metrics and performance data
"models": {
// Per-model API and token usage statistics
"[model-name]": {
"api": {
/* request counts, errors, latency */
},
"tokens": {
/* prompt, response, cached, total counts */
}
}
},
"tools": {
// Tool execution statistics
"totalCalls": "number",
"totalSuccess": "number",
"totalFail": "number",
"totalDurationMs": "number",
"totalDecisions": {
/* accept, reject, modify, auto_accept counts */
},
"byName": {
/* per-tool detailed stats */
}
},
"files": {
// File modification statistics
"totalLinesAdded": "number",
"totalLinesRemoved": "number"
}
},
"error": {
// Present only when an error occurred
"type": "string", // Error type (e.g., "ApiError", "AuthError")
"message": "string", // Human-readable error description
"code": "number" // Optional error code
}
}
```
#### Example usage
```bash
gemini -p "What is the capital of France?" --output-format json
```
Response:
```json
{
"response": "The capital of France is Paris.",
"stats": {
"models": {
"gemini-2.5-pro": {
"api": {
"totalRequests": 2,
"totalErrors": 0,
"totalLatencyMs": 5053
},
"tokens": {
"prompt": 24939,
"candidates": 20,
"total": 25113,
"cached": 21263,
"thoughts": 154,
"tool": 0
}
},
"gemini-2.5-flash": {
"api": {
"totalRequests": 1,
"totalErrors": 0,
"totalLatencyMs": 1879
},
"tokens": {
"prompt": 8965,
"candidates": 10,
"total": 9033,
"cached": 0,
"thoughts": 30,
"tool": 28
}
}
},
"tools": {
"totalCalls": 1,
"totalSuccess": 1,
"totalFail": 0,
"totalDurationMs": 1881,
"totalDecisions": {
"accept": 0,
"reject": 0,
"modify": 0,
"auto_accept": 1
},
"byName": {
"google_web_search": {
"count": 1,
"success": 1,
"fail": 0,
"durationMs": 1881,
"decisions": {
"accept": 0,
"reject": 0,
"modify": 0,
"auto_accept": 1
}
}
}
},
"files": {
"totalLinesAdded": 0,
"totalLinesRemoved": 0
}
}
}
```
### Streaming JSON output
Returns real-time events as newline-delimited JSON (JSONL). Each significant
action (initialization, messages, tool calls, results) emits immediately as it
occurs. This format is ideal for monitoring long-running operations, building
UIs with live progress, and creating automation pipelines that react to events.
#### When to use streaming JSON
Use `--output-format stream-json` when you need:
- **Real-time progress monitoring** - See tool calls and responses as they
happen
- **Event-driven automation** - React to specific events (e.g., tool failures)
- **Live UI updates** - Build interfaces showing AI agent activity in real-time
- **Detailed execution logs** - Capture complete interaction history with
timestamps
- **Pipeline integration** - Stream events to logging/monitoring systems
#### Event types
The streaming format emits 6 event types:
1. **`init`** - Session starts (includes session_id, model)
2. **`message`** - User prompts and assistant responses
3. **`tool_use`** - Tool call requests with parameters
4. **`tool_result`** - Tool execution results (success/error)
5. **`error`** - Non-fatal errors and warnings
6. **`result`** - Final session outcome with aggregated stats
#### Basic usage
```bash
# Stream events to console
gemini --output-format stream-json --prompt "What is 2+2?"
# Save event stream to file
gemini --output-format stream-json --prompt "Analyze this code" > events.jsonl
# Parse with jq
gemini --output-format stream-json --prompt "List files" | jq -r '.type'
```
#### Example output
Each line is a complete JSON event:
```jsonl
{"type":"init","timestamp":"2025-10-10T12:00:00.000Z","session_id":"abc123","model":"gemini-2.0-flash-exp"}
{"type":"message","role":"user","content":"List files in current directory","timestamp":"2025-10-10T12:00:01.000Z"}
{"type":"tool_use","tool_name":"Bash","tool_id":"bash-123","parameters":{"command":"ls -la"},"timestamp":"2025-10-10T12:00:02.000Z"}
{"type":"tool_result","tool_id":"bash-123","status":"success","output":"file1.txt\nfile2.txt","timestamp":"2025-10-10T12:00:03.000Z"}
{"type":"message","role":"assistant","content":"Here are the files...","delta":true,"timestamp":"2025-10-10T12:00:04.000Z"}
{"type":"result","status":"success","stats":{"total_tokens":250,"input_tokens":50,"output_tokens":200,"duration_ms":3000,"tool_calls":1},"timestamp":"2025-10-10T12:00:05.000Z"}
```
### File redirection
Save output to files or pipe to other commands:
```bash
# Save to file
gemini -p "Explain Docker" > docker-explanation.txt
gemini -p "Explain Docker" --output-format json > docker-explanation.json
# Append to file
gemini -p "Add more details" >> docker-explanation.txt
# Pipe to other tools
gemini -p "What is Kubernetes?" --output-format json | jq '.response'
gemini -p "Explain microservices" | wc -w
gemini -p "List programming languages" | grep -i "python"
```
## Configuration options
Key command-line options for headless usage:
| Option | Description | Example |
| ----------------------- | ---------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------- |
| `--prompt`, `-p` | Run in headless mode | `gemini -p "query"` |
| `--output-format` | Specify output format (text, json) | `gemini -p "query" --output-format json` |
| `--model`, `-m` | Specify the Gemini model | `gemini -p "query" -m gemini-2.5-flash` |
| `--debug`, `-d` | Enable debug mode | `gemini -p "query" --debug` |
| `--include-directories` | Include additional directories | `gemini -p "query" --include-directories src,docs` |
| `--yolo`, `-y` | Auto-approve all actions | `gemini -p "query" --yolo` |
| `--approval-mode` | Set approval mode | `gemini -p "query" --approval-mode auto_edit` |
For complete details on all available configuration options, settings files, and
environment variables, see the
[Configuration Guide](../get-started/configuration.md).
## Examples
#### Code review
```bash
cat src/auth.py | gemini -p "Review this authentication code for security issues" > security-review.txt
```
#### Generate commit messages
```bash
result=$(git diff --cached | gemini -p "Write a concise commit message for these changes" --output-format json)
echo "$result" | jq -r '.response'
```
#### API documentation
```bash
result=$(cat api/routes.js | gemini -p "Generate OpenAPI spec for these routes" --output-format json)
echo "$result" | jq -r '.response' > openapi.json
```
#### Batch code analysis
```bash
for file in src/*.py; do
echo "Analyzing $file..."
result=$(cat "$file" | gemini -p "Find potential bugs and suggest improvements" --output-format json)
echo "$result" | jq -r '.response' > "reports/$(basename "$file").analysis"
echo "Completed analysis for $(basename "$file")" >> reports/progress.log
done
```
#### Code review
```bash
result=$(git diff origin/main...HEAD | gemini -p "Review these changes for bugs, security issues, and code quality" --output-format json)
echo "$result" | jq -r '.response' > pr-review.json
```
#### Log analysis
```bash
grep "ERROR" /var/log/app.log | tail -20 | gemini -p "Analyze these errors and suggest root cause and fixes" > error-analysis.txt
```
#### Release notes generation
```bash
result=$(git log --oneline v1.0.0..HEAD | gemini -p "Generate release notes from these commits" --output-format json)
response=$(echo "$result" | jq -r '.response')
echo "$response"
echo "$response" >> CHANGELOG.md
```
#### Model and tool usage tracking
```bash
result=$(gemini -p "Explain this database schema" --include-directories db --output-format json)
total_tokens=$(echo "$result" | jq -r '.stats.models // {} | to_entries | map(.value.tokens.total) | add // 0')
models_used=$(echo "$result" | jq -r '.stats.models // {} | keys | join(", ") | if . == "" then "none" else . end')
tool_calls=$(echo "$result" | jq -r '.stats.tools.totalCalls // 0')
tools_used=$(echo "$result" | jq -r '.stats.tools.byName // {} | keys | join(", ") | if . == "" then "none" else . end')
echo "$(date): $total_tokens tokens, $tool_calls tool calls ($tools_used) used with models: $models_used" >> usage.log
echo "$result" | jq -r '.response' > schema-docs.md
echo "Recent usage trends:"
tail -5 usage.log
```
## Resources
- [CLI Configuration](../get-started/configuration.md) - Complete configuration
guide
- [Authentication](../get-started/authentication.md) - Setup authentication
- [Commands](./commands.md) - Interactive commands reference
- [Tutorials](./tutorials.md) - Step-by-step automation guides
- Follow the [Automation tutorial](./tutorials/automation.md) for practical
scripting examples.
- See the [CLI reference](./cli-reference.md) for all available flags.

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@@ -1,67 +1,123 @@
# Gemini CLI
# Using Gemini CLI
Within Gemini CLI, `packages/cli` is the frontend for users to send and receive
prompts with the Gemini AI model and its associated tools. For a general
overview of Gemini CLI, see the [main documentation page](../index.md).
Gemini CLI is a terminal-first interface that brings the power of Gemini AI
models directly into your development workflow. It lets you interact with AI
using your local files, shell environment, and project context, creating a
bridge between generative AI and your system tools.
## Basic features
## User guides
- **[Commands](./commands.md):** A reference for all built-in slash commands
- **[Custom commands](./custom-commands.md):** Create your own commands and
shortcuts for frequently used prompts.
- **[Headless mode](./headless.md):** Use Gemini CLI programmatically for
scripting and automation.
- **[Model selection](./model.md):** Configure the Gemini AI model used by the
CLI.
- **[Settings](./settings.md):** Configure various aspects of the CLI's behavior
and appearance.
- **[Themes](./themes.md):** Customizing the CLI's appearance with different
themes.
- **[Keyboard shortcuts](./keyboard-shortcuts.md):** A reference for all
keyboard shortcuts to improve your workflow.
- **[Tutorials](./tutorials.md):** Step-by-step guides for common tasks.
These guides provide step-by-step instructions and practical examples for using
Gemini CLI in your daily development workflow.
## Advanced features
- **[Quickstart](../get-started/index.md):** Get up and running with Gemini CLI
in minutes.
- **[Examples](../get-started/examples.md):** See practical examples of Gemini
CLI in action.
- **[Get started with skills](./tutorials/skills-getting-started.md):** Learn
how to use and manage specialized expertise.
- **[File management](./tutorials/file-management.md):** How to include, search,
and modify local files.
- **[Set up an MCP server](./tutorials/mcp-setup.md):** Configure Model Context
Protocol servers for custom tools.
- **[Manage context and memory](./tutorials/memory-management.md):** Manage
persistent instructions and individual facts.
- **[Manage sessions and history](./tutorials/session-management.md):** Resume,
manage, and rewind your conversations.
- **[Execute shell commands](./tutorials/shell-commands.md):** Execute system
commands safely directly from your prompt.
- **[Plan tasks with todos](./tutorials/task-planning.md):** Using todos for
complex, multi-step agent requests.
- **[Web search and fetch](./tutorials/web-tools.md):** Searching and fetching
content from the web.
## Features
Technical reference documentation for each capability of Gemini CLI.
- **[/about](../cli/commands.md#about):** Show version info.
- **[/auth](../cli/commands.md#auth):** Change authentication method.
- **[/bug](../cli/commands.md#bug):** File an issue about Gemini CLI.
- **[/chat](../cli/commands.md#chat):** Save and resume conversation history.
- **[/clear](../cli/commands.md#clear):** Clear the terminal screen.
- **[/compress](../cli/commands.md#compress):** Replace context with a summary.
- **[/copy](../cli/commands.md#copy):** Copy output to clipboard.
- **[/directory](../cli/commands.md#directory-or-dir):** Manage workspace
directories.
- **[/docs](../cli/commands.md#docs):** Open documentation in browser.
- **[/editor](../cli/commands.md#editor):** Select preferred editor.
- **[/extensions](../cli/commands.md#extensions):** List active extensions.
- **[/help](../cli/commands.md#help-or):** Display help information.
- **[/hooks](../hooks/index.md):** Manage hooks for lifecycle events.
- **[/ide](../ide-integration/index.md):** Manage IDE integration.
- **[/init](../cli/commands.md#init):** Create a GEMINI.md context file.
- **[/mcp](../tools/mcp-server.md):** Manage Model Context Protocol servers.
- **[/memory](../cli/commands.md#memory):** Manage instructional context.
- **[/model](./model.md):** Choose Gemini model.
- **[/policies](../cli/commands.md#policies):** Manage security policies.
- **[/privacy](../cli/commands.md#privacy):** Display privacy notice.
- **[/quit](../cli/commands.md#quit-or-exit):** Exit Gemini CLI.
- **[/restore](../cli/commands.md#restore):** Restore file state.
- **[/resume](../cli/commands.md#resume):** Browse and resume sessions.
- **[/rewind](./rewind.md):** Navigate backward through history.
- **[/settings](./settings.md):** Open settings editor.
- **[/setup-github](../cli/commands.md#setup-github):** Set up GitHub Actions.
- **[/shells](../cli/commands.md#shells-or-bashes):** Toggle background shells
view.
- **[/skills](./skills.md):** Manage Agent Skills.
- **[/stats](../cli/commands.md#stats):** Display session statistics.
- **[/terminal-setup](../cli/commands.md#terminal-setup):** Configure
keybindings.
- **[/theme](./themes.md):** Change visual theme.
- **[/tools](../cli/commands.md#tools):** Display list of available tools.
- **[/vim](../cli/commands.md#vim):** Toggle vim mode.
- **[Activate skill (tool)](../tools/activate-skill.md):** Internal mechanism
for loading expert procedures.
- **[Ask user (tool)](../tools/ask-user.md):** Internal dialog system for
clarification.
- **[Checkpointing](./checkpointing.md):** Automatic session snapshots.
- **[File system (tool)](../tools/file-system.md):** Technical details for local
file operations.
- **[Headless mode](./headless.md):** Programmatic and scripting interface.
- **[Internal documentation (tool)](../tools/internal-docs.md):** Technical
lookup for CLI features.
- **[Memory (tool)](../tools/memory.md):** Storage details for persistent facts.
- **[Model routing](./model-routing.md):** Automatic fallback resilience.
- **[Plan mode (experimental)](./plan-mode.md):** Use a safe, read-only mode for
planning complex changes.
- **[Checkpointing](./checkpointing.md):** Automatically save and restore
snapshots of your session and files.
- **[Enterprise configuration](./enterprise.md):** Deploy and manage Gemini CLI
in an enterprise environment.
- **[Sandboxing](./sandbox.md):** Isolate tool execution in a secure,
containerized environment.
- **[Agent Skills](./skills.md):** Extend the CLI with specialized expertise and
procedural workflows.
- **[Telemetry](./telemetry.md):** Configure observability to monitor usage and
performance.
- **[Token caching](./token-caching.md):** Optimize API costs by caching tokens.
- **[Trusted folders](./trusted-folders.md):** A security feature to control
which projects can use the full capabilities of the CLI.
- **[Ignoring files (.geminiignore)](./gemini-ignore.md):** Exclude specific
files and directories from being accessed by tools.
- **[Context files (GEMINI.md)](./gemini-md.md):** Provide persistent,
hierarchical context to the model.
- **[System prompt override](./system-prompt.md):** Replace the built‑in system
instructions using `GEMINI_SYSTEM_MD`.
- **[Sandboxing](./sandbox.md):** Isolate tool execution.
- **[Shell (tool)](../tools/shell.md):** Detailed system execution parameters.
- **[Telemetry](./telemetry.md):** Usage and performance metric details.
- **[Todo (tool)](../tools/todos.md):** Progress tracking specification.
- **[Token caching](./token-caching.md):** Performance optimization.
- **[Web fetch (tool)](../tools/web-fetch.md):** URL retrieval and extraction
details.
- **[Web search (tool)](../tools/web-search.md):** Google Search integration
technicals.
## Non-interactive mode
## Configuration
Gemini CLI can be run in a non-interactive mode, which is useful for scripting
and automation. In this mode, you pipe input to the CLI, it executes the
command, and then it exits.
Settings and customization options for Gemini CLI.
The following example pipes a command to Gemini CLI from your terminal:
- **[Custom commands](./custom-commands.md):** Personalized shortcuts.
- **[Enterprise configuration](./enterprise.md):** Professional environment
controls.
- **[Ignore files (.geminiignore)](./gemini-ignore.md):** Exclusion pattern
reference.
- **[Model configuration](./generation-settings.md):** Fine-tune generation
parameters like temperature and thinking budget.
- **[Project context (GEMINI.md)](./gemini-md.md):** Technical hierarchy of
context files.
- **[Settings](./settings.md):** Full `settings.json` schema.
- **[System prompt override](./system-prompt.md):** Instruction replacement
logic.
- **[Themes](./themes.md):** UI personalization technical guide.
- **[Trusted folders](./trusted-folders.md):** Security permission logic.
```bash
echo "What is fine tuning?" | gemini
```
## Next steps
You can also use the `--prompt` or `-p` flag:
```bash
gemini -p "What is fine tuning?"
```
For comprehensive documentation on headless usage, scripting, automation, and
advanced examples, see the **[Headless mode](./headless.md)** guide.
- Explore the [Command reference](./commands.md) to learn about all available
slash commands.
- Read about [Project context](./gemini-md.md) to understand how to provide
persistent instructions to the model.
- See the [CLI reference](./cli-reference.md) for a quick cheatsheet of flags.

22
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@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
# Rewind
The `/rewind` command allows you to go back to a previous state in your
conversation and, optionally, revert any file changes made by the AI during
those interactions. This is a powerful tool for undoing mistakes, exploring
different approaches, or simply cleaning up your session history.
The `/rewind` command lets you go back to a previous state in your conversation
and, optionally, revert any file changes made by the AI during those
interactions. This is a powerful tool for undoing mistakes, exploring different
approaches, or simply cleaning up your session history.
## Usage
@@ -17,13 +17,13 @@ Alternatively, you can use the keyboard shortcut: **Press `Esc` twice**.
When you trigger a rewind, an interactive list of your previous interactions
appears.
1. **Select Interaction:** Use the **Up/Down arrow keys** to navigate through
1. **Select interaction:** Use the **Up/Down arrow keys** to navigate through
the list. The most recent interactions are at the bottom.
2. **Preview:** As you select an interaction, you'll see a preview of the user
prompt and, if applicable, the number of files changed during that step.
3. **Confirm Selection:** Press **Enter** on the interaction you want to rewind
3. **Confirm selection:** Press **Enter** on the interaction you want to rewind
back to.
4. **Action Selection:** After selecting an interaction, you'll be presented
4. **Action selection:** After selecting an interaction, you'll be presented
with a confirmation dialog with up to three options:
- **Rewind conversation and revert code changes:** Reverts both the chat
history and the file modifications to the state before the selected
@@ -37,14 +37,14 @@ appears.
If no code changes were made since the selected point, the options related to
reverting code changes will be hidden.
## Key Considerations
## Key considerations
- **Destructive Action:** Rewinding is a destructive action for your current
- **Destructive action:** Rewinding is a destructive action for your current
session history and potentially your files. Use it with care.
- **Agent Awareness:** When you rewind the conversation, the AI model loses all
- **Agent awareness:** When you rewind the conversation, the AI model loses all
memory of the interactions that were removed. If you only revert code changes,
you may need to inform the model that the files have changed.
- **Manual Edits:** Rewinding only affects file changes made by the AI's edit
- **Manual edits:** Rewinding only affects file changes made by the AI's edit
tools. It does **not** undo manual edits you've made or changes triggered by
the shell tool (`!`).
- **Compression:** Rewind works across chat compression points by reconstructing

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@@ -1,32 +1,36 @@
# Session Management
# Session management
Gemini CLI includes robust session management features that automatically save
your conversation history. This allows you to interrupt your work and resume
exactly where you left off, review past interactions, and manage your
conversation history effectively.
Session management saves your conversation history so you can resume your work
where you left off. Use these features to review past interactions, manage
history across different projects, and configure how long data is retained.
## Automatic Saving
## Automatic saving
Every time you interact with Gemini CLI, your session is automatically saved.
This happens in the background without any manual intervention.
Your session history is recorded automatically as you interact with the model.
This background process ensures your work is preserved even if you interrupt a
session.
- **What is saved:** The complete conversation history, including:
- Your prompts and the model's responses.
- All tool executions (inputs and outputs).
- Token usage statistics (input/output/cached, etc.).
- Assistant thoughts/reasoning summaries (when available).
- **Location:** Sessions are stored in `~/.gemini/tmp/<project_hash>/chats/`.
- Token usage statistics (input, output, cached, etc.).
- Assistant thoughts and reasoning summaries (when available).
- **Location:** Sessions are stored in `~/.gemini/tmp/<project_hash>/chats/`,
where `<project_hash>` is a unique identifier based on your project's root
directory.
- **Scope:** Sessions are project-specific. Switching directories to a different
project will switch to that project's session history.
project switches to that project's session history.
## Resuming Sessions
## Resuming sessions
You can resume a previous session to continue the conversation with all prior
context restored.
context restored. Resuming is supported both through command-line flags and an
interactive browser.
### From the Command Line
### From the command line
When starting the CLI, you can use the `--resume` (or `-r`) flag:
When starting Gemini CLI, use the `--resume` (or `-r`) flag to load existing
sessions.
- **Resume latest:**
@@ -36,8 +40,8 @@ When starting the CLI, you can use the `--resume` (or `-r`) flag:
This immediately loads the most recent session.
- **Resume by index:** First, list available sessions (see
[Listing Sessions](#listing-sessions)), then use the index number:
- **Resume by index:** List available sessions first (see
[Listing sessions](#listing-sessions)), then use the index number:
```bash
gemini --resume 1
@@ -48,30 +52,35 @@ When starting the CLI, you can use the `--resume` (or `-r`) flag:
gemini --resume a1b2c3d4-e5f6-7890-abcd-ef1234567890
```
### From the Interactive Interface
### From the interactive interface
While the CLI is running, you can use the `/resume` slash command to open the
**Session Browser**:
While the CLI is running, use the `/resume` slash command to open the **Session
Browser**:
```text
/resume
```
This opens an interactive interface where you can:
The Session Browser provides an interactive interface where you can perform the
following actions:
- **Browse:** Scroll through a list of your past sessions.
- **Preview:** See details like the session date, message count, and the first
user prompt.
- **Search:** Press `/` to enter search mode, then type to filter sessions by ID
or content.
- **Select:** Press `Enter` to resume the selected session.
- **Select:** Press **Enter** to resume the selected session.
- **Esc:** Press **Esc** to exit the Session Browser.
## Managing Sessions
## Managing sessions
### Listing Sessions
You can list and delete sessions to keep your history organized and manage disk
space.
### Listing sessions
To see a list of all available sessions for the current project from the command
line:
line, use the `--list-sessions` flag:
```bash
gemini --list-sessions
@@ -87,12 +96,12 @@ Available sessions for this project (3):
3. Update documentation (Just now) [abcd1234]
```
### Deleting Sessions
### Deleting sessions
You can remove old or unwanted sessions to free up space or declutter your
history.
**From the Command Line:** Use the `--delete-session` flag with an index or ID:
**From the command line:** Use the `--delete-session` flag with an index or ID:
```bash
gemini --delete-session 2
@@ -102,17 +111,18 @@ gemini --delete-session 2
1. Open the browser with `/resume`.
2. Navigate to the session you want to remove.
3. Press `x`.
3. Press **x**.
## Configuration
You can configure how Gemini CLI manages your session history in your
`settings.json` file.
`settings.json` file. These settings let you control retention policies and
session lengths.
### Session Retention
### Session retention
To prevent your history from growing indefinitely, you can enable automatic
cleanup policies.
To prevent your history from growing indefinitely, enable automatic cleanup
policies in your settings.
```json
{
@@ -126,20 +136,20 @@ cleanup policies.
}
```
- **`enabled`**: (boolean) Master switch for session cleanup. Default is
- **`enabled`**: (boolean) Master switch for session cleanup. Defaults to
`false`.
- **`maxAge`**: (string) Duration to keep sessions (e.g., "24h", "7d", "4w").
Sessions older than this will be deleted.
- **`maxAge`**: (string) Duration to keep sessions (for example, "24h", "7d",
"4w"). Sessions older than this are deleted.
- **`maxCount`**: (number) Maximum number of sessions to retain. The oldest
sessions exceeding this count will be deleted.
sessions exceeding this count are deleted.
- **`minRetention`**: (string) Minimum retention period (safety limit). Defaults
to `"1d"`; sessions newer than this period are never deleted by automatic
to `"1d"`. Sessions newer than this period are never deleted by automatic
cleanup.
### Session Limits
### Session limits
You can also limit the length of individual sessions to prevent context windows
from becoming too large and expensive.
You can limit the length of individual sessions to prevent context windows from
becoming too large and expensive.
```json
{
@@ -149,10 +159,17 @@ from becoming too large and expensive.
}
```
- **`maxSessionTurns`**: (number) The maximum number of turns (user + model
- **`maxSessionTurns`**: (number) The maximum number of turns (user and model
exchanges) allowed in a single session. Set to `-1` for unlimited (default).
**Behavior when limit is reached:**
- **Interactive Mode:** The CLI shows an informational message and stops
- **Interactive mode:** The CLI shows an informational message and stops
sending requests to the model. You must manually start a new session.
- **Non-Interactive Mode:** The CLI exits with an error.
- **Non-interactive mode:** The CLI exits with an error.
## Next steps
- Explore the [Memory tool](../tools/memory.md) to save persistent information
across sessions.
- Learn how to [Checkpoint](./checkpointing.md) your session state.
- Check out the [CLI reference](./cli-reference.md) for all command-line flags.

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@@ -46,8 +46,8 @@ remembered across sessions.
## Custom color themes
Gemini CLI allows you to create your own custom color themes by specifying them
in your `settings.json` file. This gives you full control over the color palette
Gemini CLI lets you create your own custom color themes by specifying them in
your `settings.json` file. This gives you full control over the color palette
used in the CLI.
### How to define a custom theme

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@@ -1,87 +0,0 @@
# Tutorials
This page contains tutorials for interacting with Gemini CLI.
## Agent Skills
- [Getting Started with Agent Skills](./tutorials/skills-getting-started.md)
## Setting up a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server
> [!CAUTION] Before using a third-party MCP server, ensure you trust its source
> and understand the tools it provides. Your use of third-party servers is at
> your own risk.
This tutorial demonstrates how to set up an MCP server, using the
[GitHub MCP server](https://github.com/github/github-mcp-server) as an example.
The GitHub MCP server provides tools for interacting with GitHub repositories,
such as creating issues and commenting on pull requests.
### Prerequisites
Before you begin, ensure you have the following installed and configured:
- **Docker:** Install and run [Docker].
- **GitHub Personal Access Token (PAT):** Create a new [classic] or
[fine-grained] PAT with the necessary scopes.
[Docker]: https://www.docker.com/
[classic]: https://github.com/settings/tokens/new
[fine-grained]: https://github.com/settings/personal-access-tokens/new
### Guide
#### Configure the MCP server in `settings.json`
In your project's root directory, create or open the
[`.gemini/settings.json` file](../get-started/configuration.md). Within the
file, add the `mcpServers` configuration block, which provides instructions for
how to launch the GitHub MCP server.
```json
{
"mcpServers": {
"github": {
"command": "docker",
"args": [
"run",
"-i",
"--rm",
"-e",
"GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN",
"ghcr.io/github/github-mcp-server"
],
"env": {
"GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN": "${GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN}"
}
}
}
}
```
#### Set your GitHub token
> [!CAUTION] Using a broadly scoped personal access token that has access to
> personal and private repositories can lead to information from the private
> repository being leaked into the public repository. We recommend using a
> fine-grained access token that doesn't share access to both public and private
> repositories.
Use an environment variable to store your GitHub PAT:
```bash
GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN="pat_YourActualGitHubTokenHere"
```
Gemini CLI uses this value in the `mcpServers` configuration that you defined in
the `settings.json` file.
#### Launch Gemini CLI and verify the connection
When you launch Gemini CLI, it automatically reads your configuration and
launches the GitHub MCP server in the background. You can then use natural
language prompts to ask Gemini CLI to perform GitHub actions. For example:
```bash
"get all open issues assigned to me in the 'foo/bar' repo and prioritize them"
```

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# Automate tasks with headless mode
Automate tasks with Gemini CLI. Learn how to use headless mode, pipe data into
Gemini CLI, automate workflows with shell scripts, and generate structured JSON
output for other applications.
## Prerequisites
- Gemini CLI installed and authenticated.
- Familiarity with shell scripting (Bash/Zsh).
## Why headless mode?
Headless mode runs Gemini CLI once and exits. It's perfect for:
- **CI/CD:** Analyzing pull requests automatically.
- **Batch processing:** Summarizing a large number of log files.
- **Tool building:** Creating your own "AI wrapper" scripts.
## How to use headless mode
Run Gemini CLI in headless mode by providing a prompt as a positional argument.
This bypasses the interactive chat interface and prints the response to standard
output (stdout).
Run a single command:
```bash
gemini "Write a poem about TypeScript"
```
## How to pipe input to Gemini CLI
Feed data into Gemini using the standard Unix pipe `|`. Gemini reads the
standard input (stdin) as context and answers your question using standard
output.
Pipe a file:
```bash
cat error.log | gemini "Explain why this failed"
```
Pipe a command:
```bash
git diff | gemini "Write a commit message for these changes"
```
## Use Gemini CLI output in scripts
Because Gemini prints to stdout, you can chain it with other tools or save the
results to a file.
### Scenario: Bulk documentation generator
You have a folder of Python scripts and want to generate a `README.md` for each
one.
1. Save the following code as `generate_docs.sh`:
```bash
#!/bin/bash
# Loop through all Python files
for file in *.py; do
echo "Generating docs for $file..."
# Ask Gemini CLI to generate the documentation and print it to stdout
gemini "Generate a Markdown documentation summary for @$file. Print the
result to standard output." > "${file%.py}.md"
done
```
2. Make the script executable and run it in your directory:
```bash
chmod +x generate_docs.sh
./generate_docs.sh
```
This creates a corresponding Markdown file for every Python file in the
folder.
## Extract structured JSON data
When writing a script, you often need structured data (JSON) to pass to tools
like `jq`. To get pure JSON data from the model, combine the
`--output-format json` flag with `jq` to parse the response field.
### Scenario: Extract and return structured data
1. Save the following script as `generate_json.sh`:
```bash
#!/bin/bash
# Ensure we are in a project root
if [ ! -f "package.json" ]; then
echo "Error: package.json not found."
exit 1
fi
# Extract data
gemini --output-format json "Return a raw JSON object with keys 'version' and 'deps' from @package.json" | jq -r '.response' > data.json
```
2. Run `generate_json.sh`:
```bash
chmod +x generate_json.sh
./generate_json.sh
```
3. Check `data.json`. The file should look like this:
```json
{
"version": "1.0.0",
"deps": {
"react": "^18.2.0"
}
}
```
## Build your own custom AI tools
Use headless mode to perform custom, automated AI tasks.
### Scenario: Create a "Smart Commit" alias
You can add a function to your shell configuration (like `.zshrc` or `.bashrc`)
to create a `git commit` wrapper that writes the message for you.
1. Open your `.zshrc` file (or `.bashrc` if you use Bash) in your preferred
text editor.
```bash
nano ~/.zshrc
```
**Note**: If you use VS Code, you can run `code ~/.zshrc`.
2. Scroll to the very bottom of the file and paste this code:
```bash
function gcommit() {
# Get the diff of staged changes
diff=$(git diff --staged)
if [ -z "$diff" ]; then
echo "No staged changes to commit."
return 1
fi
# Ask Gemini to write the message
echo "Generating commit message..."
msg=$(echo "$diff" | gemini "Write a concise Conventional Commit message for this diff. Output ONLY the message.")
# Commit with the generated message
git commit -m "$msg"
}
```
Save your file and exit.
3. Run this command to make the function available immediately:
```bash
source ~/.zshrc
```
4. Use your new command:
```bash
gcommit
```
Gemini CLI will analyze your staged changes and commit them with a generated
message.
## Next steps
- Explore the [Headless mode reference](../../cli/headless.md) for full JSON
schema details.
- Learn about [Shell commands](shell-commands.md) to let the agent run scripts
instead of just writing them.

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# File management with Gemini CLI
Explore, analyze, and modify your codebase using Gemini CLI. In this guide,
you'll learn how to provide Gemini CLI with files and directories, modify and
create files, and control what Gemini CLI can see.
## Prerequisites
- Gemini CLI installed and authenticated.
- A project directory to work with (e.g., a git repository).
## How to give the agent context (Reading files)
Gemini CLI will generally try to read relevant files, sometimes prompting you
for access (depending on your settings). To ensure that Gemini CLI uses a file,
you can also include it directly.
### Direct file inclusion (`@`)
If you know the path to the file you want to work on, use the `@` symbol. This
forces the CLI to read the file immediately and inject its content into your
prompt.
```bash
`@src/components/UserProfile.tsx Explain how this component handles user data.`
```
### Working with multiple files
Complex features often span multiple files. You can chain `@` references to give
the agent a complete picture of the dependencies.
```bash
`@src/components/UserProfile.tsx @src/types/User.ts Refactor the component to use the updated User interface.`
```
### Including entire directories
For broad questions or refactoring, you can include an entire directory. Be
careful with large folders, as this consumes more tokens.
```bash
`@src/utils/ Check these utility functions for any deprecated API usage.`
```
## How to find files (Exploration)
If you _don't_ know the exact file path, you can ask Gemini CLI to find it for
you. This is useful when navigating a new codebase or looking for specific
logic.
### Scenario: Find a component definition
You know there's a `UserProfile` component, but you don't know where it lives.
```none
`Find the file that defines the UserProfile component.`
```
Gemini uses the `glob` or `list_directory` tools to search your project
structure. It will return the specific path (e.g.,
`src/components/UserProfile.tsx`), which you can then use with `@` in your next
turn.
> **Tip:** You can also ask for lists of files, like "Show me all the TypeScript
> configuration files in the root directory."
## How to modify code
Once Gemini CLI has context, you can direct it to make specific edits. The agent
is capable of complex refactoring, not just simple text replacement.
```none
`Update @src/components/UserProfile.tsx to show a loading spinner if the user data is null.`
```
Gemini CLI uses the `replace` tool to propose a targeted code change.
### Creating new files
You can also ask the agent to create entirely new files or folder structures.
```none
`Create a new file @src/components/LoadingSpinner.tsx with a simple Tailwind CSS spinner.`
```
Gemini CLI uses the `write_file` tool to generate the new file from scratch.
## Review and confirm changes
Gemini CLI prioritizes safety. Before any file is modified, it presents a
unified diff of the proposed changes.
```diff
- if (!user) return null;
+ if (!user) return <LoadingSpinner />;
```
- **Red lines (-):** Code that will be removed.
- **Green lines (+):** Code that will be added.
Press **y** to confirm and apply the change to your local file system. If the
diff doesn't look right, press **n** to cancel and refine your prompt.
## Verify the result
After the edit is complete, verify the fix. You can simply read the file again
or, better yet, run your project's tests.
```none
`Run the tests for the UserProfile component.`
```
Gemini CLI uses the `run_shell_command` tool to execute your test runner (e.g.,
`npm test` or `jest`). This ensures the changes didn't break existing
functionality.
## Advanced: Controlling what Gemini sees
By default, Gemini CLI respects your `.gitignore` file. It won't read or search
through `node_modules`, build artifacts, or other ignored paths.
If you have sensitive files (like `.env`) or large assets that you want to keep
hidden from the AI _without_ ignoring them in Git, you can create a
`.geminiignore` file in your project root.
**Example `.geminiignore`:**
```text
.env
local-db-dump.sql
private-notes.md
```
## Next steps
- Learn how to [Manage context and memory](memory-management.md) to keep your
agent smarter over long sessions.
- See [Execute shell commands](shell-commands.md) for more on running tests and
builds.
- Explore the technical [File system reference](../../tools/file-system.md) for
advanced tool parameters.

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# Set up an MCP server
Connect Gemini CLI to your external databases and services. In this guide,
you'll learn how to extend Gemini CLI's capabilities by installing the GitHub
MCP server and using it to manage your repositories.
## Prerequisites
- Gemini CLI installed.
- **Docker:** Required for this specific example (many MCP servers run as Docker
containers).
- **GitHub token:** A Personal Access Token (PAT) with repo permissions.
## How to prepare your credentials
Most MCP servers require authentication. For GitHub, you need a PAT.
1. Create a [fine-grained PAT](https://github.com/settings/tokens?type=beta).
2. Grant it **Read** access to **Metadata** and **Contents**, and
**Read/Write** access to **Issues** and **Pull Requests**.
3. Store it in your environment:
```bash
export GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN="github_pat_..."
```
## How to configure Gemini CLI
You tell Gemini about new servers by editing your `settings.json`.
1. Open `~/.gemini/settings.json` (or the project-specific
`.gemini/settings.json`).
2. Add the `mcpServers` block. This tells Gemini: "Run this docker container
and talk to it."
```json
{
"mcpServers": {
"github": {
"command": "docker",
"args": [
"run",
"-i",
"--rm",
"-e",
"GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN",
"ghcr.io/modelcontextprotocol/servers/github:latest"
],
"env": {
"GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN": "${GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN}"
}
}
}
}
```
> **Note:** The `command` is `docker`, and the rest are arguments passed to it.
> We map the local environment variable into the container so your secret isn't
> hardcoded in the config file.
## How to verify the connection
Restart Gemini CLI. It will automatically try to start the defined servers.
**Command:** `/mcp list`
You should see: `✓ github: docker ... - Connected`
If you see `Disconnected` or an error, check that Docker is running and your API
token is valid.
## How to use the new tools
Now that the server is running, the agent has new capabilities ("tools"). You
don't need to learn special commands; just ask in natural language.
### Scenario: Listing pull requests
**Prompt:** `List the open PRs in the google/gemini-cli repository.`
The agent will:
1. Recognize the request matches a GitHub tool.
2. Call `github_list_pull_requests`.
3. Present the data to you.
### Scenario: Creating an issue
**Prompt:**
`Create an issue in my repo titled "Bug: Login fails" with the description "See logs".`
## Troubleshooting
- **Server won't start?** Try running the docker command manually in your
terminal to see if it prints an error (e.g., "image not found").
- **Tools not found?** Run `/mcp refresh` to force the CLI to re-query the
server for its capabilities.
## Next steps
- Explore the [MCP servers reference](../../tools/mcp-server.md) to learn about
SSE and HTTP transports for remote servers.
- Browse the
[official MCP server list](https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol/servers) to
find connectors for Slack, Postgres, Google Drive, and more.

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# Manage context and memory
Control what Gemini CLI knows about you and your projects. In this guide, you'll
learn how to define project-wide rules with `GEMINI.md`, teach the agent
persistent facts, and inspect the active context.
## Prerequisites
- Gemini CLI installed and authenticated.
- A project directory where you want to enforce specific rules.
## Why manage context?
Out of the box, Gemini CLI is smart but generic. It doesn't know your preferred
testing framework, your indentation style, or that you hate using `any` in
TypeScript. Context management solves this by giving the agent persistent
memory.
You'll use these features when you want to:
- **Enforce standards:** Ensure every generated file matches your team's style
guide.
- **Set a persona:** Tell the agent to act as a "Senior Rust Engineer" or "QA
Specialist."
- **Remember facts:** Save details like "My database port is 5432" so you don't
have to repeat them.
## How to define project-wide rules (GEMINI.md)
The most powerful way to control the agent's behavior is through `GEMINI.md`
files. These are Markdown files containing instructions that are automatically
loaded into every conversation.
### Scenario: Create a project context file
1. In the root of your project, create a file named `GEMINI.md`.
2. Add your instructions:
```markdown
# Project Instructions
- **Framework:** We use React with Vite.
- **Styling:** Use Tailwind CSS for all styling. Do not write custom CSS.
- **Testing:** All new components must include a Vitest unit test.
- **Tone:** Be concise. Don't explain basic React concepts.
```
3. Start a new session. Gemini CLI will now know these rules automatically.
### Scenario: Using the hierarchy
Context is loaded hierarchically. This allows you to have general rules for
everything and specific rules for sub-projects.
1. **Global:** `~/.gemini/GEMINI.md` (Rules for _every_ project you work on).
2. **Project Root:** `./GEMINI.md` (Rules for the current repository).
3. **Subdirectory:** `./src/GEMINI.md` (Rules specific to the `src` folder).
**Example:** You might set "Always use strict typing" in your global config, but
"Use Python 3.11" only in your backend repository.
## How to teach the agent facts (Memory)
Sometimes you don't want to write a config file. You just want to tell the agent
something once and have it remember forever. You can do this naturally in chat.
### Scenario: Saving a memory
Just tell the agent to remember something.
**Prompt:** `Remember that I prefer using 'const' over 'let' wherever possible.`
The agent will use the `save_memory` tool to store this fact in your global
memory file.
**Prompt:** `Save the fact that the staging server IP is 10.0.0.5.`
### Scenario: Using memory in conversation
Once a fact is saved, you don't need to invoke it explicitly. The agent "knows"
it.
**Next Prompt:** `Write a script to deploy to staging.`
**Agent Response:** "I'll write a script to deploy to **10.0.0.5**..."
## How to manage and inspect context
As your project grows, you might want to see exactly what instructions the agent
is following.
### Scenario: View active context
To see the full, concatenated set of instructions currently loaded (from all
`GEMINI.md` files and saved memories), use the `/memory show` command.
**Command:** `/memory show`
This prints the raw text the model receives at the start of the session. It's
excellent for debugging why the agent might be ignoring a rule.
### Scenario: Refresh context
If you edit a `GEMINI.md` file while a session is running, the agent won't know
immediately. Force a reload with:
**Command:** `/memory refresh`
## Best practices
- **Keep it focused:** Don't dump your entire internal wiki into `GEMINI.md`.
Keep instructions actionable and relevant to code generation.
- **Use negative constraints:** Explicitly telling the agent what _not_ to do
(e.g., "Do not use class components") is often more effective than vague
positive instructions.
- **Review often:** Periodically check your `GEMINI.md` files to remove outdated
rules.
## Next steps
- Learn about [Session management](session-management.md) to see how short-term
history works.
- Explore the [Command reference](../../cli/commands.md) for more `/memory`
options.
- Read the technical spec for [Project context](../../cli/gemini-md.md).

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# Manage sessions and history
Resume, browse, and rewind your conversations with Gemini CLI. In this guide,
you'll learn how to switch between tasks, manage your session history, and undo
mistakes using the rewind feature.
## Prerequisites
- Gemini CLI installed and authenticated.
- At least one active or past session.
## How to resume where you left off
It's common to switch context—maybe you're waiting for a build and want to work
on a different feature. Gemini makes it easy to jump back in.
### Scenario: Resume the last session
The fastest way to pick up your most recent work is with the `--resume` flag (or
`-r`).
```bash
gemini -r
```
This restores your chat history and memory, so you can say "Continue with the
next step" immediately.
### Scenario: Browse past sessions
If you want to find a specific conversation from yesterday, use the interactive
browser.
**Command:** `/resume`
This opens a searchable list of all your past sessions. You'll see:
- A timestamp (e.g., "2 hours ago").
- The first user message (helping you identify the topic).
- The number of turns in the conversation.
Select a session and press **Enter** to load it.
## How to manage your workspace
Over time, you'll accumulate a lot of history. Keeping your session list clean
helps you find what you need.
### Scenario: Deleting sessions
In the `/resume` browser, navigate to a session you no longer need and press
**x**. This permanently deletes the history for that specific conversation.
You can also manage sessions from the command line:
```bash
# List all sessions with their IDs
gemini --list-sessions
# Delete a specific session by ID or index
gemini --delete-session 1
```
## How to rewind time (Undo mistakes)
Gemini CLI's **Rewind** feature is like `Ctrl+Z` for your workflow.
### Scenario: Triggering rewind
At any point in a chat, type `/rewind` or press **Esc** twice.
### Scenario: Choosing a restore point
You'll see a list of your recent interactions. Select the point _before_ the
undesired changes occurred.
### Scenario: Choosing what to revert
Gemini gives you granular control over the undo process. You can choose to:
1. **Rewind conversation:** Only remove the chat history. The files stay
changed. (Useful if the code is good but the chat got off track).
2. **Revert code changes:** Keep the chat history but undo the file edits.
(Useful if you want to keep the context but retry the implementation).
3. **Rewind both:** Restore everything to exactly how it was.
## How to fork conversations
Sometimes you want to try two different approaches to the same problem.
1. Start a session and get to a decision point.
2. Save the current state with `/chat save decision-point`.
3. Try your first approach.
4. Later, use `/chat resume decision-point` to fork the conversation back to
that moment and try a different approach.
This creates a new branch of history without losing your original work.
## Next steps
- Learn about [Checkpointing](../../cli/checkpointing.md) to understand the
underlying safety mechanism.
- Explore [Task planning](task-planning.md) to keep complex sessions organized.
- See the [Command reference](../../cli/commands.md) for all `/chat` and
`/resume` options.

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# Execute shell commands
Use the CLI to run builds, manage git, and automate system tasks without leaving
the conversation. In this guide, you'll learn how to run commands directly,
automate complex workflows, and manage background processes safely.
## Prerequisites
- Gemini CLI installed and authenticated.
- Basic familiarity with your system's shell (Bash, Zsh, PowerShell, etc.).
## How to run commands directly (`!`)
Sometimes you just need to check a file size or git status without asking the AI
to do it for you. You can pass commands directly to your shell using the `!`
prefix.
**Example:** `!ls -la`
This executes `ls -la` immediately and prints the output to your terminal. The
AI doesn't "see" this output unless you paste it back into the chat or use it in
a prompt.
### Scenario: Entering Shell mode
If you're doing a lot of manual work, toggle "Shell Mode" by typing `!` and
pressing **Enter**. Now, everything you type is sent to the shell until you exit
(usually by pressing **Esc** or typing `exit`).
## How to automate complex tasks
You can automate tasks using a combination of Gemini CLI and shell commands.
### Scenario: Run tests and fix failures
You want to run tests and fix any failures.
**Prompt:**
`Run the unit tests. If any fail, analyze the error and try to fix the code.`
**Workflow:**
1. Gemini calls `run_shell_command('npm test')`.
2. You see a confirmation prompt: `Allow command 'npm test'? [y/N]`.
3. You press `y`.
4. The tests run. If they fail, Gemini reads the error output.
5. Gemini uses `read_file` to inspect the failing test.
6. Gemini uses `replace` to fix the bug.
7. Gemini runs `npm test` again to verify the fix.
This loop turns Gemini into an autonomous engineer.
## How to manage background processes
You can ask Gemini to start long-running tasks, like development servers or file
watchers.
**Prompt:** `Start the React dev server in the background.`
Gemini will run the command (e.g., `npm run dev`) and detach it.
### Scenario: Viewing active shells
To see what's running in the background, use the `/shells` command.
**Command:** `/shells`
This opens a dashboard where you can view logs or kill runaway processes.
## How to handle interactive commands
Gemini CLI attempts to handle interactive commands (like `git add -p` or
confirmation prompts) by streaming the output to you. However, for highly
interactive tools (like `vim` or `top`), it's often better to run them yourself
in a separate terminal window or use the `!` prefix.
## Safety first
Giving an AI access to your shell is powerful but risky. Gemini CLI includes
several safety layers.
### Confirmation prompts
By default, **every** shell command requested by the agent requires your
explicit approval.
- **Allow once:** Runs the command one time.
- **Allow always:** Trusts this specific command for the rest of the session.
- **Deny:** Stops the agent.
### Sandboxing
For maximum security, especially when running untrusted code or exploring new
projects, we strongly recommend enabling Sandboxing. This runs all shell
commands inside a secure Docker container.
**Enable sandboxing:** Use the `--sandbox` flag when starting the CLI:
`gemini --sandbox`.
## Next steps
- Learn about [Sandboxing](../../cli/sandbox.md) to safely run destructive
commands.
- See the [Shell tool reference](../../tools/shell.md) for configuration options
like timeouts and working directories.
- Explore [Task planning](task-planning.md) to see how shell commands fit into
larger workflows.

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# Getting Started with Agent Skills
# Get started with Agent Skills
Agent Skills allow you to extend Gemini CLI with specialized expertise. This
tutorial will guide you through creating your first skill and using it in a
session.
Agent Skills extend Gemini CLI with specialized expertise. In this guide, you'll
learn how to create your first skill, bundle custom scripts, and activate them
during a session.
## 1. Create your first skill
## How to create a skill
A skill is a directory containing a `SKILL.md` file. Let's create an **API
Auditor** skill that helps you verify if local or remote endpoints are
A skill is defined by a directory containing a `SKILL.md` file. Let's create an
**API Auditor** skill that helps you verify if local or remote endpoints are
responding correctly.
1. **Create the skill directory structure:**
### Create the directory structure
1. Run the following command to create the folders:
```bash
mkdir -p .gemini/skills/api-auditor/scripts
```
2. **Create the `SKILL.md` file:** Create a file at
`.gemini/skills/api-auditor/SKILL.md` with the following content:
### Create the definition
1. Create a file at `.gemini/skills/api-auditor/SKILL.md`. This tells the agent
_when_ to use the skill and _how_ to behave.
```markdown
---
@@ -40,9 +44,12 @@ responding correctly.
without an `https://` protocol.
```
3. **Create the bundled Node.js script:** Create a file at
`.gemini/skills/api-auditor/scripts/audit.js`. This script will be used by
the agent to perform the actual check:
### Add the tool logic
Skills can bundle resources like scripts.
1. Create a file at `.gemini/skills/api-auditor/scripts/audit.js`. This is the
code the agent will run.
```javascript
// .gemini/skills/api-auditor/scripts/audit.js
@@ -59,39 +66,36 @@ responding correctly.
.catch((e) => console.error(`Result: Failed (${e.message})`));
```
## 2. Verify the skill is discovered
## How to verify discovery
Use the `/skills` slash command (or `gemini skills list` from your terminal) to
see if Gemini CLI has found your new skill.
Gemini CLI automatically discovers skills in the `.gemini/skills` directory.
Check that it found your new skill.
In a Gemini CLI session:
```
/skills list
```
**Command:** `/skills list`
You should see `api-auditor` in the list of available skills.
## 3. Use the skill in a chat
## How to use the skill
Now, let's see the skill in action. Start a new session and ask a question about
an endpoint.
Now, try it out. Start a new session and ask a question that triggers the
skill's description.
**User:** "Can you audit http://geminili.com"
**User:** "Can you audit http://geminicli.com"
Gemini will recognize the request matches the `api-auditor` description and will
ask for your permission to activate it.
Gemini recognizes the request matches the `api-auditor` description and asks for
permission to activate it.
**Model:** (After calling `activate_skill`) "I've activated the **api-auditor**
skill. I'll run the audit script now..."
Gemini will then use the `run_shell_command` tool to execute your bundled Node
Gemini then uses the `run_shell_command` tool to execute your bundled Node
script:
`node .gemini/skills/api-auditor/scripts/audit.js http://geminili.com`
## Next Steps
## Next steps
- Explore [Agent Skills Authoring Guide](../skills.md#creating-a-skill) to learn
about more advanced skill features.
- Explore the
[Agent Skills Authoring Guide](../../cli/skills.md#creating-a-skill) to learn
about more advanced features.
- Learn how to share skills via [Extensions](../../extensions/index.md).

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# Plan tasks with todos
Keep complex jobs on the rails with Gemini CLI's built-in task planning. In this
guide, you'll learn how to ask for a plan, execute it step-by-step, and monitor
progress with the todo list.
## Prerequisites
- Gemini CLI installed and authenticated.
- A complex task in mind (e.g., a multi-file refactor or new feature).
## Why use task planning?
Standard LLMs have a limited context window and can "forget" the original goal
after 10 turns of code generation. Task planning provides:
1. **Visibility:** You see exactly what the agent plans to do _before_ it
starts.
2. **Focus:** The agent knows exactly which step it's working on right now.
3. **Resilience:** If the agent gets stuck, the plan helps it get back on
track.
## How to ask for a plan
The best way to trigger task planning is to explicitly ask for it.
**Prompt:**
`I want to migrate this project from JavaScript to TypeScript. Please make a plan first.`
Gemini will analyze your codebase and use the `write_todos` tool to generate a
structured list.
**Example Plan:**
1. [ ] Create `tsconfig.json`.
2. [ ] Rename `.js` files to `.ts`.
3. [ ] Fix type errors in `utils.js`.
4. [ ] Fix type errors in `server.js`.
5. [ ] Verify build passes.
## How to review and iterate
Once the plan is generated, it appears in your CLI. Review it.
- **Missing steps?** Tell the agent: "You forgot to add a step for installing
`@types/node`."
- **Wrong order?** Tell the agent: "Let's verify the build _after_ each file,
not just at the end."
The agent will update the todo list dynamically.
## How to execute the plan
Tell the agent to proceed.
**Prompt:** `Looks good. Start with the first step.`
As the agent works, you'll see the todo list update in real-time above the input
box.
- **Current focus:** The active task is highlighted (e.g.,
`[IN_PROGRESS] Create tsconfig.json`).
- **Progress:** Completed tasks are marked as done.
## How to monitor progress (`Ctrl+T`)
For a long-running task, the full todo list might be hidden to save space. You
can toggle the full view at any time.
**Action:** Press **Ctrl+T**.
This shows the complete list, including pending, in-progress, and completed
items. It's a great way to check "how much is left?" without scrolling back up.
## How to handle unexpected changes
Plans change. Maybe you discover a library is incompatible halfway through.
**Prompt:**
`Actually, let's skip the 'server.js' refactor for now. It's too risky.`
The agent will mark that task as `cancelled` or remove it, and move to the next
item. This dynamic adjustment is what makes the todo system powerful—it's a
living document, not a static text block.
## Next steps
- Explore [Session management](session-management.md) to save your plan and
finish it tomorrow.
- See the [Todo tool reference](../../tools/todos.md) for technical schema
details.
- Learn about [Memory management](memory-management.md) to persist planning
preferences (e.g., "Always create a test plan first").

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# Web search and fetch
Access the live internet directly from your prompt. In this guide, you'll learn
how to search for up-to-date documentation, fetch deep context from specific
URLs, and apply that knowledge to your code.
## Prerequisites
- Gemini CLI installed and authenticated.
- An internet connection.
## How to research new technologies
Imagine you want to use a library released yesterday. The model doesn't know
about it yet. You need to teach it.
### Scenario: Find documentation
**Prompt:**
`Search for the 'Bun 1.0' release notes and summarize the key changes.`
Gemini uses the `google_web_search` tool to find relevant pages and synthesizes
an answer. This "grounding" process ensures the agent isn't hallucinating
features that don't exist.
**Prompt:** `Find the documentation for the 'React Router v7' loader API.`
## How to fetch deep context
Search gives you a summary, but sometimes you need the raw details. The
`web_fetch` tool lets you feed a specific URL directly into the agent's context.
### Scenario: Reading a blog post
You found a blog post with the exact solution to your bug.
**Prompt:**
`Read https://example.com/fixing-memory-leaks and explain how to apply it to my code.`
Gemini will retrieve the page content (stripping away ads and navigation) and
use it to answer your question.
### Scenario: Comparing sources
You can even fetch multiple pages to compare approaches.
**Prompt:**
`Compare the pagination patterns in https://api.example.com/v1/docs and https://api.example.com/v2/docs.`
## How to apply knowledge to code
The real power comes when you combine web tools with file editing.
**Workflow:**
1. **Search:** "How do I implement auth with Supabase?"
2. **Fetch:** "Read this guide: https://supabase.com/docs/guides/auth."
3. **Implement:** "Great. Now use that pattern to create an `auth.ts` file in
my project."
## How to troubleshoot errors
When you hit an obscure error message, paste it into the chat.
**Prompt:**
`I'm getting 'Error: hydration mismatch' in Next.js. Search for recent solutions.`
The agent will search sources such as GitHub issues, StackOverflow, and forums
to find relevant fixes that might be too new to be in its base training set.
## Next steps
- Explore [File management](file-management.md) to see how to apply the code you
generate.
- See the [Web search tool reference](../../tools/web-search.md) for citation
details.
- See the [Web fetch tool reference](../../tools/web-fetch.md) for technical
limitations.