If you spend a lot of time in the terminal, the Gemini CLI can save you a ton of effort. It lets you talk to Gemini directly from your command line—perfect for quick coding help, explanations, refactoring suggestions, and even multi-step tasks. Google describes it as an open-source AI agent for terminal workflows. (Google Cloud Documentation)

Below is a simple, step-by-step guide to install, use, and connect Gemini CLI with VS Code.

What is Gemini CLI?

Gemini CLI is a command-line tool that brings Gemini into your terminal. It supports interactive usage and is designed to help you with tasks like debugging, improving test coverage, creating features, and more. (Google Cloud Documentation)

Prerequisites

Before installing:

• Node.js installed (you already have Node on your PC)
• npm available

Check with:

node -v
npm -v

Step 1: Install Gemini CLI

Install globally using npm:

npm install -g @google/gemini-cli

Then start it:

gemini

This is the standard installation method mentioned in the official docs. (Gemini CLI)

Step 2: Authenticate (Login)

When you run:

gemini

it will typically prompt you to Login with Google (browser-based OAuth flow). (GitHub)

After login, you can start using it normally from the terminal.

Step 3: Basic Usage (Daily Commands)

Ask a question

gemini "Explain JWT in simple words with an example"

Generate code

gemini "Write an Express.js API with a /health route"

Improve code quality

gemini "Suggest performance improvements for a Node.js API"

You can also explore built-in CLI commands inside the tool (Gemini CLI includes session/behavior commands). (GitHub)

Implement Gemini CLI in VS Code (Proper Integration)

You have two good ways to use Gemini CLI in VS Code:

Option A: Use Gemini CLI inside VS Code Terminal (Simplest)

1. Open VS Code
2. Open your project folder
3. Open terminal: Terminal → New Terminal
4. Run:

gemini

Now your AI workflow stays inside the VS Code terminal while you code.

Option B: Enable the Official VS Code Integration (Best Experience)

Gemini CLI supports deep VS Code integration like:

• workspace + file context awareness
• selection-aware prompts (ask about highlighted code)
• native diff view inside VS Code to review changes easily (Google Developers Blog)

1) Start Gemini CLI in VS Code terminal

gemini

2) Install the VS Code companion extension from Gemini CLI

Inside the Gemini CLI session, run:

/ide install

3) Enable IDE integration

/ide enable

4) Disable anytime

/ide disable

These commands are documented by Google’s developer blog for Gemini CLI + VS Code integration. (Google Developers Blog)

What You Can Do After VS Code Integration

1) Explain selected code

• Select code in VS Code
• Ask in Gemini CLI something like:
  “Explain this code and suggest improvements”

Gemini CLI can use selection/workspace context when connected. (Google Developers Blog)

2) Review changes in VS Code Diff Editor

When Gemini proposes changes, VS Code can open a diff editor to review and accept/reject edits—much easier than reading terminal output. (Google Developers Blog)

3) Run Gemini CLI from VS Code Command Palette

After installing the extension, VS Code can expose commands like:

• Gemini CLI: Run
• Gemini CLI: Accept Diff
• Gemini CLI: Close Diff Editor (Gemini CLI)

Quick Troubleshooting

“gemini is not recognized” on Windows

Try:

1. Close VS Code and CMD completely
2. Reopen
3. Check global npm path is working:

where gemini

Auth issues

Just run again:

gemini

and complete the browser login flow. (GitHub)

Final Notes

If you want fast terminal help, Gemini CLI alone is enough.
If you want a smoother dev workflow with selection context + diff editor inside VS Code, enable the IDE integration using /ide install and /ide enable. (Google Developers Blog)

If you tell me your OS (Windows yes) and your preferred setup (CLI only vs VS Code integration), I can rewrite this blog in your exact website style (long-form, more sections, table, etc.).