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Install agent skills in Gemini CLI

Add a skill to Gemini CLI with npx or a premium ZIP, check it with /skills list, and approve it when Gemini asks to use it. Workspace and user folders.

By Recaply EditorsBeginner5 min6 stepsUpdated

A hand places a small block on top of a short tower of blocks

Gemini CLI finds skills in .gemini/skills or .agents/skills in your project, and in ~/.gemini/skills or ~/.agents/skills for all your projects. Skills are on by default.

Short answer: run the skill's npx line with -a gemini-cli, type /skills reload and /skills list, then describe the job and approve the skill when Gemini asks.

What you need

  1. Step 1: Choose a workspace or user skill

    1 min

    Gemini CLI looks in four tiers, and the closer one wins.

    1. Workspace: .gemini/skills/ or .agents/skills/ in your project folder.
    2. User: ~/.gemini/skills/ or ~/.agents/skills/, for all your projects.
    3. Extensions can bring skills too, and Gemini CLI has built-in ones.

    Same name in two places? Workspace beats user, user beats extensions, and extensions beat built-in skills. In the same tier, .agents/skills/ beats .gemini/skills/.

  2. Step 2: Install a free skill with one line

    1 min

    The skills CLI copies the skill from its maker's GitHub repo into .agents/skills/.

    1. Open a terminal in your project folder.
    2. Paste the line from the skill's Recaply page. It ends in -a gemini-cli.
    3. To install it for all your projects instead, add -g. It then goes to ~/.agents/skills/.
    The install line
    npx skills add <owner>/<repo> --skill <skill-name> -a gemini-cli

    You should see a new .agents/skills/<skill-name>/ folder with SKILL.md inside.

    The CLI asks which agents to install to?

    The line is missing its -a value. Pick your agent in the list, or run the line again with it. Add -y to skip the questions.

    Gemini CLI has its own installer: gemini skills install <git-url> adds a skill from a Git repo or a local folder. It installs for your user unless you add --scope workspace, and --path points to a skill in a subfolder of the repo.

  3. Step 3: Or install a premium skill from its ZIP

    2 min

    A premium skill comes as one ZIP that holds a single folder named after the skill.

    1. On the skill's Recaply page, sign in, buy it (or use the plan), then click Download ZIP.
    2. Move the ZIP into your project folder and open a terminal there.
    3. Run the line below. It unzips the folder, then installs it for your agent.
    4. When it's done, you can delete the ZIP and the unzipped folder: the CLI made its own copy.
    Your line
    unzip <slug>.zip && npx skills add ./<slug> -a gemini-cli

    You should see .agents/skills/<slug>/SKILL.md, with the skill's other files beside it.

    On Windows, there's no unzip?

    Right-click the ZIP, choose Extract All, and move the extracted folder into .agents/skills/ in your project.

    Unzipping straight into the folder works too: unzip <slug>.zip -d .gemini/skills/.

  4. Step 4: Check that Gemini CLI sees it

    1 min

    Gemini CLI can scan for new skills while a session is open.

    1. In a session, run /skills reload so Gemini CLI looks again without a restart.
    2. Run /skills list and look for the name. /skills list all also shows the built-in skills.
    3. From your terminal, gemini skills list --all shows them too.

    You should see the skill's name in the list, marked as enabled.

    It's listed but disabled?

    Run /skills enable <skill-name>.

    Skills depend on the skills.enabled setting, which is on by default. If it was turned off, turn it on and restart Gemini CLI.

  5. Step 5: Run the skill

    1 min

    Gemini CLI has no slash command for each skill. It turns one on when your request matches the skill's description.

    1. Describe the job in words from the skill's description.
    2. When Gemini wants the skill, it shows a prompt with the skill's name, purpose and folder. Approve it.
    3. Gemini then reads the skill's SKILL.md and can use the files in its folder.

    You should see the approval prompt, then Gemini following the skill's steps.

    Gemini never asks to use the skill?

    Reword your request closer to the skill's description, and check that /skills list shows it as enabled.

  6. Step 6: Not working? Check these

    2 min

    Most problems come from the folder's place, a copy with the same name, or a disabled skill.

    1. The path is .agents/skills/<skill-name>/SKILL.md or .gemini/skills/<skill-name>/SKILL.md.
    2. A skill with the same name in a higher tier wins. A workspace copy beats your user copy.
    3. Started Gemini CLI in another folder? Workspace skills come from the folder you're in.
    4. Turned off with /skills disable? Turn it back on with /skills enable <skill-name>.

You get

A skill Gemini CLI lists and asks to use when your task fits

Try next

Install an agent skill in any AI coding agent6 steps · 5 minInstall agent skills in OpenCode6 steps · 5 minInstall agent skills in GitHub Copilot6 steps · 5 min

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