Gemini CLI Skills: Getting Started With SKILL.md

Google's Gemini CLI supports the SKILL.md standard, meaning the same skills that work in Claude Code and Codex CLI work here without modification. Here's how to set them up.

Quick Answer: Gemini CLI stores personal skills in ~/.gemini/skills/ and project-specific skills in .gemini/skills/ within the project root. Skills are directory-based, each containing a SKILL.md file, which is compatible across Claude Code and Codex CLI.

Where Gemini CLI stores skills

Personal skills: ~/.gemini/skills/

Project skills: .gemini/skills/ in your project root.

The directory structure is identical to Claude Code — each skill is a folder containing a SKILL.md file:

~/.gemini/skills/
├── code-reviewer/
│   └── SKILL.md
└── test-generator/
    └── SKILL.md

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Installing your first skill

# Create the skills directory
mkdir -p ~/.gemini/skills/

# Download a skill from Agensi
unzip code-reviewer.zip -d ~/.gemini/skills/

# Verify
ls ~/.gemini/skills/code-reviewer/SKILL.md

Start a new Gemini CLI session. The skill is active.

Cross-agent compatibility

Because Claude Code, Codex CLI, and Gemini CLI all use SKILL.md, you can share skills across all three with symlinks:

# Use Claude Code skills as the source of truth
ln -s ~/.claude/skills/ ~/.gemini/skills
ln -s ~/.claude/skills/ ~/.codex/skills

One set of skills, every agent. This is the core value of the SKILL.md open standard — no vendor lock-in.

Differences from Claude Code

The SKILL.md format is identical. The only differences:

• Skills path: ~/.gemini/skills/ instead of ~/.claude/skills/
• Underlying model: Gemini instead of Claude
• Activation behavior: May differ slightly in how aggressively skills are matched to tasks

Most skills work identically across agents. Occasionally a skill written with Claude-specific assumptions (referencing Claude's tool use patterns or XML formatting preferences) might behave slightly differently in Gemini CLI. Well-written skills that use generic instructions work everywhere.

Finding skills for Gemini CLI

Every skill on Agensi works with Gemini CLI. The marketplace marks skills with their compatible agents. Filter by "Universal" to see skills tested across multiple agents.

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Browse Gemini CLI compatible skills at Agensi.