VS Code Extension
Integrate Gemini CLI directly into Visual Studio Code for a seamless AI-powered development experience.
Extension Overview
Key Features
- •Inline code assistance and suggestions
- •Code explanation and documentation
- •Automatic test generation
- •Code review and optimization
- •Integrated chat interface
Supported Languages
Installation
Method 1: VS Code Marketplace
1. Open VS Code Extensions view:
Ctrl+Shift+X (Windows/Linux)
Cmd+Shift+X (macOS)
2. Search for "Gemini CLI"
3. Click "Install" on the official extension
Method 2: Command Line
code --install-extension google.gemini-cli
Method 3: Manual Installation
1. Download .vsix file from releases page
2. Install from VSIX:
code --install-extension gemini-cli.vsix
Configuration
1. Set up API key:
# Open VS Code Settings (Ctrl+,)
# Search for "Gemini CLI"
# Set "Gemini CLI: API Key" to your API key
2. Configure settings.json:
{ "geminiCli.apiKey": "your-api-key-here", "geminiCli.model": "gemini-pro", "geminiCli.temperature": 0.7, "geminiCli.maxTokens": 2048, "geminiCli.enableInlineCompletion": true, "geminiCli.enableCodeLens": true, "geminiCli.autoSuggest": true }
3. Verify installation:
# Open Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P)
# Type "Gemini: Test Connection"
Features and Usage
Code Assistance
Inline suggestions:
- • Auto-complete function implementations
- • Suggest variable names and types
- • Generate boilerplate code
- • Fix syntax errors automatically
Code Actions:
# Right-click on code → "Gemini: Explain Code"
# Right-click → "Gemini: Optimize Code"
# Right-click → "Gemini: Generate Tests"
Chat Interface
Open Chat Panel:
Ctrl+Shift+P → "Gemini: Open Chat"
# Or click Gemini icon in Activity Bar
Chat Features:
- • Context-aware conversations about your code
- • Ask questions about specific files or functions
- • Get suggestions for debugging issues
- • Request code improvements and refactoring
Code Lens Features
Function-level actions:
- • "Explain" - Get detailed function explanations
- • "Test" - Generate unit tests
- • "Optimize" - Suggest performance improvements
- • "Document" - Add JSDoc/docstring comments
Class-level actions:
- • Generate constructor documentation
- • Create interface definitions
- • Suggest design pattern improvements
- • Generate example usage
Keyboard Shortcuts
Default Shortcuts
Custom Shortcuts
# File > Preferences > Keyboard Shortcuts
# Search "Gemini" to customize
Advanced Configuration
Workspace Settings
# .vscode/settings.json (project-specific)
{ "geminiCli.enabled": true, "geminiCli.model": "gemini-pro", "geminiCli.contextFiles": [ "src/**/*.ts", "docs/**/*.md" ], "geminiCli.excludePatterns": [ "node_modules/**", "dist/**", "*.test.js" ], "geminiCli.customPrompts": { "codeReview": "Review this code for bugs and improvements", "optimize": "Optimize this code for performance" } }
Language-Specific Settings
{ "[javascript]": { "geminiCli.enableInlineCompletion": true, "geminiCli.temperature": 0.3 }, "[python]": { "geminiCli.enableDocstring": true, "geminiCli.temperature": 0.5 }, "[typescript]": { "geminiCli.enableTypeGeneration": true, "geminiCli.strictMode": true } }
Custom Commands
# keybindings.json
[ { "key": "ctrl+alt+d", "command": "geminiCli.generateDocumentation", "when": "editorTextFocus" }, { "key": "ctrl+alt+r", "command": "geminiCli.refactorCode", "when": "editorHasSelection" } ]
Troubleshooting
Common Issues
Extension not loading
- • Check VS Code version compatibility
- • Reload window (Ctrl+Shift+P → "Reload Window")
- • Check extension is enabled in Extensions view
- • Restart VS Code completely
API connection errors
- • Verify API key is correctly set
- • Check internet connection
- • Test API key with command line tool
- • Check proxy settings if behind firewall
Performance issues
- • Reduce context file patterns
- • Disable auto-suggest for large files
- • Increase timeout settings
- • Close other resource-intensive extensions
Debug Mode
# Enable debug logging
"geminiCli.logLevel": "debug"
# View logs
# View > Output > Select "Gemini CLI" from dropdown
Tips and Best Practices
✅ Best Practices
- • Use project-specific settings for different codebases
- • Configure context files to include relevant documentation
- • Set appropriate temperature values for different tasks
- • Use custom prompts for repetitive tasks
- • Regularly update the extension for new features
💡 Pro Tips
- • Select specific code before using "Explain" for targeted help
- • Use the chat for complex architectural questions
- • Combine with Git integration for commit message generation
- • Set up snippets for common Gemini prompts
- • Use workspace settings for team consistency
Ready to Get Started?
Install the extension and enhance your development workflow: