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How to Install Gemini CLI on Windows

Follow this updated guide (June 26 2025) to install and configure Google's Gemini CLI on Windows 10/11. We cover three installation methods, first-time authentication, and common fixes.

1. Prerequisites

  • Windows 10 (21H2+) or Windows 11
  • PowerShell 5.1+ or Windows Terminal
  • Node.js 18 LTS or later (node -v)
  • npm 9+ (npm -v) or compatible package manager
  • Administrator rights for global installs

2. Installation Methods

Method A — Run Once with npx

npx https://github.com/google-gemini/gemini-cli

Ideal for a quick trial—no files remain after the session ends.

Method B — Global Install via npm (Recommended)

# PowerShell / Command Prompt (Admin)
npm install -g @google/gemini-cli

# Verify installation
gemini --version
where gemini

Method C — Using winget

# Install Node.js first (if missing)
winget install OpenJS.NodeJS.LTS --silent

# Then install Gemini CLI globally via npm
npm install -g @google/gemini-cli

Method D — Using Chocolatey

# Install Node.js LTS
choco install nodejs-lts -y

# Install Gemini CLI
elevate npm install -g @google/gemini-cli

3. First-Time Setup

  1. Open Windows Terminal or PowerShell and run gemini.
  2. Select a theme when prompted.
  3. Choose Login with Google for the free tier (60 req/min & 1 000 req/day).
  4. Complete browser sign-in. If the callback fails, disable VPN split-tunneling or use global mode.

4. Using an API Key

Need more throughput? Get an API key from Google AI Studio and set it:

setx GEMINI_API_KEY "YOUR_API_KEY_HERE" /m
# Restart the terminal, then:
gemini "Hello, Gemini!"

5. Quick Start Commands

# Start interactive mode
gemini

# Single prompt mode
gemini --prompt "Translate 'hello' to Spanish"

# Attach local files (PowerShell)
gemini "Summarise the code" @srcmain.ts

6. Troubleshooting

'gemini' is not recognized

# Ensure npm global folder is in PATH
setx PATH "%PATH%;%AppData%
pm"

Permission Denied (EPERM)

Run PowerShell or Command Prompt as Administrator, or use elevate with Chocolatey.

Proxy / Firewall Blocks

npm config set proxy http://your-proxy:port
npm config set https-proxy http://your-proxy:port

7. Next Steps

Head over to the Getting Started guide or dive into Command reference for advanced usage.