Where does Gemini CLI store personal skills?

Gemini CLI stores personal skills in the `~/.gemini/skills/` directory on your system. This location is dedicated to skills that are meant to be available across various projects you work on, providing a centralized place for your custom tools and scripts.

How are project-specific skills managed within Gemini CLI?

Project-specific skills are stored in a `.gemini/skills/` directory located within the root of your project. This setup ensures that skills relevant to a particular project are localized and activated only when you are working within that project's context, keeping your skills organized and preventing conflicts.

What is the file structure for skills in Gemini CLI?

The file structure for skills in Gemini CLI is directory-based, where each skill is a folder containing a `SKILL.md` file. For example, you might have `~/.gemini/skills/code-reviewer/SKILL.md` or `~/.gemini/skills/test-generator/SKILL.md`. This organized approach makes it easy to manage and find individual skills.

Can skills be shared between Claude Code, Codex CLI, and Gemini CLI?

Yes, skills can be shared across Claude Code, Codex CLI, and Gemini CLI due to their adherence to the SKILL.md standard. You can achieve this by creating symbolic links, for instance, linking `~/.claude/skills/` to both `~/.gemini/skills` and `~/.codex/skills`. This ensures a single set of skills works across multiple platforms, preventing vendor lock-in.

Where can I find skills compatible with Gemini CLI?

You can find skills compatible with Gemini CLI on Agensi (www.agensi.io/skills). Every skill available on this marketplace is designed to work with Gemini CLI. You can also filter for "Universal" skills, which are tested and confirmed to function across multiple agents like Claude Code, Codex CLI, and Gemini CLI, ensuring broad compatibility.

Gemini CLI Skills: Getting Started With SKILL.md (2026)

Gemini CLI Skills: Getting Started With SKILL.md

Published: May 11, 2026

Category: Tutorials

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

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.

Browse Gemini CLI compatible skills at Agensi.

Gemini CLI Skills: Getting Started With SKILL.md

Where Gemini CLI stores skills

Installing your first skill

Download a skill from Agensi

Verify

Cross-agent compatibility

Differences from Claude Code

Finding skills for Gemini CLI

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