Skip to main content
Watch: I Built an AI App Without Leaving Databricks

MCP client - Google - verified

How to add an MCP server to Gemini CLI

Where to add MCP servers in Gemini CLI: mcpServers in ~/.gemini/settings.json (user) or .gemini/settings.json (project); or gemini mcp add [options] <name> <commandOrUrl> [args...]. Its docs list support for stdio, Streamable HTTP and SSE. It handles OAuth sign-in for remote servers.

Gemini CLI homepage - Gemini CLI in our tools directory - Compare all MCP clients

Kind
Coding agent
stdio
Yes
Streamable HTTP
Yes
SSE
Yes

Add a server

Where the config lives
mcpServers in ~/.gemini/settings.json (user) or .gemini/settings.json (project); or gemini mcp add [options] <name> <commandOrUrl> [args...]

The example from the Gemini CLI docs, copied verbatim. Swap in your server's name, command or URL.

Excerpt from the docs - merge into your existing config

JSON
{ ...file contains other config objects
  "mcpServers": {
    "serverName": {
      "command": "path/to/server",
      "args": ["--arg1", "value1"],
      "env": {
        "API_KEY": "$MY_API_TOKEN"
      },
      "cwd": "./server-directory",
      "timeout": 30000,
      "trust": false
    }
  }
}

Source: geminicli.com/docs/tools/mcp-server

Which server?

Pick a server from the verified directory of official MCP servers. Each one lists its transport, auth and the setup snippets its vendor publishes, so you can match it to what Gemini CLI supports.

MCP support

What the Gemini CLI docs say it supports. Not stated means the docs do not say either way.

Gemini CLI MCP features, transports and OAuth, each with its source
FeatureValueSource
ToolsCalls the functions a server exposes.Yesgeminicli.com/docs/tools/mcp-server
ResourcesReads data and files a server exposes as resources.Yesgeminicli.com/docs/tools/mcp-server
PromptsOffers a server's prompt templates to the user.Yesgeminicli.com/docs/tools/mcp-server
SamplingLets a server ask the client's model for a completion.Not statedDocs do not say
RootsTells a server which directories it may work in.Not statedDocs do not say
ElicitationLets a server ask the user for input mid-task.Not statedDocs do not say
DiscoveryPicks up tools, prompts or resources a server adds or removes while connected.Not statedDocs do not say
InstructionsUses the instructions a server sends when it connects.Yesgeminicli.com/docs/tools/mcp-server
stdioStarts a local server as a subprocess.Yesgeminicli.com/docs/tools/mcp-server
Streamable HTTPConnects to a remote server over the current HTTP transport.Yesgeminicli.com/docs/tools/mcp-server
SSEConnects over the older HTTP+SSE transport.Yesgeminicli.com/docs/tools/mcp-server
OAuthSigns in to remote servers with OAuth.Yesgeminicli.com/docs/tools/mcp-server

Worth knowing

The Gemini CLI docs state that unpaid tier and Google One users were moved to Antigravity CLI on June 18, 2026.

Other coding agents

FAQ

Where is the Gemini CLI MCP config?

mcpServers in ~/.gemini/settings.json (user) or .gemini/settings.json (project); or gemini mcp add [options] <name> <commandOrUrl> [args...]. The example on this page is copied from https://geminicli.com/docs/tools/mcp-server/

Does Gemini CLI support remote MCP servers over Streamable HTTP?

Yes, per https://geminicli.com/docs/tools/mcp-server/. Its docs list support for stdio, Streamable HTTP and SSE.

Does Gemini CLI support OAuth for MCP servers?

Yes. It handles OAuth sign-in for remote servers. Source: https://geminicli.com/docs/tools/mcp-server/

Which MCP features does Gemini CLI support?

Its docs list Tools, Resources, Prompts and Instructions. They do not state Sampling, Roots, Elicitation and Discovery.

Sources

Last verified from the pages below.

Newsletter

New MCP servers, the week they ship

One email per week. New official MCP servers, the coding tools that support them and how developers wire them up.