litellm/docs/my-website/docs/tutorials/litellm_gemini_cli.md

Use LiteLLM with Gemini CLI

This tutorial shows you how to integrate the Gemini CLI with LiteLLM Proxy, allowing you to route requests through LiteLLM's unified interface.

:::info

This integration is supported from LiteLLM v1.73.3-nightly and above.

:::

Benefits of using gemini-cli with LiteLLM

When you use gemini-cli with LiteLLM you get the following benefits:

Developer Benefits:

• Universal Model Access: Use any LiteLLM supported model (Anthropic, OpenAI, Vertex AI, Bedrock, etc.) through the gemini-cli interface.
• Higher Rate Limits & Reliability: Load balance across multiple models and providers to avoid hitting individual provider limits, with fallbacks to ensure you get responses even if one provider fails.

Proxy Admin Benefits:

• Centralized Management: Control access to all models through a single LiteLLM proxy instance without giving your developers API Keys to each provider.
• Budget Controls: Set spending limits and track costs across all gemini-cli usage.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have:

• Node.js and npm installed on your system
• A running LiteLLM Proxy instance
• A valid LiteLLM Proxy API key
• Git installed for cloning the repository

Quick Start Guide

Step 1: Install Gemini CLI

Clone the Gemini CLI repository and navigate to the project directory:

npm install -g @google/gemini-cli

Step 2: Configure Gemini CLI for LiteLLM Proxy

Configure the Gemini CLI to point to your LiteLLM Proxy instance by setting the required environment variables:

export GOOGLE_GEMINI_BASE_URL="http://localhost:4000"
export GEMINI_API_KEY=sk-1234567890

Note: Replace the values with your actual LiteLLM Proxy configuration:

• BASE_URL: The URL where your LiteLLM Proxy is running
• GEMINI_API_KEY: Your LiteLLM Proxy API key

Step 3: Build and Start Gemini CLI

Build the project and start the CLI:

gemini

Step 4: Test the Integration

Once the CLI is running, you can send test requests. These requests will be automatically routed through LiteLLM Proxy to the configured Gemini model.

The CLI will now use LiteLLM Proxy as the backend, giving you access to LiteLLM's features like:

• Request/response logging
• Rate limiting
• Cost tracking
• Model routing and fallbacks

Troubleshooting

If you encounter issues:

1. Connection errors: Verify that your LiteLLM Proxy is running and accessible at the configured GOOGLE_GEMINI_BASE_URL
2. Authentication errors: Ensure your GEMINI_API_KEY is valid and has the necessary permissions
3. Build failures: Make sure all dependencies are installed with npm install