With support from Figma, Stripe, and others, Gemini CLI Extensions turn Google’s AI command-line tool into an open platform for developers.
Gemini CLI gets extensible with new developer-driven ecosystem
Google has launched Gemini CLI Extensions, a new system that allows third-party integrations into its AI-powered command-line tool, Gemini CLI. This move expands Gemini from a standalone assistant into a modular, developer-centric platform, directly competing with recent extensibility features like OpenAI’s ChatGPT apps.
But Google is taking a more open approach: anyone can build and publish extensions—no official vetting required.
“That open ecosystem is vital to us,” said Taylor Mullen, senior staff engineer on the project. “Everything we’re doing is grounded in a fair ecosystem that anyone can participate in.”
Figma, Stripe, and more join as early partners
The initial rollout includes extensions from Figma and Stripe, enabling Gemini CLI users to:
- Generate UI designs using Figma’s API
- Query Stripe data or simulate transactions
- Interact with these tools directly from the command line, without leaving the terminal environment
The very first extension was built for Google’s own Nanobanana image generator, allowing users to create images from text prompts via Gemini CLI—highlighting the kind of creative integrations developers can now build.
How Gemini CLI Extensions work
- Extensions are hosted on GitHub and installed manually, offering full transparency and customization
- There is no Google-managed extension store, at least for now
- Developers can build and publish without Google’s involvement, supporting a community-driven model
This stands in contrast to OpenAI’s app system in ChatGPT, which currently involves a more closed, curated process.
“The goal is to make Gemini CLI a conduit to other tools and instructions that come from elsewhere in your tool chain,” said Ryan J. Salva, Google’s Senior Director of Product Management for Developer Tools.
What is Gemini CLI?
Launched in June 2025, Gemini CLI is a command-line AI assistant tailored to developers and power users. It allows users to:
- Run natural-language commands in terminal
- Automate repetitive coding and devops tasks
- Integrate with APIs and local toolchains
- Use AI to write, refactor, and troubleshoot code
Google reports that Gemini CLI has already surpassed 1 million users, with most adoption coming from software developers, including internal teams maintaining Google’s own infrastructure.
Why it matters: Turning Gemini into a platform
With Gemini CLI Extensions, Google is signaling that it sees Gemini not just as a tool, but as a platform, similar to the ecosystem strategy behind VS Code extensions or ChatGPT plugins.
This move:
- Empowers dev teams to plug AI into existing workflows
- Reduces context-switching between apps and APIs
- Encourages an open-source developer community around AI tooling
It also puts Google in direct competition with OpenAI, Microsoft Copilot, and other AI productivity tools — but with a clear emphasis on developer control and openness.
