Gemini CLI

Gemini CLI Integration

Give Gemini CLI live web access with CrawlForge MCP. One gemini mcp add command registers the server in ~/.gemini/settings.json, or add the mcpServers block yourself.

Prerequisites

Gemini CLI

Install from geminicli.com

Required

Node.js 18+

Install from nodejs.org

Required

API Key

Get from dashboard

Free

Get a CrawlForge API Key

The config below starts the server through npx, so nothing needs a global install—only a key.

Sign in from the terminal: the CLI opens a browser page where you approve a new key, then saves it to ~/.crawlforge/config.json.

Bash

npm install -g crawlforge-mcp-server
crawlforge login        # opens the browser approval page

Or copy a key from the dashboard and paste it into the config in the next step.

Tip: The CLI guide covers crawlforge login and the other ways to authenticate.

Choose your preferred configuration method:

AOption A: One command, user scope

Run this once and CrawlForge is available in every project:

Bash

gemini mcp add -s user -e CRAWLFORGE_API_KEY=cf_live_your_api_key_here crawlforge npx -- -y crawlforge-mcp-server@latest mcp

-s user writes to ~/.gemini/settings.json; -s project writes to .gemini/settings.json in the current repo instead.

BOption B: Edit settings.json

Add an mcpServers block to ~/.gemini/settings.json (or .gemini/settings.json in a project):

~/.gemini/settings.jsonJson

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "crawlforge": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "crawlforge-mcp-server@latest",
        "mcp"
      ],
      "env": {
        "CRAWLFORGE_API_KEY": "cf_live_your_api_key_here"
      }
    }
  }
}

Tip: A project .gemini/settings.json can be committed so the whole team gets the server; if you do, leave the key out and let each developer add their own.

Set Your API Key

Replace cf_live_your_api_key_here with your key, or let the configurator fill it in.

Generate this config with your key: The MCP configurator fills in your key and outputs the exact command and JSON for Gemini CLI.

Limit the tool list (optional)

CrawlForge ships 31 tools. Set CRAWLFORGE_TOOL_GROUPS in the same env block to load only the groups you need, for example basic,search:

Json

"env": {
  "CRAWLFORGE_API_KEY": "cf_live_your_api_key_here",
  "CRAWLFORGE_TOOL_GROUPS": "basic,search"
}

Groups: basic, search, crawl, extract, batch, research, tracking, llmstxt, stealth, templates, scrape, agent.

Security: Never commit your API key to version control. Use environment variables or the config file.

Test the Integration

Start a new Gemini CLI session and confirm the server is connected.

Bash

gemini mcp list

Check the status — gemini mcp list shows configured servers; /mcp inside a session lists them with their tools
Restart if needed — start a new gemini session after editing settings
Test a prompt — try one of the examples below; Gemini picks the CrawlForge tool itself

Example Prompts

"Search for the latest AI news"

"Extract all links from example.com"

"Crawl the documentation site and summarize it"

"Extract product prices from this e-commerce site"

See the full API reference for all 31 tools and their parameters.

Troubleshooting

Server missing from `/mcp`?

Check ~/.gemini/settings.json is valid JSON
Ensure Node.js 18+ is installed: node --version
Run gemini mcp list to see which scope the server was written to
Start a new Gemini CLI session

Authentication Errors?

Check the API key starts with cf_live_
Run crawlforge login to save a fresh key
Generate a new API key from the dashboard

Tools not being called?

Run /mcp and confirm the crawlforge tools are listed
Ask for a concrete outcome ("scrape this page") so the model picks a tool
Trim the tool list with CRAWLFORGE_TOOL_GROUPS if the model has too many tools to choose from

Still having issues? Contact simon@crawlforge.dev with your Gemini CLI version, Node.js version, and the output of gemini mcp list.

Successfully integrated?

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{ "mcpServers": { "crawlforge": { "command": "npx", "args": [ "-y", "crawlforge-mcp-server@latest", "mcp" ], "env": { "CRAWLFORGE_API_KEY": "cf_live_your_api_key_here" } } } }