Gemini CLI: ACP Slash Commands for IDE Integration

What Is the Agent Client Protocol

The Agent Client Protocol (ACP) is an open standard that allows external AI agents to be embedded directly into IDEs and text editors that support the protocol. For Gemini CLI users, ACP is the bridge that brings the full capabilities of the terminal-based Gemini agent into editors like IntelliJ IDEA, PyCharm, WebStorm, and Zed — without giving up any of the CLI's native power.

When Gemini CLI runs in ACP mode (activated via the --experimental-acp flag), it exposes its full toolset — file reading, shell execution, MCP server access, and more — through a standardized interface that the IDE's AI assistant panel communicates with. Developers configure the integration through a simple JSON file pointing to the CLI's executable, and from that point forward the IDE's chat window becomes a fully capable Gemini agent interface with awareness of the project's files, dependencies, and context.

The Zed editor and all JetBrains tools (IntelliJ IDEA, PyCharm, WebStorm, and others) support ACP, and the ecosystem around the protocol has been growing steadily through early 2026.

Slash Commands Now Available in ACP

Prior to v0.33.0, Gemini CLI's native slash commands — /memory, /init, /extensions, and /restore — were only available when using the CLI directly in a terminal session. When running as an ACP agent inside an IDE, developers lost access to these session management tools.

With v0.33.0, slash command handling has been implemented at the ACP layer. All four of these commands are now available directly within the IDE's AI assistant interface:

/memory

Lets developers inspect and manage the agent's persistent memory state. When working across multiple sessions or large codebases, memory management is essential for keeping the agent's context accurate and relevant. Accessing this from within the IDE eliminates a common reason to drop into a separate terminal window.

/init

Re-initializes the session context. This is particularly useful when switching between project directories within the same IDE session or when resetting conversation state after a long interaction without closing the tool entirely.

/extensions

Manages which Gemini CLI extensions are active and discoverable by the embedded agent. Extension control from within the IDE means developers can toggle capabilities — such as database connectors or custom toolsets — without leaving the editor.

/restore

Restores a previous session or conversation state. This is a safety net for long coding sessions where an accidental reset or unexpected disconnection would otherwise mean losing accumulated context.

Set Models Interface

Alongside slash commands, v0.33.0 introduces a dedicated "Set Models" interface within ACP. This allows developers to configure which Gemini model powers the embedded agent — for example, switching between Gemini 3.1 Pro for deep architectural reasoning and Gemini 3 Flash for rapid iteration — from within the IDE itself rather than through CLI flags or configuration files. For teams working at different task intensities throughout the day, this is a practical ergonomic improvement.

Why This Matters

As Gemini CLI matures into a platform spanning both the terminal and IDE environments via ACP, maintaining feature parity between these two surfaces becomes increasingly important. The slash command gap that existed in ACP was a genuine friction point: developers who relied on the IDE integration for its code-aware context were forced to jump to a terminal for routine session management. That gap is now closed.

The broader implication is architectural: each improvement to ACP parity reinforces Gemini CLI's position as an agent runtime that works consistently regardless of where it is invoked — terminal, IDE via ACP, or future surfaces yet to adopt the protocol.