Gemini CLI: Experimental Agent Skills Preview
Gemini CLIGemini CLI v0.23.0 introduced the first public preview of Agent Skills — a modular extension system that packages specialized expertise and procedural workflows into reusable, self-contained skill directories. The feature launched as an experimental preview available via the @preview npm tag, inviting early adopters to test the system and provide feedback before a stable release. The update also added a /logout command for quick account switching and Windows clipboard image paste via Alt+V.
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Agent Skills Land in Gemini CLI Preview
Gemini CLI v0.23.0, released on January 7, 2026, marked the first public availability of Agent Skills — a feature that would go on to define Gemini CLI's architecture through the following weeks. The initial preview gave early adopters access to an experimental system for extending the CLI with packaged, reusable capabilities, and set the foundation for the stable launch that arrived with v0.26.0.
What Agent Skills Are
Agent Skills are self-contained directories that bundle instructions, resources, and procedural workflows into a single discoverable unit. Each skill gives the agent specialized expertise in a specific domain — whether that is creating pull requests, navigating a particular codebase, or orchestrating multi-step DevOps tasks. The open format is shared with other AI development tools including Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, and OpenCode, meaning skills authored for one tool can be adapted for others.
The v0.23.0 preview made Agent Skills available in the @preview npm build. Developers could install it with npm install -g @google/gemini-cli@preview and enable skills in the settings menu. Google explicitly framed the release as a feedback-gathering exercise, with the stable rollout planned for subsequent versions.
Gemini CLI Wrapped: Usage Stats Visualization
v0.23.0 also shipped Gemini CLI Wrapped, a companion tool accessible via npx gemini-wrapped. The feature generates a visual summary of a user's CLI activity — top models used, most common languages, usage patterns over time.
Windows Clipboard Image Support
Windows users gained the ability to paste images directly from their clipboard into Gemini CLI using the Alt+V shortcut. Previously, images could only be attached via file path. The addition brings Windows closer to feature parity with macOS and Linux for multimodal workflows.
Terminal Background Color Detection
The release introduced automatic terminal background color detection. Gemini CLI now reads the terminal's background color at startup and selects a compatible color theme accordingly.
/logout Command
A new /logout command provides one-step credential clearing and authentication state reset. Before this release, switching between Google accounts or clearing stored credentials required manually editing configuration files.