Gemini CLI

Gemini CLI is Google's open-source AI assistant for the terminal (github.com/google-gemini/gemini-cli). It supports MCP servers via a URL transport, which means you can connect Picsart tools without installing any additional local processes.

Prerequisites

• Gemini CLI 0.1.8 or later installed. Run gemini --version to check.
• Node.js 18 or later (required if you install via npm).
• A Google account for Gemini CLI authentication.
• A Picsart API key. Get one at picsart.com/ai-playground/ under API Settings.

Setup

1. Install Gemini CLI

npm install -g @google/gemini-cli

Alternatively, download a prebuilt binary from the GitHub releases page.

2. Authenticate with Google

Run gemini and complete the Google sign-in flow.

3. Open the settings file

Platform	Path
macOS / Linux	~/.gemini/settings.json
Windows	%APPDATA%\gemini\settings.json

Create the file if it does not exist.

4. Add the Picsart MCP server

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "picsart-gen-ai": {
      "url": "https://mcp.picsart.io/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_PICSART_API_KEY"
      }
    }
  }
}

Replace YOUR_PICSART_API_KEY with your key from picsart.com/ai-playground/.

5. Start Gemini CLI

gemini

6. Verify the connection

In the Gemini CLI prompt, type:

What Picsart tools are available?

The CLI should respond with a list of connected Picsart tools.

For the complete MCP server configuration reference, see the Gemini CLI MCP documentation.

Use it

Once connected, prompt Gemini CLI naturally. Some examples:

• Generate a cinematic 8-second video of a sunset over the ocean using Veo 3.1
• Remove the background from https://example.com/product.jpg and return the result URL
• Check my Picsart credit balance

Troubleshooting

"mcpServers not recognized" Confirm you are on Gemini CLI 0.1.8 or later. Earlier versions did not support MCP. Run gemini --version to check.

"Connection timeout" Gemini CLI fetches the tool manifest at startup. A slow response is usually a transient network issue. Close the CLI and reopen it.

Tools not appearing Confirm the JSON in settings.json is valid. Trailing commas will silently break parsing. Validate with:

cat ~/.gemini/settings.json | python3 -m json.tool

If the command reports an error, fix the indicated line.

FAQ

Does Gemini CLI use my Google account to authenticate with Picsart? No. Gemini CLI uses your Google account to access Gemini models. Picsart uses your Picsart API key. They are separate credentials stored and used independently.

Can I use Gemini CLI with other MCP servers at the same time? Yes. Add multiple entries under mcpServers. All tools from all servers are available in the same session.

Is a Google One AI Premium subscription required to use MCP tools? No. MCP tool support is available on the free tier. A Google One AI Premium subscription increases your Gemini rate limits but is not required to use Picsart tools.

Start creating

The Picsart MCP server is now connected. Visit the documentation for examples, available models, and prompt ideas.

Ready to generate?

View documentation