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# Connect SimplyPrint to Gemini CLI

# Connect SimplyPrint to Gemini CLI

SimplyPrint has an official MCP server, which means you can plug it into Google's [Gemini CLI](https://geminicli.com) and just tell Gemini what to do with your printers, queue, files and filament. This guide walks through installing the SimplyPrint extension for Gemini CLI and signing in for the first time.

|| Gemini CLI works on any Google / Gemini plan, including the free tier. You just need Node.js installed.

## What you can do once connected

Once Gemini CLI has the SimplyPrint extension, you can ask things like:

- "What's printing right now across all my printers?"
- "Pause every printer - I need to swap filament."
- "Queue five copies of benchy.gcode on the Bambu."
- "Show me what went wrong with the last three failed prints."
- "Which spools have less than 100 grams left?"

Gemini picks the right SimplyPrint action, asks you to confirm anything destructive, and reports back in plain English.

## Can I use this in Gemini web (gemini.google.com) instead?

Not yet. As of early 2026, the Gemini web app at gemini.google.com only lets you connect to Google's own tools (Workspace, Maps, YouTube, and Gems). There's no screen for plugging in an outside service like SimplyPrint. The Gemini CLI is the only place in consumer Gemini where you can connect SimplyPrint today.

Google does let you connect outside tools in a few other products, but those are for developers or larger businesses:

- **Gemini Enterprise** (for businesses): supports custom connectors, but you need to contact your Google account team to be given access.
- **Android Studio** and **Firebase Studio**: let developers connect SimplyPrint while they're building software.
- **Gemini API** (via Google's Python or JavaScript libraries): lets developers use SimplyPrint from code.

If Google opens gemini.google.com to custom connectors in the future, you'll be able to connect SimplyPrint there too - the same way you already can in [Claude](https://help.simplyprint.io/en/article/connect-simplyprint-to-claude-claudeai-and-claude-code-cj7wyg/) or any other [MCP-aware assistant](https://help.simplyprint.io/en/article/connect-simplyprint-to-any-ai-assistant-via-mcp-u5j4bw/).

## Prerequisites

You need two things installed before you start.

### 1. Node.js

Gemini CLI runs on Node.js. If you don't already have it, download it from [nodejs.org](https://nodejs.org) and install with the defaults.

### 2. Gemini CLI

From any terminal, run:

`npm install -g @google/gemini-cli`

Verify the install by running `gemini --version`. You should see a version number print out.

| First time using Gemini CLI? Run `gemini` on its own and sign in with your Google account. You only need to do this once. See [Google's Gemini CLI quickstart](https://geminicli.com/docs/cli/quickstart/) if you get stuck.

## Install the SimplyPrint extension

With Gemini CLI installed, run:

`gemini extensions install https://github.com/SimplyPrint/simplyprint-gemini-extension`

When prompted, press **Y** to continue. The extension is tiny - it's just a pointer at the SimplyPrint MCP server - so the install takes a second or two.

To confirm it installed, you can check the extensions folder at `~/.gemini/extensions/simplyprint/` for a `gemini-extension.json` file.

## First time connecting

Launch Gemini CLI with `gemini` and ask it something printer-related, like:

> What's printing right now?

The first time Gemini needs to call a SimplyPrint tool, a browser window opens so you can sign in to SimplyPrint - the same kind of "Sign in with ..." screen you've seen on other sites. Log in (if you aren't already) and you land on the SimplyPrint permissions screen showing what Gemini is asking for - view printers, control printers, manage queue, and so on. Tick the ones you're happy with and click **Authorize**.

||| Only grant the permissions you actually want Gemini to have. You can leave "Manage" options off for a read-only connection, and you can revoke access any time from **Account settings > Connected apps**.

The browser window closes, Gemini completes its answer using live data from your SimplyPrint account, and your approval is remembered. You won't see the sign-in screen again unless you revoke access.

## Permissions Gemini asks for

When you authorize SimplyPrint from Gemini, you get a checklist of permissions. Approve only what you want.

| Permission | What it lets Gemini do |
| ---------- | ---------------------- |
| View your printers' details | See names, status, current print, bed temperature |
| Operate your printers | Pause, resume, cancel, home, send G-code |
| View your print queue | List queue items, view details, see pending approvals |
| Manage your print queue | Add items, reorder, edit, delete, approve, deny |
| View your files and folders | List files, search by name, estimate print cost |
| Manage your files and folders | Move, rename, delete, create folders |
| View filament spools | See remaining weight, assignments, drying status |
| Manage filament spools | Adjust weight, assign to printers, mark dried |
| View your print history | See past jobs, success/failure, filament used |
| View your print statistics | Success rate, filament totals, cost summaries |

||| Gemini cannot change your subscription, delete your account, pay invoices, or do anything outside the scopes you granted. Billing and account-deletion are off-limits to every connected app.

## Managing the extension

A few useful commands:

| Command | What it does |
| ------- | ------------ |
| `gemini extensions list` | Show all installed extensions |
| `gemini extensions update simplyprint` | Update to the latest SimplyPrint extension version |
| `gemini extensions disable simplyprint` | Temporarily disable without uninstalling |
| `gemini extensions enable simplyprint` | Re-enable after disabling |
| `gemini extensions uninstall simplyprint` | Remove the extension completely |

Updates are pushed whenever we ship new SimplyPrint features. You don't need to re-authorize after updating; your scopes are tied to your account, not to any specific version.

## Revoking access

To disconnect Gemini CLI from SimplyPrint, go to **Account settings > Connected apps** in SimplyPrint and click **Revoke** next to the Gemini entry. The connection stops working immediately. If you want to use Gemini with SimplyPrint again afterwards, you just sign in once more the next time Gemini tries to use a SimplyPrint tool.

| Revoking in SimplyPrint is the cleanest way to disconnect. Uninstalling the extension with `gemini extensions uninstall simplyprint` removes Gemini's local copy but does not disconnect Gemini from your SimplyPrint account.

## Troubleshooting

**Install fails with "install source not found".**
Use the full git URL: `gemini extensions install https://github.com/SimplyPrint/simplyprint-gemini-extension`. The shorthand `SimplyPrint/simplyprint-gemini-extension` form isn't recognized by Gemini CLI.

**Browser window doesn't open when first connecting.**
Make sure you're running `gemini` interactively in a normal terminal, not piped into another command. Gemini CLI needs to launch your default browser so you can sign in to SimplyPrint.

**Gemini says it can't perform an action.**
Most likely the permission wasn't granted. Revoke access in **Account settings > Connected apps**, trigger a SimplyPrint action in Gemini again, and tick the missing permission on the sign-in screen.

**Gemini doesn't offer SimplyPrint as a tool.**
Run `gemini extensions list` to confirm `simplyprint` is listed and enabled. If it's missing or disabled, re-install or enable it with the commands above.

**I see `Assertion failed: !(handle->flags & UV_HANDLE_CLOSING)` on Windows.**
This is a known cosmetic Node.js warning on Windows that sometimes appears after a Gemini CLI command completes. The command itself still worked - you can ignore it.

## Related articles

- [Connect SimplyPrint to any AI assistant via MCP](https://help.simplyprint.io/en/article/connect-simplyprint-to-any-ai-assistant-via-mcp-u5j4bw/)
- [Connect SimplyPrint to Claude (claude.ai and Claude Code)](https://help.simplyprint.io/en/article/connect-simplyprint-to-claude-claudeai-and-claude-code-cj7wyg/)
- [SimplyPrint API documentation](https://apidocs.simplyprint.io)
- [The print queue](https://help.simplyprint.io/en/article/the-print-queue)