API-key-free MCP server for Google Gemini: Gemini-CLI backend (ask, web search, deep research, code/file/URL analysis, structured output) + web-UI image (Nano Banana) & video (Veo) generation. 15 tools.
gemini-bridge-mcp
A comprehensive MCP server for Google Gemini that needs NO API key. It combines two free backends so any MCP client (Claude Code, Claude Desktop, …) gets the full Gemini toolbox:
- 🧠 Gemini CLI backend — Q&A, web search, deep research, code/file/URL analysis,
structured output, extraction, summarization. Official, robust (no DOM scraping),
free with your Google login. The model can autonomously use read-only tools
(search, read files/URLs) — it never edits your files (
--approval-mode plan). - 🎨 Web-UI backend — image (Nano Banana) and video (Veo) generation, which
the free CLI can't do. Driven via Playwright against
gemini.google.com.
Inspired by rlabs-inc/gemini-mcp (feature breadth) and eLyiN/gemini-bridge (CLI bridge) — but API-key-free: it uses the Gemini CLI + the web UI instead of the paid API.
Tools
| Tool | Group | Backend | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|
| ask_gemini | core | CLI→web | Ask anything. Attach files and/or a directory of code. Multimodal. |
| gemini_brainstorm | core | CLI | Brainstorm N concrete ideas for a topic. |
| gemini_search | research | CLI | Web search → grounded answer with source URLs. |
| gemini_deep_research | research | CLI | Autonomous multi-step research → structured report + sources. |
| gemini_youtube | research | CLI | Summarize / analyze a YouTube video. |
| gemini_analyze_code | analysis | CLI | Review a codebase folder (bugs/security/perf/quality). |
| gemini_analyze_files | analysis | CLI | Analyze images / PDFs / docs / text (multimodal). |
| gemini_analyze_url | analysis | CLI | Fetch & analyze a web page. |
| gemini_compare_urls | analysis | CLI | Fetch & compare multiple pages. |
| gemini_structured | data | CLI | JSON output matching a schema you give (returns parsed JSON). |
| gemini_extract | data | CLI | Extract named fields from text as JSON. |
| gemini_summarize | data | CLI | Summarize text (short/medium/long). |
| gemini_count_tokens | data | local | Rough, free token estimate (no API call). |
| generate_image | media | Web UI | Generate image(s) with Nano Banana. Saves PNG(s). |
| generate_video | media | Web UI | Generate a video with Veo. Saves an MP4. |
Requirements
- Node.js 18+
- Gemini CLI for the CLI-backed tools
(everything except image/video):
npm i -g @google/gemini-cli, then rungeminionce to log in with your Google account. - For image/video only: a Chromium browser (Chrome / Brave / Edge) + a one-time
web login (
npm run login).
Setup
npm install # server deps (no browser download)
# CLI backend (for ask, search, research, analysis, ...):
npm i -g @google/gemini-cli
gemini # run once, sign in with Google, then exit
# Web backend (only needed for generate_image / generate_video):
npm run login # opens a window; sign in to Gemini once
Use as an MCP server
{
"mcpServers": {
"gemini-bridge": {
"command": "node",
"args": ["/absolute/path/to/gemini-bridge-mcp/server.js"],
"env": { "GEMINI_HEADLESS": "1" }
}
}
}
Or with the Claude Code CLI:
claude mcp add gemini-bridge --env GEMINI_HEADLESS=1 -- node /absolute/path/to/server.js
Presets (control how many tools are exposed)
15 tools can be a lot of context. Trim them via env vars:
GEMINI_PRESET=minimal # ask_gemini, gemini_search, generate_image
GEMINI_PRESET=core # core + media
GEMINI_PRESET=research # ask + research + URL tools
GEMINI_PRESET=analysis # ask + analysis + data
GEMINI_PRESET=media # ask + image/video
GEMINI_PRESET=data # ask + data tools
GEMINI_PRESET=full # everything (default)
# Or pick exactly what you want (tool names and/or group names):
GEMINI_TOOLS=ask_gemini,gemini_search,generate_image
Environment variables
| Variable | Effect |
|---|---|
| GEMINI_BACKEND | auto (default: CLI if available, else web), cli, or web — for ask_gemini. |
| GEMINI_PRESET / GEMINI_TOOLS | Which tools to expose (see above). |
| GEMINI_HEADLESS=1 | Run the web UI invisibly (recommended). |
| GEMINI_BROWSER_PATH | Path to chrome/brave/edge if auto-detect misses. |
| GEMINI_PROFILE_DIR | Web login profile folder (default ./.gemini-profile). |
| GEMINI_OUTPUT_DIR | Where generated media is saved (default ./output). |
| GEMINI_PORT | HTTP mode port (default 7801). |
| GEMINI_TLS_CERT / GEMINI_TLS_KEY | Serve HTTP mode over https (else ./certs/cert.pem+key.pem). |
CLI (testing)
node server.js tools # list enabled tools
node server.js ask "your question"
node server.js search "latest Node LTS?"
node server.js image "a red sports car at sunset"
node server.js video "a balloon over mountains"
node server.js login | check | dump # web-UI login / diagnostics
node server.js http # run over Streamable HTTP
Relation to rlabs-inc/gemini-mcp
This server covers the major capability groups of rlabs-inc/gemini-mcp without an API
key (CLI + web UI instead). A few of its tools are intentionally not included because
they require the paid API or aren't feasible via the free CLI:
- Text-to-speech (
speak,dialogue, voices) — API-only. - Context caching (
create/query/list/delete cache) — API-only (the CLI manages its own context window). - Image-edit sessions & async video polling — our image/video generation is synchronous (the tool waits and returns the file).
- Python code-execution sandbox — for safety this isn't exposed as a tool; ask
ask_geminiwith a coding prompt instead.
Everything else (search, deep research, code/text/document/image analysis, URL & YouTube analysis, structured output, extraction, summarization, image & video generation) is here.
⚠️ Locale note
Some web-UI selectors match the German Gemini UI (e.g. Bild erstellen,
Video erstellen). If your Gemini UI is in another language, edit SEL in
lib/web.js (and the Jetzt ausprobieren regex) — English would be
Create image, Create video, etc. node server.js dump prints current labels. The
CLI tools are locale-independent.
⚠️ Disclaimer
The web-UI part automates Gemini's web interface of your own account; it uses no
official API. Automating Google's web UI may violate Google's Terms of Service — use at
your own risk, for personal use only. The CLI part uses Google's official gemini CLI.
Provided "as is", without warranty. Not affiliated with Google or Anthropic. "Gemini",
"Nano Banana", "Veo" are products/trademarks of Google.
Acknowledgements
- Designed and coded with the help of Claude Code (Anthropic's Claude Opus 4.8, with extended thinking).
- Feature inspiration: rlabs-inc/gemini-mcp and eLyiN/gemini-bridge.