Gemini CLI greeter Skill: Learn How Custom Greeting Skills Work
Interested in Gemini CLI skills but not sure where to start? Looking at the simplest possible skill example is the fastest way to understand how they work.
This article uses the Gemini CLI greeter skill to explain the basic structure and mechanics of skills.
What This Skill Does
greeter is a sample skill for understanding Gemini CLI's skill system:
- Responds when users say "hello" or ask for a greeting
- Returns "Greetings from the skills-example extension!" message
- Demonstrates the minimal skill structure (SKILL.md only)
Designed for developers learning Gemini CLI skills for the first time or understanding basic skill structure.
Installation
Prerequisites
- Gemini CLI installed
Install Command
gemini skills install github.com/google-gemini/gemini-cli/tree/main/.gemini/skills/greeter
Usage
Basic Usage
Greet Gemini CLI:
hello
The greeter skill triggers and returns:
Greetings from the skills-example extension!
SKILL.md Contents
The greeter SKILL.md is minimal:
---
name: greeter
description: A friendly greeter skill
---
The body is a single line instructing the greeting response. This is the minimum viable skill.
Important Considerations
Not a Production Skill
greeter is an educational sample. It is not intended for actual development workflows.
Description Brevity
This skill's description is very short: "A friendly greeter skill." Production skills should include specific trigger conditions and use cases in descriptions.
Starting Point for Skill Development
Use greeter's simple structure as a starting point, adding features incrementally to learn the skill development process.
Summary
The greeter skill is an educational sample demonstrating Gemini CLI's minimum skill structure. It serves as a starting point for understanding skill development using only a SKILL.md file.
For creating production skills, consider using the skill-creator skill.