BuildGist

How do I switch from Gemini CLI to Claude Code?

Kayvan Zahiri ·

Make Claude Code read the same instructions, then carry the task in a short note. Gemini CLI reads GEMINI.md; Claude Code reads CLAUDE.md, or AGENTS.md when there is no CLAUDE.md. Put @GEMINI.md in CLAUDE.md, or move the rules to AGENTS.md and point Gemini CLI at it with context.fileName. Save the Gemini chat with /chat share session.md. BuildGist does not work with Gemini CLI, so the switch is by hand. From the first Claude Code run, BuildGist explains each one.

BuildGist is a Mac app for Claude Code, Cursor and Codex. Download for Mac.

What each tool reads

1. One instructions file for both

Option A, keep GEMINI.md. Create CLAUDE.md with one line:

@GEMINI.md

Option B, move to AGENTS.md. Rename the file, then tell Gemini CLI to read it in .gemini/settings.json:

{ "context": { "fileName": ["AGENTS.md", "GEMINI.md"] } }

Option B also covers Codex and Cursor, which read AGENTS.md as well. Check with /memory show in Gemini CLI and /memory in Claude Code.

2. Read what changed

git status
git diff --stat

Gemini CLI's checkpointing is off by default. If you turned it on, its snapshots live in a separate Git repository under ~/.gemini/history/, and /restore works only inside Gemini CLI. Commit or stash before Claude Code starts, so you have a point to return to.

3. Save the chat

/chat share session.md

That writes the conversation to Markdown (.json works too). Gemini CLI also keeps sessions under ~/.gemini/tmp/, and gemini --resume reopens one, but Claude Code cannot open those files as a session. Keep the export to copy one error or decision from when you need it.

4. Start Claude Code with a note

Task: (what you asked Gemini CLI for)
Done: (what is finished)
Not done: (what is left)
Ruled out: (what failed, and why)
Next step: (the first thing to do)

Run claude in the project folder, paste the note, and ask for the next step back before it edits. If the Gemini chat was long, /compress in Gemini CLI first writes a summary you can mine for the note. Check it against the diff.

Running both for a while

If you keep Gemini CLI for some tasks, give each agent its own branch or git worktree. Gemini CLI's own session docs suggest worktrees for parallel sessions, so changes in one session do not collide with another. With one shared instructions file, both follow the same rules, and you read each branch's diff before merging.

An account change you may see

A banner on Gemini CLI's documentation says that on June 18, 2026, Gemini CLI was replaced by Antigravity CLI for unpaid-tier and Google One users. If that is why you are moving, the steps above still apply: the files in your folder and your exported chat are what you carry.

After the switch

BuildGist works with Claude Code, Cursor and Codex. It does not see Gemini CLI runs, so there is no card for a Gemini task. Once you are in Claude Code, it writes a plain-English explanation of each meaningful run, and if you later start a new chat in Cursor or Codex in the same project, its card offers the task and Continue carries it. Moving between Claude Code and Codex is in how to switch from Claude Code to Codex, and the one-file setup in how to keep context across Claude Code, Cursor and Codex.

Questions

Does Claude Code read GEMINI.md?

Not by itself. Import it from CLAUDE.md with @GEMINI.md, or move the rules to AGENTS.md, which Claude Code reads when there is no CLAUDE.md.

Can Gemini CLI read AGENTS.md or CLAUDE.md?

Yes, if you list the file in context.fileName in settings.json. GEMINI.md is only the default name.

Does BuildGist work with Gemini CLI?

No. BuildGist works with Claude Code, Cursor and Codex.

Can I reopen the Gemini CLI session later?

Yes. gemini --resume reopens the latest session for the project, or pass an index or ID. gemini --list-sessions lists them. Sessions are stored per project under ~/.gemini/tmp/.

Sources

What you need

Codex needs you to approve BuildGist once, in Codex. BuildGist shows the steps. Setup is in Getting started.

To explain a run, your computer sends BuildGist what that run needs, and BuildGist passes it to Anthropic. BuildGist does not keep this material. It does not send your whole repository, files the run did not change, or files named like secrets, such as .env files and keys. It keeps the explanation and short cited excerpts of changed code, at most 12 lines each. Secret masking is best-effort. Privacy has the full list.

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Related

Questions: kayvanandre@gmail.com.