Shadcn MCP for Gemini CLI

One MCP URL gives Gemini CLI live tools to search, preview, and install every block, component, and icon on shadcn.io — no hallucinated props, no broken installs.

Install

Open ~/.gemini/settings.json and add the shadcnio server to the mcpServers object:

Paste it in once signed in with an active Pro subscription — the config carries your personal token, so treat the full URL like an API key. Pro starts at $19/mo and includes MCP access across every editor plus 6,000+ production-ready blocks. Not Pro yet? See what you unlock →

Gemini CLI's config uses httpUrl (not url) for remote HTTP servers — a rare naming choice that sets it apart from Cursor, Roo Code, and friends. The Accept header is required for streaming responses; without it, Gemini CLI falls back to request-response mode and loses streaming tool output.

Share with your team

~/.gemini/settings.json is a per-user file — there's no project-scoped .gemini/ equivalent. For teams, share the config shape above and let each member paste in their own token from /dashboard/account after running gemini auth login.

A Team or Organization plan gives every workspace member their own Pro entitlement.

Install your first block

use shadcnio to install hero-announcement into my project

What Gemini CLI actually does, in order:

1. search_items({ query: "hero-announcement" }) to confirm the slug resolves.
2. get_item({ name: "hero-announcement" }) for a cheap metadata peek.
3. get_install_command({ name: "hero-announcement" }) — returns a shadcn add https://www.shadcn.io/r/hero-announcement.json?token=… URL with your token already in the query string.
4. Runs it through Gemini CLI's shell tool. Files land under components/ui/.

Name the server explicitly ("use shadcnio…") when multiple MCPs are configured, or Gemini CLI picks one at random or skips tools entirely.

The example above uses hero-announcement, a Pro block — the install runs once you're signed in with an active subscription.

Manage the connection

Gemini CLI re-reads ~/.gemini/settings.json at the start of each invocation. To verify a new config landed, run:

gemini mcp list

shadcnio should appear in the output with its tool list. To disable without removing, delete the shadcnio block from settings.json and re-add when you need it (Gemini CLI has no built-in disabled flag for HTTP servers — unlike Roo Code or Kilo Code).

If your Pro subscription lapses, the next tool call returns 403. Resubscribing restores access immediately — the token itself stays valid across subscription gaps.

FAQ