Gemini CLI Custom Base URL: A Fast 59API Setup
Get Gemini CLI working through 59API
Pointing Gemini CLI at a custom base URL lets you route requests through an API relay instead of the default Google endpoint. The essentials are straightforward: configure the endpoint, supply the relay’s API key, and select a supported model identifier.
59API offers low-cost, pay-as-you-go access to Gemini and other model families, with native, official-quality models and no downgrades. For developers who want usage-based spending without managing multiple provider accounts, it is a practical option. Here is a quick setup, followed by the checks that prevent most configuration headaches.
1. Install or update Gemini CLI
Use a supported Node.js LTS release, then install the official CLI:
npm install -g @google/gemini-cli
Check that your terminal can find it:
gemini --version
If you already have an older installation, update it before troubleshooting endpoint behavior. Custom-endpoint support and authentication handling can differ across releases.
2. Set the relay endpoint and API key
Create a 59API account, generate an API key, and check the dashboard’s Gemini CLI integration instructions. In a macOS or Linux shell, set these variables:
export GEMINI_API_KEY='YOUR_59API_KEY'
export GOOGLE_GEMINI_BASE_URL='https://api.59api.com'
Use a 59API key here, not a Google-issued key. These exports apply to the current shell and processes launched from it. For persistence, add them to your shell configuration or load them through your usual secret-management workflow.
On PowerShell, use the corresponding session variables:
$env:GEMINI_API_KEY = 'YOUR_59API_KEY'
$env:GOOGLE_GEMINI_BASE_URL = 'https://api.59api.com'
The base URL should be the service root unless 59API’s current integration instructions specify otherwise. Do not automatically append /v1, /v1beta, or /chat/completions: Gemini CLI uses the Gemini API protocol, not the OpenAI chat-completions protocol.
3. Select API-key authentication and a model
Start the interactive CLI with gemini. If prompted for authentication, choose the Gemini API-key option. If an existing session still uses Google sign-in, open /auth and switch authentication methods. Also remove conflicting Vertex AI settings from the shell if you previously configured that route.
Next, copy the exact API model identifier from 59API’s dashboard. A model’s display name is not necessarily its request identifier. Gemini 2.5 Flash is a useful starting point for quick development tasks; Gemini 3.1 Pro is another option for more demanding work. Confirm current availability and pricing before choosing.
For a POSIX shell, store the identifier and run a small test:
export GEMINI_MODEL='COPY_THE_API_MODEL_ID_FROM_59API'
gemini -m "$GEMINI_MODEL" -p 'Reply with exactly: connected'
Specifying the model explicitly avoids relying on a default that the relay might not expose. Check the 59API usage dashboard after the request to confirm that traffic reached your account.
4. Troubleshoot by symptom
- 401 or 403: Check the key, account balance, model permissions, and selected authentication method. Restart Gemini CLI after changing environment variables.
- 404 or model not found: Verify both the API model identifier and endpoint path. A duplicated version prefix can break routing.
- Requests still use Google login: Revisit /auth and confirm the variables are set in the same terminal that launches the CLI.
- Basic prompts work, but coding tasks fail: Check support for streaming, tool calls, and the chosen model. A successful text response does not prove every CLI feature works.
- 429 or timeouts: Review relay limits and service status. Avoid launching repeated retries that could increase costs.
Keep costs and credentials under control
Start with a small prompt, review actual usage, and keep tool-approval safeguards enabled. Never commit API keys or paste them into shared logs. Before sending proprietary code, review the relay’s data-handling terms and your organization’s policies.
59API also supports other developer tools and offers a referral rebate, but broader model access does not make every model interchangeable inside Gemini CLI. Use the Gemini-compatible integration for this workflow. If low-cost, pay-as-you-go access fits your needs, sign up for 59API and validate it with one small request before moving larger tasks over.
शुरू करने के लिए तैयार?
कुछ ही मिनटों में Claude और GPT जोड़ें, सबसे कम कीमत पर। साइन अप करें और API key पाएं।
मुफ़्त साइन अप