google-gemini/gemini-cli · info

Skill installation cancelled by user.

Error message

Skill installation cancelled by user.

What it means

Thrown when requestConsent returns false — the user was prompted to approve skill installation and declined (or dismissed the prompt). This is an expected, user-initiated cancellation, not a system error.

Source

Thrown at packages/cli/src/utils/skillUtils.ts:172

    onLog(`Searching for skills in ${sourcePath}...`);
    const skills = await loadSkillsFromDir(sourcePath);

    if (skills.length === 0) {
      throw new Error(
        `No valid skills found in ${source}${subpath ? ` at path "${subpath}"` : ''}. Ensure a SKILL.md file exists with valid frontmatter.`,
      );
    }

    const workspaceDir = process.cwd();
    const storage = new Storage(workspaceDir);
    const targetDir =
      scope === 'workspace'
        ? storage.getProjectSkillsDir()
        : Storage.getUserSkillsDir();

    if (!(await requestConsent(skills, targetDir))) {
      throw new Error('Skill installation cancelled by user.');
    }

    const resolvedTarget = path.resolve(targetDir);
    await fs.mkdir(resolvedTarget, { recursive: true });

    const installedSkills: Array<{ name: string; location: string }> = [];

    for (const skill of skills) {
      const skillName = skill.name;
      const skillDir = path.dirname(skill.location);
      const destPath = path.resolve(resolvedTarget, skillName);

      const relative = path.relative(resolvedTarget, destPath);
      if (isInvalidSubpath(relative)) {
        throw new Error('Invalid skill name: Path traversal detected.');
      }

      const exists = await fs.lstat(destPath).catch(() => null);

View on GitHub (pinned to 5024443c72)

Solutions

1. Re-run the install command and approve the consent prompt if you trust the source.
2. If running non-interactively, set the appropriate flag/env to auto-approve trusted sources (per the CLI's consent docs).
3. Verify the skill source is legitimate before approving.

// In non-interactive flows, decide explicitly whether to auto-approve.
if (!process.stdin.isTTY && !AUTO_APPROVE_SKILLS) {
  throw new Error('Skill consent cannot be obtained in non-interactive mode; set AUTO_APPROVE_SKILLS for trusted sources.');
}

When it happens

Trigger: requestConsent(skills, targetDir) resolves to false. The interactive consent prompt received a 'no'/cancel, or non-interactive mode defaulted to decline.

Common situations: User chose not to trust a third-party skill. Running in a non-interactive context where the prompt cannot be answered. Consent policy set to auto-decline unknown sources.

Related errors

• Invalid path: Directory traversal not allowed.
• No valid skills found in ${source}${subpath ? ` at path "${s
• Invalid skill name: Path traversal detected.
• Installation aborted: Folder "${absolutePath}" is not truste
• Could not install extension because the current workspace at

AI-assisted analysis of google-gemini/gemini-cli@5024443c72 (2026-08-12). Data as JSON: /api/errors/46886f410a07db63. Report an issue: GitHub.