nikivdev/code · error

Missing GEMINI_API_KEY/GOOGLE_API_KEY (set env var or add to

Error message

Missing GEMINI_API_KEY/GOOGLE_API_KEY (set env var or add to personal env)

What it means

The Gemini summarization path requires an API key and checks `GEMINI_API_KEY`/`GOOGLE_API_KEY`, including personal env lookups via `crate::env::get_personal_env_var`. If neither is set (or the value is whitespace-only), the function bails telling the user to set the env var or add it to their personal env file. No request is attempted without credentials.

Source

Thrown at src/ai.rs:14555

    }
    if let Ok(key) = std::env::var("GOOGLE_API_KEY") {
        if !key.trim().is_empty() {
            return Ok(key);
        }
    }

    if let Ok(Some(key)) = crate::env::get_personal_env_var("GEMINI_API_KEY") {
        if !key.trim().is_empty() {
            return Ok(key);
        }
    }
    if let Ok(Some(key)) = crate::env::get_personal_env_var("GOOGLE_API_KEY") {
        if !key.trim().is_empty() {
            return Ok(key);
        }
    }

    bail!("Missing GEMINI_API_KEY/GOOGLE_API_KEY (set env var or add to personal env)")
}

fn truncate_for_summary(context: &str) -> String {
    let max_chars = summary_max_chars();
    if context.chars().count() <= max_chars {
        return context.to_string();
    }
    let start = context.chars().count().saturating_sub(max_chars);
    context.chars().skip(start).collect()
}

fn truncate_for_handoff(context: &str) -> String {
    let max_chars = handoff_max_chars();
    if context.chars().count() <= max_chars {
        return context.to_string();
    }
    let start = context.chars().count().saturating_sub(max_chars);
    context.chars().skip(start).collect()

View on GitHub (pinned to a747e741ae)

Solutions

1. Export the key: `export GEMINI_API_KEY=...` (or GOOGLE_API_KEY) in the shell before running the command
2. Add the key to the tool's personal env file so it persists across shells/sessions
3. In CI, pass the secret through as an environment variable to the process
4. Verify with `echo ${GEMINI_API_KEY:+set}` that the variable is non-empty in the exact environment running the tool

Example fix

// before
$ myapp ai summarize gemini
Error: Missing GEMINI_API_KEY/GOOGLE_API_KEY (set env var or add to personal env)
// after
$ export GEMINI_API_KEY=AIza...
$ myapp ai summarize gemini   # succeeds

fn ensure_gemini_key() -> Result<(), String> {
    let ok = |v: &str| std::env::var(v).map(|k| !k.trim().is_empty()).unwrap_or(false);
    if ok("GEMINI_API_KEY") || ok("GOOGLE_API_KEY") { Ok(()) }
    else { Err("set GEMINI_API_KEY or GOOGLE_API_KEY before running".into()) }
}
ensure_gemini_key()?;

match summarize_with_gemini(ctx) {
    Err(e) if e.to_string().contains("Missing GEMINI_API_KEY") => {
        eprintln!("{e}; export GEMINI_API_KEY or add it to your personal env file");
    }
    Err(e) => return Err(e),
    Ok(s) => println!("{s}"),
}

When it happens

Trigger: Calling the Gemini summary command with neither GEMINI_API_KEY nor GOOGLE_API_KEY exported in the environment; key present but empty/whitespace-only; key defined only in a shell rc not loaded by the current process; personal env file missing the entry.

Common situations: Fresh checkout on a new machine without the key; CI secrets not propagated; using a shell wrapper (systemd, Docker, IDE task) that strips environment variables; typo in the variable name (e.g. GOOGLE_APIKEY).

Understand the failure class

Background: "environment variable is not set" and "Missing keys in environment" errors: what missing required env var messages mean and how to fix them — this error's family across 28 libraries.

Related errors

• OPENROUTER_API_KEY not set. Get one at https://openrouter.ai
• DATABASE_URL not found (set env, PLANETSCALE_DATABASE_URL, o
• Gemini API error {}: {}
• could not resolve commit report directory
• remote review URL not configured

AI-assisted analysis of nikivdev/code@a747e741ae (2026-09-01). Data as JSON: /api/errors/f9e21e9ce5fc32ad. Report an issue: GitHub.