Do Codex and Gemini CLI use the same skill format?

Both read a folder with a SKILL.md that has a name and a description, the same open format Claude Code uses. Each tool adds its own optional settings, but a plain skill works in both.

Can one folder serve both tools?

Yes. Both docs list .agents/skills/ as a project folder, and ~/.agents/skills/ as a user folder. A skill placed there is found by Codex and Gemini CLI, and by Cursor as well.

How does Codex install a skill?

Its docs describe a built-in $skill-installer that you can ask for a skill by name or point at another repository. You can also copy a folder into one of the folders Codex reads, and it detects new skills automatically.

Is Gemini CLI still current?

Its docs page carries a notice that Gemini CLI was replaced by Antigravity CLI on 18 June 2026 for some account types. We have not verified Antigravity's skill folders, so check that tool's docs if you moved to it.

Guide

Codex and Gemini CLI skills

Codex CLI and Gemini CLI both load Agent Skills from a .agents/skills folder, so one copy of a skill can serve both. This page lists the folders and install commands from each tool's own docs, and says where we could not verify something.

Where each tool looks

Checked 16 October 2026

The paths below were read from the Codex skills page and the Gemini CLI skills page on that date. Neither page shows a revision date.

	Codex	Gemini CLI
This project	`.agents/skills` in the working directory, each parent up to the repo root	`.gemini/skills/` or the alias `.agents/skills/`
Every project	`$HOME/.agents/skills`	`~/.gemini/skills/` or the alias `~/.agents/skills/`
Other	Admin: `/etc/codex/skills`. System skills ship with Codex.	Built-in skills and skills bundled in installed extensions.
If two skills share a name	Both can appear; they are not merged.	The higher tier wins: workspace over user over extension over built-in. Within a tier, .agents/skills beats .gemini/skills.

These match the ProSkills install table: Codex project .agents/skills/, user ~/.agents/skills/; Gemini CLI project .agents/skills/ (or .gemini/skills/), user ~/.gemini/skills/. Codex follows symlinked skill folders.

Install in Codex

Copy a skill folder into .agents/skills/ in your repo, or into ~/.agents/skills/.
Codex detects new skills automatically. If one does not appear, restart Codex.
Run it with /skills or type $ in the CLI. Codex can also pick a skill itself when your task matches its description.

The docs also describe $skill-installer, for example $skill-installer linear, and say you can ask it to download skills from other repositories. Codex reads optional settings from agents/openai.yaml in a skill: display details, a policy that can block implicit use, and tool dependencies. A plain SKILL.md needs none of them.

Install in Gemini CLI

gemini skills install https://github.com/<owner>/<repo>.git --consent
gemini skills list --all
gemini skills uninstall <name> --scope workspace

The install command takes --scope user|workspace (default user), --path for a subfolder of a Git repo, and --consent to skip the security prompt. Inside a session, /skills list, /skills enable, /skills disable and /skills reload manage them. We have not run these against the ProSkills repository, so test with one skill first. Copying a folder into .agents/skills/ also works.

When a task matches, Gemini CLI asks you to confirm before it loads the skill, and it shows the folder the skill will access. Read that prompt.

A notice on the Gemini CLI docs

At the top of the Gemini CLI skills page we read: "Gemini CLI was replaced by Antigravity CLI on June 18th, 2026" for unpaid tier and Google One users. We have not checked where Antigravity CLI reads skills, so if you use it, follow its own docs.

One folder for both

Put the skill in .agents/skills/<name>/ and both tools find it. The CLI does it in one command:

npx proskills-cli add humanizer --agent codex

--agent codex and --agent gemini both write to .agents/skills/ for a project. Other routes are in the install guide. For Cursor, see Cursor skills. Scan a skill first with the scanner.

Sources

Questions

Do Codex and Gemini CLI use the same skill format?: Both read a folder with a SKILL.md that has a name and a description, the same open format Claude Code uses. Each tool adds its own optional settings, but a plain skill works in both.
Can one folder serve both tools?: Yes. Both docs list .agents/skills/ as a project folder, and ~/.agents/skills/ as a user folder. A skill placed there is found by Codex and Gemini CLI, and by Cursor as well.
How does Codex install a skill?: Its docs describe a built-in $skill-installer that you can ask for a skill by name or point at another repository. You can also copy a folder into one of the folders Codex reads, and it detects new skills automatically.
Is Gemini CLI still current?: Its docs page carries a notice that Gemini CLI was replaced by Antigravity CLI on 18 June 2026 for some account types. We have not verified Antigravity's skill folders, so check that tool's docs if you moved to it.

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