# How to connect Gemini CLI to LinkedIn, step by step

Source: https://finchreach.com/guides/gemini-cli
Third-party facts checked on 2026-10-28.

Create an API key at finchreach.com/api-keys, connect LinkedIn at finchreach.com/accounts, then add `https://mcp.finchreach.com/mcp` to Gemini CLI with the header `Authorization: Bearer lk_…`. Test with a read, and approve the first draft under Approvals.

## What you need

- A Finchreach account (sign in at [finchreach.com](https://finchreach.com/sign-in)) and the LinkedIn account you want Gemini CLI to work on.
- Gemini CLI.
- About five minutes.

## Step 1: Create a Finchreach API key

1. Sign in at finchreach.com and open [API keys](https://finchreach.com/api-keys).
2. Create a key and name it after the tool, for example “Gemini CLI”.
3. Copy it right away: it starts with `lk_` and is shown only once.

## Step 2: Connect your LinkedIn account

1. Open [Accounts](https://finchreach.com/accounts) and click to connect LinkedIn.
2. Follow the steps until the account shows as connected.

Approval mode is on by default: nothing the assistant drafts reaches LinkedIn until you approve it.

## Step 3: Add Finchreach to Gemini CLI

1. Run `gemini mcp add --transport http --header "Authorization: Bearer lk_YOUR_KEY" finchreach https://mcp.finchreach.com/mcp`. It writes to the project by default; add `-s user` for `~/.gemini/settings.json`.
2. Or edit `settings.json` yourself as below. Use `httpUrl` for Finchreach: in Gemini CLI, `url` means the older SSE transport.
3. Or leave `headers` out: with only `httpUrl`, Gemini CLI discovers Finchreach’s OAuth on the first 401. Run `/mcp auth finchreach`, sign in on Finchreach and approve.
4. Start Gemini CLI and run `/mcp` to check that `finchreach` is connected.

Terminal:
```bash
gemini mcp add --transport http \
  --header "Authorization: Bearer lk_YOUR_KEY" \
  finchreach https://mcp.finchreach.com/mcp
```

~/.gemini/settings.json:
```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "finchreach": {
      "httpUrl": "https://mcp.finchreach.com/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer lk_YOUR_KEY"
      }
    }
  }
}
```

> Replace `lk_YOUR_KEY` with your key. Keep the key out of shared files and repos; where Gemini CLI can read it from an environment variable, prefer that.

Headers are supported on HTTP servers, so the Finchreach key works as a Bearer token. OAuth with auto-discovery works too: drop `headers` and run `/mcp auth finchreach`.

## Step 4: Test the connection

In Gemini CLI, start with a read. It runs right away and proves the key and the account work:

> Ask your assistant: “List my connected LinkedIn accounts, then summarize my five latest notifications.”

You should see calls to `linkedin_list_accounts` and `linkedin_get_notifications`. Then try a write, which goes to your approval queue instead of LinkedIn:

> Ask your assistant: “Draft a short LinkedIn post saying I’m trying a new AI assistant workflow. Submit it for my approval.”

## Step 5: Approve or reject it in Finchreach

1. Open [Approvals](https://finchreach.com/approvals). The draft is there with its exact text and the account it would go out from.
2. Approve it to publish, or reject it (reject the test post if you don’t want it live).
3. Gemini CLI can check the result with `linkedin_get_action`: pending, approved, rejected, executed, failed or expired.

## Troubleshooting

- Connection errors with a hand-written entry usually mean `url` instead of `httpUrl`.
- A third-party report (not checked) says Gemini CLI stopped serving consumer AI Pro and Ultra accounts in June 2026 in favour of Antigravity CLI. If your sign-in is refused, check Google’s current guidance.
- 401 or “unauthorized”: the key is wrong, revoked or missing its prefix. Finchreach accepts `Authorization: Bearer lk_…` or `X-API-Key: lk_…`; check for a missing `Bearer `, quotes or a trailing space.
- A tool is missing: the key’s permissions don’t include it. Create a key with the permissions you need under [API keys](https://finchreach.com/api-keys).
- “No LinkedIn account”: connect one under [Accounts](https://finchreach.com/accounts), or reconnect it if its session expired.
- A post or message “didn’t go out”: it is probably still waiting under [Approvals](https://finchreach.com/approvals). Writes run only after you approve them.

Still stuck? Compare your setup with [Gemini CLI’s documentation](https://geminicli.com/docs/tools/mcp-server/), checked on 2026-10-28; client screens change often.

## What to ask Gemini CLI next

> Ask your assistant: “Read the README of this project and draft a LinkedIn launch post.”

> Ask your assistant: “Search LinkedIn for companies hiring platform engineers and list ten with their size.”

> Ask your assistant: “Look up the people who connected with me this week and draft a short welcome message to each.”

More ideas on the [Gemini CLI integration page](https://finchreach.com/integrations/gemini-cli).

## Questions

### I lost my API key. Can I see it again?

No, a key is shown only once. Create a new one under [API keys](https://finchreach.com/api-keys), put it in your config, and revoke the old one.

### Does Gemini CLI see my LinkedIn password?

No. Gemini CLI only gets your Finchreach API key. Your LinkedIn connection stays in Finchreach, and you can revoke the key at any time without touching LinkedIn.

### Can I use the same key in several tools?

Yes, but one key per tool (for example one named “Gemini CLI”) lets you revoke one without breaking the others.

### How do I disconnect Gemini CLI?

Revoke its key under [API keys](https://finchreach.com/api-keys); Gemini CLI gets a 401 from then on. Then remove the server from its config.

## Sources

- [Gemini CLI docs](https://geminicli.com/docs/tools/mcp-server/)

## Related

- [What Gemini CLI can do on LinkedIn](https://finchreach.com/integrations/gemini-cli)
- [Follow up with people you met at an event using Gemini CLI and LinkedIn](https://finchreach.com/blog/gemini-cli-linkedin-event-follow-up)
- [A founder’s 15-minute LinkedIn commenting routine with Gemini](https://finchreach.com/blog/gemini-linkedin-founder-comments)
- [Quickstart and tools](https://finchreach.com/docs)
- [All setup guides](https://finchreach.com/guides)