Zed ACP Opens the Door: Gemini CLI Becomes the First Agent

Zed has always focused on speed and flexibility. Now it is enabling AI agents inside the editor itself. The key is the Agent Client Protocol (ACP), an open-source bridge built by Zed. Google's Gemini CLI is the first agent to connect through it.

Who Did What

• Zed created the Agent Client Protocol (ACP), an open framework that allows any AI agent to integrate into the editor.
• Google built Gemini CLI, an open-source AI agent for terminal-based workflows. It was designed to be extensible from the start with standards like MCP, markdown instructions, themes, custom tools, configs, and telemetry.
• Together, this collaboration makes Gemini CLI the first official agent to run in Zed using ACP.

In just eight weeks since launch, Gemini CLI has already seen over 1,000 community pull requests, showing how quickly its ecosystem is growing.

What This Enables

• Use Gemini inside Zed: Run gemini in Zed's terminal or interact with it through the new Agent Panel.
• Code generation and refactoring: Write a comment, hit a hotkey, and get working code in place.
• Instant explanations: Highlight confusing code or an error message to get a clear answer.
• Natural chat: Ask Gemini broader questions directly in Zed's integrated terminal.
• Complex multi-file changes: Gemini can add endpoints, generate tests, or refactor code across multiple files while you follow its progress in real time.

When the agent finishes, Zed presents the changes in a review interface that works like a pull request. You can inspect diffs, accept, reject, or modify suggestions before they land in your project.

You can also provide external context like API specs or docs, so Gemini has the knowledge it needs for harder problems.

Why It Matters

• Performance: Zed's Rust foundation makes the editor fast. Adding Gemini keeps that same responsiveness while giving you AI assistance.