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GEMINI.md

GEMINI.md for Go

GEMINI.md is the project context file the Gemini CLI reads from the repository root. It should say how this codebase is built, tested, and reviewed so Gemini does not guess. This copy is written for a Go project. This repository is a Go module. Format with gofmt, keep the standard library first, and pass context through exported I/O.

The example uses a balanced, readable style, pragmatic tests, and comments only where the intent is not obvious. Open the generator to make the agent stricter, switch to test-first, quiet the comments, or pick a different file.

The example assumes a Go module that gofmt can format. It does not assume a web framework. If the repo uses chi, gin, or the standard net/http, stay with that router.

Customize in the generatorBrowse the library

Example file

Balanced strictness, readable style, pragmatic tests. Download name: GEMINI.md

# GEMINI.md

Project context for the Gemini CLI in this Go repository. Read it before editing.
Other agents can follow the same rules, but Gemini loads this filename automatically.

## Stack

This repository is a Go module. Format with gofmt, keep the standard library first, and pass context through exported I/O.

## Layout

- Packages are small and named for what they provide, not `util`.
- `cmd/` holds binaries. Importable code lives in other packages.
- Internal packages stay under `internal/` when the module already uses that boundary.

## Commands

- Test: `go test ./...`
- Format: `gofmt -w .`
- Vet: `go vet ./...`
- Build: `go build ./...`

Use the script the repo already defines when it differs from the command above.

## Conventions

- Run gofmt on every change. Do not hand-align code in a way gofmt will undo.
- Accept interfaces, return concrete types, unless the package already does otherwise.
- Pass `context.Context` as the first argument after the receiver on I/O that can be cancelled.
- Wrap errors with `%w` when the caller should use `errors.Is` or `errors.As`.
- Handle errors where they happen. Do not assign them to `_`.
- Exported names have a doc comment when the package is imported by other modules.

## Testing

Add or update tests when behavior changes.

Prefer table-driven tests in the same package. Cover the success path and one failure.

## Style

- Optimize for the next reader over the shortest diff.
- Comment only when the why is non-obvious.
- Name things the way neighboring files already do.
- Do not reformat code you did not change.

## Errors

- Fail at the boundary. Do not swallow errors.
- Return `error`. Wrap it with enough context to know which operation failed. Do not log and return the same error unless the caller cannot see the log.

## Scope

- Do the requested task. Do not refactor unrelated code.
- Match the rigor already in the repo. Fix what you touch.
- Ask one clarifying question only when the task cannot be finished without it. Otherwise state the assumption and continue.

## Avoid

- Do not panic for a normal error path.
- Do not start a goroutine without a way to finish it.
- Do not share a map across goroutines without synchronization.
- Do not add a framework for a handler the standard library already serves.

## Done when

- The requested behavior works.
- `gofmt` leaves the tree clean and `go test ./...` passes.
- The diff stays inside the task.
- You list anything you could not run.

Add it to the project

  1. 01

    Copy a starting file

    Copy the example GEMINI.md on this page, or open the generator if you want different testing, strictness, or comment rules.

  2. 02

    Save it at GEMINI.md

    Save it as `GEMINI.md` at the root of the Go repo. Start a new Gemini CLI session so it picks up the file.

  3. 03

    Start a fresh agent session

    Rules files are read when a session starts. A chat that is already open may still be using the old instructions.

  4. 04

    Give it one small task

    Ask for one change a Go agent often gets wrong, such as an exported function that takes context and returns a wrapped error. If it ignores the file, confirm the path and start a new session.

Questions about this file

Where do I put GEMINI.md in a Go repo?

Save it as `GEMINI.md` at the root of the Go repo. Start a new Gemini CLI session so it picks up the file.

Which tools read this GEMINI.md?

The Gemini CLI reads GEMINI.md as project context. Claude Code reads CLAUDE.md instead, and most other agents read AGENTS.md.

What does the Go example assume?

The example assumes a Go module that gofmt can format. It does not assume a web framework. If the repo uses chi, gin, or the standard net/http, stay with that router.

Does VibeSpell upload my repository?

No. Recipe pages are static, and the generator builds the file in your browser from the options you pick. Your source code never leaves the machine.

Other files for Go

GEMINI.md for other stacks