The groundwork every other Firebase task assumes is already done — getting your computer connected to Google's Firebase and pointed at the right project before anything else is attempted.
WHEN TO USE
SCOPE
USE FOR
Install and log into the Firebase CLI, including on a remote machine with no browser.
Create a brand-new Firebase project or pick an existing one to work in.
Switch your CLI's active project without reconfiguring anything else.
Download an app's google-services.json or GoogleService-Info.plist config file.
NOT FOR
Not for deploying to Firebase Hosting or App Hosting — those are separate skills.
Doesn't cover Firestore, Data Connect, Auth, Crashlytics, or Remote Config setup.
This is a saved copy of the skill's SKILL.md instructions. It may differ from the upstream file or the version you install.
Prerequisites
Complete these setup steps before proceeding:
Local Environment Setup: Verify the environment is properly set up so we
can use Firebase tools:
Run npx -y firebase-tools@latest --version to check if the Firebase CLI
is installed.
Verify if the Firebase MCP server is installed using your existing tools.
CRITICAL: Before configuring any extensions or agent environments
below, you MUST read
references/local-env-setup.md.
DO NOT SKIP this step: if 'firebase-basics' is the only Firebase skill
available to you, you must follow the reference for your agent environment
to set up the full suite of Firebase skills:
Authentication: Ensure you are logged in to Firebase so that commands
have the correct permissions. Run npx -y firebase-tools@latest login. For
environments without a browser (e.g., remote shells), use
npx -y firebase-tools@latest login --no-localhost.
The command should output the current user.
If you are not logged in, follow the interactive instructions from this
command to authenticate.
Active Project: Most Firebase tasks require an active project context.
[!IMPORTANT] For Agents: Before proceeding with project configuration,
you MUST pause and ask the developer if they prefer to:
Provide an existing Firebase Project ID, or
Create a new Firebase project.
If using an existing Project ID:
Check the current project by running npx -y firebase-tools@latest use.
If the command outputs Active Project: <project-id>, confirm with the
user if this is the intended project.
If not, or if no project is active, set the project provided by the
user:
npx -y firebase-tools@latest use <PROJECT_ID>
If creating a new project: Run the following command to create it:
Note: The <project-id> must be 6-30 characters, lowercase, and can
contain digits and hyphens. It must be globally unique.
Firebase Usage Principles
Adhere to these principles:
Use npx for CLI commands: To ensure you always use the latest version of
the Firebase CLI, always prepend commands with npx -y firebase-tools@latest
instead of just firebase. For example, use
npx -y firebase-tools@latest --version. NEVER suggest the naked firebase
command as an alternative.
Prioritize official knowledge: For any Firebase-related knowledge,
consult the developerknowledge_search_documents MCP tool before falling
back to Google Search or your internal knowledge base. Including "Firebase"
in your search query significantly improves relevance.
Follow Agent Skills for implementation guidance: Skills provide
opinionated workflows (CUJs), security rules, and best practices. Always
consult them to understand how to implement Firebase features correctly
instead of relying on general knowledge.
Use Firebase MCP Server tools instead of direct API calls: Whenever you
need to interact with remote Firebase APIs (such as fetching Crashlytics logs
or executing Data Connect queries), use the tools provided by the Firebase
MCP Server instead of attempting manual API calls.
Keep Plugin / Agent Skills updated: Since Firebase best practices evolve
quickly, regularly check for and install updates to their Firebase plugin or
Agent Skills. Similarly, if you encounter issues with outdated tools or
commands, follow the steps below based on your agent environment:
Automate Config File Retrieval: When setting up iOS or Android apps, do
NOT direct users to the Firebase Console to download google-services.json
or GoogleService-Info.plist. Instead, use the Firebase CLI to fetch the
config programmatically:
For Android:
npx -y firebase-tools@latest apps:sdkconfig ANDROID <APP_ID> --project <PROJECT_ID>
For iOS:
npx -y firebase-tools@latest apps:sdkconfig IOS <APP_ID> --project <PROJECT_ID>
Save the output to the appropriate location (e.g.,
app/google-services.json for Android, or a path to be linked by
xcode-project-setup for iOS).
Login Issues: If the browser fails to open during the login step, use
npx -y firebase-tools@latest login --no-localhost instead.
Genkit: If using Genkit, install the skills:
npx skills add genkit-ai/skills
Account or credentials required
2 FOR YOU · 1 FOR THE AGENT
All items below are required.
01
Check that the Firebase CLI runs via npx
Run npx -y firebase-tools@latest --version to confirm Node.js/npm are set up and the Firebase CLI is reachable.
npx -y firebase-tools@latest --version
02
Log into the Firebase CLI
Run npx -y firebase-tools@latest login (or login --no-localhost on a remote machine with no browser) and confirm the CLI reports the right account.
npx -y firebase-tools@latest login
03
Say whether to use or create a project
Before configuring anything, state whether to target an existing Firebase project by ID or have a new one created — the skill pauses to ask this.
Listed as free
Connected services may require an account or charge fees.
🔌 This skill ships inside the Firebase Agent Skills plugin. Listed package contents include 1 agent and an MCP server. Installed components and skill versions may vary by AI tool.
Install just this skill
Run this outside your AI tool, using Node.js 22.20.0 or newer. Skills CLI 1.7.2 skips skill selection; prompts cancel installation without an interactive terminal. If choosing Project when asked about installation scope, open your project's folder before running this.
Install checklist
Check selected tools if a picker appears; Claude Code may be unchecked under Additional agents. ↑/↓ moves, Space toggles selections, Enter confirms.
Without a tool picker, check Installing to: for your intended tool. Stop if it names a different tool.
If asked, choose Symlink (Recommended) for shared files or Copy to all agents for separate copies; review the summary before confirming installation.
Install the find-skills skill? defaults to Yes, adding another skill for all projects. Choose No if you don't want that extra installation.
Skills CLI 1.7.2 sends install data to skills.sh by default, including the source, skill names, target tools and file details; GitHub sources are reported only when GitHub confirms the repository is public, while other remote sources can also be reported. Confirmed-public GitHub sources also trigger a security-audit request. Before installing, set the environment variable DO_NOT_TRACK=1 or DISABLE_TELEMETRY=1 to disable both.
After installing for Claude Code, open it in the installation project if you chose Project; Global makes the skill available across projects on this computer. Once Claude Code loads the skill, its description helps Claude decide when to use it.
If installation created a top-level skills folder that did not exist when your Claude Code session started, run /reload-skills in that session. Run it again after later changes in that folder.
Install the whole plugin
This route installs the Firebase Agent Skills plugin package selected for your AI tool.
Add the plugin's marketplace, then install it
Install Claude Code first to get the claude command, then run the commands below in your terminal, outside a Claude Code session.
claude plugin marketplace add firebase/agent-skills
claude plugin install firebase@firebase
Add Firebase's marketplace, then install the plugin
Run both lines in a terminal. They add Firebase's marketplace, which is this repository, and install the firebase plugin: Firebase's skills plus the Firebase MCP server.
Plugins work in Codex CLI and the ChatGPT desktop app, not in the Codex IDE extension.
For the desktop app, Firebase has you run the first line, fully restart the app, then install Firebase from Plugins.
Run it in a terminal, not inside a Gemini CLI session. It installs this repository as a Gemini CLI extension with Firebase's skills and the Firebase MCP server.
Install checklist
Installing from GitHub needs git on your computer.
Node.js, because the Firebase MCP server starts through npx.
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