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Gemini CLI + Wahlu

Post to YouTube from Gemini CLI with Wahlu

Connect Gemini CLI to Wahlu once, then plan, draft and schedule posts for YouTube channels connected to Wahlu from the Gemini CLI terminal. Every schedule can wait for your approval.

Connect Gemini CLIAll Gemini CLI options
What Gemini CLI can prepare on YouTube

  • Video

    One video with a title and description.

  • Short

    One square or vertical video of up to three minutes.

Ask Gemini CLI for YouTube posts

Example prompts and the steps to expect. These are illustrations, not recorded conversations.

Example prompt

“Write a YouTube title, description and tags for the demo video linked in the README in this project, then create a private draft so I can check it.”

Example prompt

“Write a YouTube Short caption about the README in this project, attach the vertical clip at its public link and hold the schedule for review.”

Example prompt

“Run a readiness check on the YouTube draft you made for the README in this project and explain anything that would stop it publishing.”

What Wahlu does on YouTube

Gemini CLI works through Wahlu's tools, so it can set the YouTube options Wahlu supports.

YouTube settings on a draft

Title
Required, up to 100 characters.
Privacy
Public, unlisted or private.
Made for kids
Required on every upload.
Tags
Up to 500 characters of tags in total.
Notify subscribers
Choose whether subscribers are told.

Wahlu doesn't set a YouTube category or playlist.

The tool calls, in order

  1. 01

    list_targetsFinds the brand's connected YouTube account and checks it's ready.

  2. 02

    upload_media_from_file, import_media_from_url or list_mediaBrings in the image or video, or picks one from your media library.

  3. 03

    create_draftCreates the draft with its caption and youtube_settings, such as the post type.

  4. 04

    preflight_draftChecks the draft against YouTube's rules without changing it.

  5. 05

    create_schedulePuts it on the calendar at pending_review, held for your approval.

YouTube limits to know

Wahlu checks these before a post is scheduled, so the agent finds out early.

Getting video to YouTube

The local server can upload a file straight from your computer with upload_media_from_file, so screenshots and videos in your project don't need a public link.

Connect Gemini CLI to Wahlu

Set this up once and Gemini CLI can work on every network you've connected, not just YouTube.

  1. 1

    In the Wahlu app, create an API key under Settings → API Keys in your workspace, with only the permissions and brands you need.

  2. 2

    Add export WAHLU_API_KEY=your-key to your shell profile, with your key, and open a new terminal.

  3. 3

    Add the Wahlu configuration to ~/.gemini/settings.json. If the file already has settings, add wahlu inside its mcpServers object.

  4. 4

    Start a new Gemini CLI session and run /mcp to check that wahlu is connected and its tools are listed.

Checked against the Gemini CLI docs on 27 September 2026. Menus can change; if a step doesn't match what you see, follow the vendor's current instructions.

~/.gemini/settings.json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "wahlu": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@wahlu/mcp-server@latest"],
      "env": {
        "WAHLU_API_KEY": "$WAHLU_API_KEY"
      }
    }
  }
}

Gemini CLI replaces $WAHLU_API_KEY with the value from your shell, so the key isn't saved in the settings file. You can also add the same configuration to a project's .gemini/settings.json to use Wahlu in that project only. Available local tools depend on the installed version. Check the local MCP server notes for its Node.js requirement and tool availability.

You stay in control.

Every Wahlu plan includes agent access, through MCP and the API. You choose the workspace, brands and permissions each connection gets, and can disconnect it at any time.

Held until you approve

Agents create schedules at pending_review unless you've told them to publish. A held schedule can't publish until you approve it in Wahlu or ask an agent with Publishing permission to approve it.

Publishing is its own permission

Publishing is separate from Manage your schedule. Leave it unticked and nothing your agent schedules can go out on its own.

Checked before it's scheduled

preflight_draft reports anything that would stop a post, such as media the network won't accept or a caption that's too long, without changing anything.

Some things stay in the app

Use the app for queues, draft media and platform settings, and connecting social accounts. Agents can change the name or caption of an unused draft and approve held schedules with the right permissions.

Keep going

Your next YouTube post, drafted by Gemini CLI.

Connect your YouTube account in Wahlu, then give Gemini CLI a specific brief.

Open WahluAll Gemini CLI options