integrations

Connect Gemini CLI to the Trends API MCP server

Gemini CLI reads MCP servers from settings.json, and remote HTTP servers take an httpUrl field. One entry adds three trend tools to the terminal session.

Gemini CLI connects to the Trends API MCP server through settings.json, and the field name is the part that trips people up: remote HTTP servers take httpUrl, not url. One entry registers https://api.trendsapi.ai/mcp with the same Bearer key as REST. After the session restarts, three tools are available in the terminal: get_time_series, get_growth, and get_top_trends. Server-level detail sits on MCP server setup.

The settings entry

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "trends-api": {
      "httpUrl": "https://api.trendsapi.ai/mcp",
      "headers": {"Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"}
    }
  }
}

Put the file at .gemini/settings.json in a project, or in the user profile for every session. An url field instead of httpUrl points Gemini at the wrong transport. Header quoting rules match REST and sit on authentication.

Ask from the terminal

"Growth for ollama on google search over 12M" maps to get_growth with source google search. "Top of the GitHub board" maps to get_top_trends with type GitHub. Keyword calls take a source string; board calls take a type label. Both lists sit on the sources reference.

The terminal is the point. A developer checking whether a library is gaining ground can read the percent, then run the install command in the same window. No browser tab, no export step.

Session questions versus scheduled jobs

Gemini CLI is a question surface, suited to one answer at a time. Cron jobs, Airflow dags, and backfills belong on POST https://api.trendsapi.ai/api. Only successful 200 responses count against quota; caps sit on pricing. The hosted research version of this setup sits on Perplexity Trends MCP.

Gemini Trends MCP setup

What you get

settings.json entry with the httpUrl field

Remote server at https://api.trendsapi.ai/mcp

Same Bearer key as REST

Three tools inside terminal sessions

FAQ

Common questions

Why does Gemini CLI use httpUrl instead of url?

Gemini CLI settings mark a streamable HTTP server with httpUrl and a server-sent events server with url. The Trends API MCP endpoint is streamable HTTP, so the entry takes httpUrl. The wrong field leaves the server listed but unreachable.

Where does the Gemini settings file live?

Per project in .gemini/settings.json, or in the user profile under ~/.gemini/settings.json for every session. The project file can travel with a repo; the header should then read the key from an environment variable instead of storing it.

What can a terminal session ask once the server loads?

get_time_series returns weekly keyword history, get_growth returns percent change over preset windows such as 3M and 12M, and get_top_trends returns ranked live boards such as GitHub or Google Trends. Answers land in the session, next to shell output.

Which key goes in the headers block?

The product key, sent as Authorization Bearer. It is the same credential as POST /api, and a revoked or mistyped key fails here the same way it fails on REST: a 401 before any tool runs.

Keep exploring

Connect the Trends API MCP server The product MCP URL is https://api.trendsapi.ai/mcp. Same Bearer key as REST. The server exposes get_time_series, get_growth, and get_top_trends. Connect Perplexity to the Trends API MCP server Add the Trends API connector in Perplexity with one server URL, sign in once, and get cited answers backed by live trend numbers instead of model memory. Bearer key on POST /api Every call sends Authorization Bearer and the key. The URL is POST https://api.trendsapi.ai/api. The same header authenticates the MCP server.

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