fix(core): standardize tool formatting in system prompts by NTaylorMullen · Pull Request #18615 · google-gemini/gemini-cli

NTaylorMullen · 2026-02-09T08:42:52Z

Summary

Standardizes tool and sub-agent names to use backticks (```) instead of single quotes (') in the system prompts. This ensures tool names are consistently rendered as inline code in Markdown, improving readability and adhering to Markdown conventions.

Details

Updated packages/core/src/prompts/snippets.ts (modern snippets) to use backticks for all tool references (e.g., activate_skill, edit, write_file, shell, ask_user, enter_plan_mode, grep, glob, read_file, write_todos, memory, and the codebase_investigator sub-agent).
Updated packages/core/src/core/prompts.test.ts:
- Adjusted beforeEach to default to PREVIEW_GEMINI_MODEL (modern) to verify the new formatting in standard tests.
- Updated assertions to expect backticked tool names.
- Added specific test logic to verify that legacy snippets (when explicitly using a non-preview model) still use single quotes where appropriate (specifically for shell efficiency guidelines which differ between modern and legacy).
Reverted accidental changes to packages/core/src/prompts/snippets.legacy.ts to maintain legacy behavior (single quotes).

Related Issues

N/A

How to Validate

Run npm test -w @google/gemini-cli-core to verify all prompt generation logic and snapshots are correct.
Inspect the updated snapshots or snippets.ts file to confirm backticks are used for tool names.

Pre-Merge Checklist

gemini-code-assist · 2026-02-09T08:43:20Z

Summary of Changes

Hello @NTaylorMullen, I'm Gemini Code Assist¹! I'm currently reviewing this pull request and will post my feedback shortly. In the meantime, here's a summary to help you and other reviewers quickly get up to speed!

This pull request refines the system prompts by standardizing the display of tool and sub-agent names. The primary goal is to improve clarity and adhere to Markdown conventions by consistently using backticks for inline code formatting, making the prompts easier to read and understand for users.

Highlights

Standardized Tool Formatting: System prompts now consistently use backticks (`) instead of single quotes (') for tool and sub-agent names, improving readability and adherence to Markdown conventions.
Modern Snippets Update: The snippets.ts file has been updated to apply the new backtick formatting across all modern prompt references for various tools and the codebase_investigator sub-agent.
Enhanced Test Coverage: prompts.test.ts was modified to default to PREVIEW_GEMINI_MODEL for modern prompt verification, update assertions for backticked names, and include specific logic to confirm that legacy snippets retain their original single-quote formatting for shell efficiency guidelines when using non-preview models.
Legacy Snippets Preservation: Accidental changes to snippets.legacy.ts were reverted to ensure that legacy prompt behavior, specifically the use of single quotes, remains intact.

Changelog

packages/core/src/core/prompts.test.ts
- Removed DEFAULT_GEMINI_MODEL import and updated getActiveModel mock to PREVIEW_GEMINI_MODEL for modern prompt testing.
- Modified prompt assertion strings to expect backtick-formatted tool names (e.g., grep_search, glob, enter_plan_mode).
- Introduced specific getActiveModel mocks for DEFAULT_GEMINI_FLASH_LITE_MODEL in platform-specific shell efficiency tests to ensure legacy prompt behavior is correctly verified.
packages/core/src/prompts/snippets.ts
- Replaced single quotes with backticks for all tool and sub-agent references within the modern system prompt snippets, including EDIT_TOOL_NAME, WRITE_FILE_TOOL_NAME, SHELL_TOOL_NAME, ENTER_PLAN_MODE_TOOL_NAME, GREP_TOOL_NAME, GLOB_TOOL_NAME, and READ_FILE_TOOL_NAME.

Activity

The pull request was authored by NTaylorMullen.
The author provided a detailed summary, specific changes, validation steps, and a pre-merge checklist.
Tests were added/updated and validated on MacOS using npm run.

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github-actions · 2026-02-09T08:45:44Z

Size Change: +376 B (0%)

Total Size: 23.9 MB

ℹ️ View Unchanged

Filename	Size	Change
`./bundle/gemini.js`	23.9 MB	+376 B (0%)
`./bundle/sandbox-macos-permissive-closed.sb`	1.03 kB	0 B
`./bundle/sandbox-macos-permissive-open.sb`	890 B	0 B
`./bundle/sandbox-macos-permissive-proxied.sb`	1.31 kB	0 B
`./bundle/sandbox-macos-restrictive-closed.sb`	3.29 kB	0 B
`./bundle/sandbox-macos-restrictive-open.sb`	3.36 kB	0 B
`./bundle/sandbox-macos-restrictive-proxied.sb`	3.56 kB	0 B

_{compressed-size-action}

gemini-code-assist

Code Review

This pull request standardizes the formatting of tool names in system prompts, switching from single quotes to backticks for better Markdown rendering. The changes are applied to the modern prompt snippets, and the tests have been updated accordingly. The test updates correctly assert the new formatting for modern models and also verify that legacy models retain the old formatting.

I've found a couple of high-severity issues in the test file where a mock value persists across tests, potentially causing them to run against incorrect prompt versions. I've provided suggestions to scope the mocks correctly to each test.

packages/core/src/core/prompts.test.ts

abhipatel12

Mostly curious why the diff for the snap is so big for only changing how tool names look

packages/core/src/prompts/snippets.ts

packages/core/src/core/__snapshots__/prompts.test.ts.snap

- Extract tool name formatting into a `formatToolName` helper for consistency in `snippets.ts`. - Move `formatToolName` to the bottom of `snippets.ts` as requested. - Fix mock leakage in `prompts.test.ts` by using `mockReturnValueOnce`. - Add explicit tests for tool name formatting in `snippets.test.ts`. - Update snapshots to reflect backticked tool names in modern snippets. Part of #18615

- Updates both modern and legacy snippets for consistency - Ensures tool names are rendered as inline code in Markdown - Updates test expectations and snapshots to match new formatting

abhipatel12 · 2026-02-10T15:29:59Z

packages/core/src/prompts/snippets.ts


  if (options.enableCodebaseInvestigator) {
-    return `1. **Research:** Systematically map the codebase and validate assumptions. Utilize specialized sub-agents (e.g., \`codebase_investigator\`) as the primary mechanism for initial discovery when the task involves **complex refactoring, codebase exploration or system-wide analysis**. For **simple, targeted searches** (like finding a specific function name, file path, or variable declaration), use '${GREP_TOOL_NAME}' or '${GLOB_TOOL_NAME}' directly in parallel. Use '${READ_FILE_TOOL_NAME}' to validate all assumptions. **Prioritize empirical reproduction of reported issues to confirm the failure state.**${suggestion}`;
+    return `1. **Research:** Systematically map the codebase and validate assumptions. Utilize specialized sub-agents (e.g., \`codebase_investigator\`) as the primary mechanism for initial discovery when the task involves **complex refactoring, codebase exploration or system-wide analysis**. For **simple, targeted searches** (like finding a specific function name, file path, or variable declaration), use ${formatToolName(GREP_TOOL_NAME)} or ${formatToolName(GLOB_TOOL_NAME)} directly in parallel. Use ${formatToolName(READ_FILE_TOOL_NAME)} to validate all assumptions. **Prioritize empirical reproduction of reported issues to confirm the failure state.**${suggestion}`;


should we be using the const string for this: codebase_investigator

abhipatel12

LGTM

* Fix newline insertion bug in replace tool (google-gemini#18595) * fix(evals): update save_memory evals and simplify tool description (google-gemini#18610) * chore(evals): update validation_fidelity_pre_existing_errors to USUALLY_PASSES (google-gemini#18617) * fix: shorten tool call IDs and fix duplicate tool name in truncated output filenames (google-gemini#18600) * feat(cli): implement atomic writes and safety checks for trusted folders (google-gemini#18406) * Remove relative docs links (google-gemini#18650) * docs: add legacy snippets convention to GEMINI.md (google-gemini#18597) * fix(chore): Support linting for cjs (google-gemini#18639) Co-authored-by: Gal Zahavi <38544478+galz10@users.noreply.github.com> * feat: move shell efficiency guidelines to tool description (google-gemini#18614) * Added "" as default value, since getText() used to expect a string only and thus crashed when undefined... Fixes google-gemini#18076 (google-gemini#18099) * Allow @-includes outside of workspaces (with permission) (google-gemini#18470) * chore: make `ask_user` header description more clear (google-gemini#18657) * bug(core): Fix minor bug in migration logic. (google-gemini#18661) * Harded code assist converter. (google-gemini#18656) * refactor(core): model-dependent tool definitions (google-gemini#18563) * feat: enable plan mode experiment in settings (google-gemini#18636) * refactor: push isValidPath() into parsePastedPaths() (google-gemini#18664) * fix(cli): correct 'esc to cancel' position and restore duration display (google-gemini#18534) * feat(cli): add DevTools integration with gemini-cli-devtools (google-gemini#18648) * chore: remove unused exports and redundant hook files (google-gemini#18681) * Fix number of lines being reported in rewind confirmation dialog (google-gemini#18675) * feat(cli): disable folder trust in headless mode (google-gemini#18407) * Disallow unsafe type assertions (google-gemini#18688) * Change event type for release (google-gemini#18693) * feat: handle multiple dynamic context filenames in system prompt (google-gemini#18598) * Properly parse at-commands with narrow non-breaking spaces (google-gemini#18677) * refactor(core): centralize core tool definitions and support model-specific schemas (google-gemini#18662) * feat(core): Render memory hierarchically in context. (google-gemini#18350) * feat: Ctrl+O to expand paste placeholder (google-gemini#18103) * fix(cli): Improve header spacing (google-gemini#18531) * Feature/quota visibility 16795 (google-gemini#18203) * docs: remove TOC marker from Plan Mode header (google-gemini#18678) * Inline thinking bubbles with summary/full modes (google-gemini#18033) Co-authored-by: Jacob Richman <jacob314@gmail.com> * fix(ui): remove redundant newlines in Gemini messages (google-gemini#18538) * test(cli): fix AppContainer act() warnings and improve waitFor resilience (google-gemini#18676) * refactor(core): refine Security & System Integrity section in system prompt (google-gemini#18601) * Fix layout rounding. (google-gemini#18667) * docs(skills): enhance pr-creator safety and interactivity (google-gemini#18616) * test(core): remove hardcoded model from TestRig (google-gemini#18710) * feat(core): optimize sub-agents system prompt intro (google-gemini#18608) * feat(cli): update approval mode labels and shortcuts per latest UX spec (google-gemini#18698) * fix(plan): update persistent approval mode setting (google-gemini#18638) Co-authored-by: Sandy Tao <sandytao520@icloud.com> * fix: move toasts location to left side (google-gemini#18705) * feat(routing): restrict numerical routing to Gemini 3 family (google-gemini#18478) * fix(ide): fix ide nudge setting (google-gemini#18733) * fix(core): standardize tool formatting in system prompts (google-gemini#18615) * chore: consolidate to green in ask user dialog (google-gemini#18734) * feat: add `extensionsExplore` setting to enable extensions explore UI. (google-gemini#18686) * feat(cli): defer devtools startup and integrate with F12 (google-gemini#18695) * ui: update & subdue footer colors and animate progress indicator (google-gemini#18570) * test: add model-specific snapshots for coreTools (google-gemini#18707) Co-authored-by: matt korwel <matt.korwel@gmail.com> * ci: shard windows tests and fix event listener leaks (google-gemini#18670) * fix: allow `ask_user` tool in yolo mode (google-gemini#18541) * feat: redact disabled tools from system prompt (google-gemini#13597) (google-gemini#18613) * Update Gemini.md to use the curent year on creating new files (google-gemini#18460) * Code review cleanup for thinking display (google-gemini#18720) * fix(cli): hide scrollbars when in alternate buffer copy mode (google-gemini#18354) Co-authored-by: Jacob Richman <jacob314@gmail.com> * Fix issues with rip grep (google-gemini#18756) * fix(cli): fix history navigation regression after prompt autocomplete (google-gemini#18752) * chore: cleanup unused and add unlisted dependencies in packages/cli (google-gemini#18749) * Fix issue where Gemini CLI creates tests in a new file (google-gemini#18409) * feat(telemetry): Ensure experiment IDs are included in OpenTelemetry logs (google-gemini#18747) * feat(ux): added text wrapping capabilities to markdown tables (google-gemini#18240) Co-authored-by: jacob314 <jacob314@gmail.com> * Revert "fix(mcp): ensure MCP transport is closed to prevent memory leaks" (google-gemini#18771) * chore(release): bump version to 0.30.0-nightly.20260210.a2174751d (google-gemini#18772) * chore: cleanup unused and add unlisted dependencies in packages/core (google-gemini#18762) * chore(core): update activate_skill prompt verbiage to be more direct (google-gemini#18605) * Add autoconfigure memory usage setting to the dialog (google-gemini#18510) Co-authored-by: gemini-code-assist[bot] <176961590+gemini-code-assist[bot]@users.noreply.github.com> * fix(core): prevent race condition in policy persistence (google-gemini#18506) Co-authored-by: Allen Hutchison <adh@google.com> * fix(evals): prevent false positive in hierarchical memory test (google-gemini#18777) * test(evals): mark all `save_memory` evals as `USUALLY_PASSES` due to unreliability (google-gemini#18786) * feat(cli): add setting to hide shortcuts hint UI (google-gemini#18562) * feat(core): formalize 5-phase sequential planning workflow (google-gemini#18759) * Introduce limits for search results. (google-gemini#18767) --------- Co-authored-by: Andrew Garrett <andrewgarrett@google.com> Co-authored-by: N. Taylor Mullen <ntaylormullen@google.com> Co-authored-by: Sandy Tao <sandytao520@icloud.com> Co-authored-by: Gal Zahavi <38544478+galz10@users.noreply.github.com> Co-authored-by: christine betts <chrstn@uw.edu> Co-authored-by: Aswin Ashok <aswwwin@google.com> Co-authored-by: Abhijith V Ashok <abhi2349jith@gmail.com> Co-authored-by: Tommaso Sciortino <sciortino@gmail.com> Co-authored-by: Jack Wotherspoon <jackwoth@google.com> Co-authored-by: joshualitt <joshualitt@google.com> Co-authored-by: Jacob Richman <jacob314@gmail.com> Co-authored-by: Aishanee Shah <aishaneeshah@gmail.com> Co-authored-by: Jerop Kipruto <jerop@google.com> Co-authored-by: Adib234 <30782825+Adib234@users.noreply.github.com> Co-authored-by: Christian Gunderman <gundermanc@gmail.com> Co-authored-by: g-samroberts <158088236+g-samroberts@users.noreply.github.com> Co-authored-by: Spencer <spencertang@google.com> Co-authored-by: Dmitry Lyalin <dmitry.lyalin@lyalin.com> Co-authored-by: matt korwel <matt.korwel@gmail.com> Co-authored-by: Shreya Keshive <shreyakeshive@google.com> Co-authored-by: Sri Pasumarthi <111310667+sripasg@users.noreply.github.com> Co-authored-by: Keith Guerin <keithguerin@gmail.com> Co-authored-by: Sehoon Shon <sshon@google.com> Co-authored-by: Adam Weidman <65992621+adamfweidman@users.noreply.github.com> Co-authored-by: Kevin Ramdass <ramdass.kevin@gmail.com> Co-authored-by: Dev Randalpura <devrandalpura@google.com> Co-authored-by: gemini-cli-robot <gemini-cli-robot@google.com> Co-authored-by: gemini-code-assist[bot] <176961590+gemini-code-assist[bot]@users.noreply.github.com> Co-authored-by: Brad Dux <959674+braddux@users.noreply.github.com> Co-authored-by: Allen Hutchison <adh@google.com> Co-authored-by: Abhijit Balaji <abhijitbalaji@google.com>

NTaylorMullen requested a review from a team as a code owner February 9, 2026 08:42

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NTaylorMullen force-pushed the ntm/standardize-tool-formatting branch 2 times, most recently from 7e281ad to 6cd367c Compare February 9, 2026 09:45

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NTaylorMullen force-pushed the ntm/standardize-tool-formatting branch 4 times, most recently from 17895c9 to 97686e4 Compare February 10, 2026 03:05

Standardize tool and sub-agent names to use backticks in system prompts

bb14c30

- Updates both modern and legacy snippets for consistency - Ensures tool names are rendered as inline code in Markdown - Updates test expectations and snapshots to match new formatting

NTaylorMullen force-pushed the ntm/standardize-tool-formatting branch from 97686e4 to bb14c30 Compare February 10, 2026 04:24

NTaylorMullen enabled auto-merge February 10, 2026 04:24

abhipatel12 reviewed Feb 10, 2026

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NTaylorMullen added this pull request to the merge queue Feb 10, 2026

Merged via the queue into main with commit 41bbe6c Feb 10, 2026
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NTaylorMullen deleted the ntm/standardize-tool-formatting branch February 10, 2026 15:42

This was referenced Feb 18, 2026

Changelog for v0.29.0 #19361

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fix(core): standardize tool formatting in system prompts#18615

fix(core): standardize tool formatting in system prompts#18615
NTaylorMullen merged 1 commit intomainfrom
ntm/standardize-tool-formatting

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NTaylorMullen commented Feb 9, 2026

Summary

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