nano-banana▌
kkoppenhaver/cc-nano-banana · updated Apr 8, 2026
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Generate professional images via the Gemini CLI's nanobanana extension.
Nano Banana Image Generation
Generate professional images via the Gemini CLI's nanobanana extension.
When to Use This Skill
ALWAYS use this skill when the user:
- Asks for any image, graphic, illustration, or visual
- Wants a thumbnail, featured image, or banner
- Requests icons, diagrams, or patterns
- Asks to edit, modify, or restore a photo
- Uses words like: generate, create, make, draw, design, visualize
Do NOT attempt to generate images through any other method.
Before First Use
- Verify extension is installed:
gemini extensions list | grep nanobanana - If missing, install it:
gemini extensions install https://github.com/gemini-cli-extensions/nanobanana - Verify API key is set:
[ -n "$GEMINI_API_KEY" ] && echo "API key configured" || echo "Missing GEMINI_API_KEY"
Command Selection
| User Request | Command |
|---|---|
| "make me a blog header" | /generate |
| "create an app icon" | /icon |
| "draw a flowchart of..." | /diagram |
| "fix this old photo" | /restore |
| "remove the background" | /edit |
| "create a repeating texture" | /pattern |
| "make a comic strip" | /story |
Available Commands
Note: Always use the --yolo flag to automatically approve all tool actions.
| Command | Use Case |
|---|---|
gemini --yolo "/generate 'prompt'" |
Text-to-image generation |
gemini --yolo "/edit file.png 'instruction'" |
Modify existing image |
gemini --yolo "/restore old_photo.jpg 'fix scratches'" |
Repair damaged photos |
gemini --yolo "/icon 'description'" |
App icons, favicons, UI elements |
gemini --yolo "/diagram 'description'" |
Flowcharts, architecture diagrams |
gemini --yolo "/pattern 'description'" |
Seamless textures and patterns |
gemini --yolo "/story 'description'" |
Sequential/narrative images |
gemini --yolo "/nanobanana prompt" |
Natural language interface |
Common Options
--yolo- Required. Auto-approve all tool actions (no confirmation prompts)--count=N- Generate N variations (1-8)--preview- Auto-open generated images--styles="style1,style2"- Apply artistic styles--format=grid|separate- Output arrangement
Common Sizes
| Use Case | Dimensions | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| YouTube thumbnail | 1280x720 | --aspect=16:9 |
| Blog featured image | 1200x630 | Social preview friendly |
| Square social | 1080x1080 | Instagram, LinkedIn |
| Twitter/X header | 1500x500 | Wide banner |
| Vertical story | 1080x1920 | --aspect=9:16 |
Model Selection
Default: gemini-2.5-flash-image (~$0.04/image)
For higher quality (4K, better reasoning):
export NANOBANANA_MODEL=gemini-3-pro-image-preview
Blog Featured Image Examples
# Modern illustration style
gemini --yolo "/generate 'modern flat illustration of developer coding at laptop, purple and blue gradient background, minimalist style, no text' --preview"
# Professional photography style
gemini --yolo "/generate 'professional editorial photo of coffee cup next to laptop on wooden desk, morning sunlight, shallow depth of field, no text' --count=3"
# Tech/abstract
gemini --yolo "/generate 'abstract visualization of neural network connections, dark background with glowing blue nodes, futuristic style' --preview"
Icon Generation
gemini --yolo "/icon 'minimalist app logo for productivity tool' --sizes='64,128,256,512' --type='app-icon' --corners='rounded'"
Diagram Generation
gemini --yolo "/diagram 'user authentication flow with OAuth' --type='flowchart' --style='modern'"
Output Location
All generated images are saved to ./nanobanana-output/ in the current directory.
Presenting Results
After generation completes:
- List contents of
./nanobanana-output/to find generated files - Present the most recent image(s) to the user
- Offer to regenerate with variations if needed
Refinements and Iterations
When the user asks for changes:
- "Try again" / "Give me options": Regenerate with
--count=3 - "Make it more [adjective]": Adjust prompt and regenerate
- "Edit this one": Use
gemini --yolo "/edit nanobanana-output/filename.png 'adjustment'" - "Different style": Add
--styles="requested_style"to the command
Prompt Tips
- Be specific: Include style, mood, colors, composition details
- Add "no text": If you don't want text rendered in the image
- Reference styles: "editorial photography", "flat illustration", "3D render", "watercolor"
- Specify aspect ratio context: "wide banner", "square thumbnail", "vertical story"
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Solution |
|---|---|
GEMINI_API_KEY not set |
export GEMINI_API_KEY="your-key" |
| Extension not found | Run install command from setup section |
| Quota exceeded | Wait for reset or switch to flash model |
| Image generation failed | Check prompt for policy violations, simplify request |
| Output directory missing | Will be created automatically on first run |
How to use nano-banana on Cursor
AI-first code editor with Composer
Prerequisites
Before installing skills in Cursor, ensure your development environment meets these requirements:
- ›Cursor installed and configured on your development machine
- ›Node.js version 16.0+ with npm package manager (verify with
node --version) - ›Active project directory or workspace where you want to add nano-banana
Execute installation command
Execute the skills CLI command in your project's root directory to begin installation:
The skills CLI fetches nano-banana from GitHub repository kkoppenhaver/cc-nano-banana and configures it for Cursor.
Select Cursor when prompted
The CLI will show a list of available agents. Use arrow keys to navigate and space to select Cursor:
Verify installation
Confirm successful installation by checking the skill directory location:
Reload or restart Cursor to activate nano-banana. Access the skill through slash commands (e.g., /nano-banana) or your agent's skill management interface.
Security & Verification Notice
We perform automated surface-level scans (Gen AI Scanner, Socket, Snyk) during installation. These checks detect common vulnerabilities but do not guarantee complete security. Always review skill source code and verify the publisher's reputation before production use.
Skills execute code in your development environment. Always verify the publisher's identity, review recent commits, and test in isolated environments before production deployment.
List & Monetize Your Skill
Submit your Claude Code skill and start earning
Use Cases▌
User Story & Requirements Generation
Create detailed user stories, acceptance criteria, and feature specs
Example
Generate user stories for 'password reset feature' with acceptance criteria, edge cases, and test scenarios
Reduce spec writing time by 50%, ensure comprehensive coverage
Competitive Analysis
Research competitors, compare features, identify gaps
Example
Analyze 5 competitor products, create feature comparison matrix, suggest differentiation opportunities
Complete competitive research in 2 hours instead of 2 days
Roadmap Prioritization
Evaluate features using frameworks (RICE, ICE, Kano) and create prioritized backlogs
Example
Score 20 feature ideas using RICE framework, generate prioritized roadmap with rationale
Make data-driven prioritization decisions faster
Stakeholder Communication
Draft PRDs, status updates, and stakeholder presentations
Example
Create executive summary of Q3 roadmap, monthly progress report, feature launch announcement
Save 3-5 hours/week on communication overhead
Implementation Guide▌
Prerequisites
- ›Claude Desktop or compatible AI client
- ›Access to product documentation and roadmap tools (Jira, Notion, etc.)
- ›Understanding of product management frameworks (RICE, Jobs-to-be-Done, etc.)
- ›Stakeholder contact information and communication channels
Time Estimate
30-60 minutes to see productivity improvements
Installation Steps
- 1.Install product management skill
- 2.Start with user story generation for known feature
- 3.Progress to competitive analysis: research 2-3 competitors
- 4.Use for roadmap prioritization: apply RICE/ICE scoring
- 5.Draft stakeholder communications and refine based on feedback
- 6.Build template library for recurring PM tasks
- 7.Share effective prompts with product team
Common Pitfalls
- ⚠Not validating competitive research—verify facts before sharing
- ⚠Accepting user stories without involving engineering team
- ⚠Over-relying on frameworks without qualitative judgment
- ⚠Not customizing outputs to company culture and communication style
- ⚠Skipping stakeholder validation of generated requirements
Best Practices▌
✓ Do
- +Validate research and competitive analysis with real data
- +Collaborate with engineering when generating technical requirements
- +Customize frameworks and templates to your company context
- +Use skill for first drafts, refine with stakeholder input
- +Document successful prompt patterns for PM tasks
- +Combine AI efficiency with human judgment and intuition
✗ Don't
- −Don't publish competitive analysis without fact-checking
- −Don't finalize user stories without engineering review
- −Don't make prioritization decisions solely on AI scoring
- −Don't skip customer validation of generated requirements
- −Don't ignore company-specific context and culture
💡 Pro Tips
- ★Provide context: company goals, constraints, customer feedback
- ★Ask for alternatives: 'Show 3 ways to prioritize this roadmap'
- ★Request stakeholder-specific formatting: 'Executive summary vs. engineering spec'
- ★Use skill for 70% generation + 30% customization to company needs
When to Use This▌
✓ Use When
Use for user story writing, competitive research, roadmap prioritization, stakeholder communication, and PRD drafting. Best for reducing repetitive documentation and research work.
✗ Avoid When
Avoid for strategic product vision (requires deep customer empathy), pricing decisions (needs market and financial expertise), or when face-to-face customer discovery is more valuable than speed.
Learning Path▌
- 1Basic: user stories, feature specs, status updates
- 2Intermediate: competitive analysis, prioritization frameworks, PRDs
- 3Advanced: product strategy, go-to-market planning, OKR setting
- 4Expert: product vision, market positioning, business model innovation
Discussion
Product Hunt–style comments (not star reviews)- No comments yet — start the thread.
Ratings
4.5★★★★★70 reviews- ★★★★★Dhruvi Jain· Dec 28, 2024
Keeps context tight: nano-banana is the kind of skill you can hand to a new teammate without a long onboarding doc.
- ★★★★★Fatima Agarwal· Dec 24, 2024
Keeps context tight: nano-banana is the kind of skill you can hand to a new teammate without a long onboarding doc.
- ★★★★★Ama Li· Dec 20, 2024
nano-banana is among the better-maintained entries we tried; worth keeping pinned for repeat workflows.
- ★★★★★Henry Gupta· Dec 20, 2024
nano-banana fits our agent workflows well — practical, well scoped, and easy to wire into existing repos.
- ★★★★★Evelyn Zhang· Dec 8, 2024
nano-banana is among the better-maintained entries we tried; worth keeping pinned for repeat workflows.
- ★★★★★Emma Mehta· Dec 4, 2024
nano-banana reduced setup friction for our internal harness; good balance of opinion and flexibility.
- ★★★★★Henry Sharma· Nov 27, 2024
Solid pick for teams standardizing on skills: nano-banana is focused, and the summary matches what you get after install.
- ★★★★★James Martinez· Nov 23, 2024
We added nano-banana from the explainx registry; install was straightforward and the SKILL.md answered most questions upfront.
- ★★★★★Oshnikdeep· Nov 19, 2024
nano-banana has been reliable in day-to-day use. Documentation quality is above average for community skills.
- ★★★★★Fatima Nasser· Nov 15, 2024
nano-banana has been reliable in day-to-day use. Documentation quality is above average for community skills.
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