Firebase Basics
GoogleOfficialPublished by Google
- Skill
- Tool integration
- Cloud and DevOps
- Apache-2.0
- Low risk
AutoGineer summary
Written by AutoGineer from the skill’s own files, not by the author
The firebase-basics skill provides a standardized approach for initializing and managing the Firebase CLI environment. It enforces best practices such as using npx for command execution to ensure version consistency and provides structured workflows for authentication, project selection, and programmatic retrieval of platform-specific configuration files like google-services.json and GoogleService-Info.plist. This skill serves as a prerequisite for more advanced Firebase operations.
What it does
- Verifies and checks the version of the Firebase CLI.
- Handles user authentication via the CLI, including support for headless environments.
- Manages Firebase project selection and context switching.
- Facilitates the creation of new Firebase projects.
- Automates the retrieval of Android and iOS configuration files.
When to use it
- When setting up a new development environment for a Firebase-backed project.
- When you need to authenticate with Firebase services via the CLI.
- When switching between different Firebase projects.
- When you need to download project-specific configuration files for mobile apps.
Advantages
- Ensures consistent CLI usage by mandating npx for all commands.
- Provides clear, standardized procedures for project initialization.
- Reduces manual effort by automating the download of configuration files.
- Includes specific guidance for headless or remote server environments.
Usage examples
- “Log me into Firebase.”
- The agent executes the login command using npx, providing the --no-localhost flag if the environment is detected as a remote shell.
- “I need to set my active project to my-app-123.”
- The agent verifies the current project context and executes the command to switch to the specified project ID.
- “Download the google-services.json for my Android app.”
- The agent uses the Firebase CLI to fetch the SDK configuration for the specified Android app ID and saves it to the correct project path.
Install
Download the skill as a ZIP:
https://autogineer.com/agent-skills/google/firebase-basics/downloadUnzip it into the cross-client skills folder of your project:
mkdir -p .agents/skills && unzip firebase-basics.zip -d .agents/skills
Documentation by Google
Firebase Basics
Usage Attribution
MUST READ: Before executing any gcloud, REST API, or MCP command, you
MUST read and follow the instructions in
Usage Attribution.
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 --versionto 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:
Gemini CLI: Review references/setup/gemini_cli.md
Antigravity: Review references/setup/antigravity.md
Android Studio: Review references/setup/android_studio.md
Claude Code: Review references/setup/claude_code.md
Cursor: Review references/setup/cursor.md
GitHub Copilot: Review references/setup/github_copilot.md
Other Agents: Review references/setup/other_agents.md
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), usenpx -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:
npx -y firebase-tools@latest projects:create <project-id> --display-name "<display-name>"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@latestinstead of justfirebase. For example, usenpx -y firebase-tools@latest --version. NEVER suggest the nakedfirebasecommand as an alternative.Prioritize official knowledge: For any Firebase-related knowledge, consult the
developerknowledge_search_documentsMCP 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:
Antigravity: Follow references/refresh/antigravity.md
Gemini CLI: Follow references/refresh/gemini-cli.md
Claude Code: Follow references/refresh/claude.md
Cursor: Follow references/refresh/other-agents.md
Android Studio: Follow references/refresh/android_studio.md
Others: Follow references/refresh/other-agents.md
Automate Config File Retrieval: When setting up iOS or Android apps, do NOT direct users to the Firebase Console to download
google-services.jsonorGoogleService-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.jsonfor Android, or a path to be linked byxcode-project-setupfor iOS).
References
Initialize Firebase: See references/firebase-service-init.md when you need to initialize new Firebase services using the CLI.
Exploring Commands: See references/firebase-cli-guide.md to discover and understand CLI functionality.
SDK Setup: For detailed guides on adding Firebase to your app:
Web: See references/web_setup.md
Android: See references/android_setup.md
iOS: See references/ios_setup.md
Common Issues
Login Issues: If the browser fails to open during the login step, use
npx -y firebase-tools@latest login --no-localhostinstead.Genkit: If using Genkit, install the skills:
npx skills add genkit-ai/skills
Files
- ATTRIBUTION.mdAdded by AutoGineer848 B
- LICENSELicence file added by AutoGineer11.1 KiB
- SKILL.md7.6 KiB
- references/android_setup.md1.8 KiB
- references/attribution.md1.8 KiB
- references/firebase-cli-guide.md486 B
- references/firebase-service-init.md705 B
- references/flutter_setup.md4.8 KiB
- references/ios_setup.md4.0 KiB
- references/local-env-setup.md2.8 KiB
- references/refresh/android_studio.md1.3 KiB
- references/refresh/antigravity.md2.1 KiB
- references/refresh/claude.md386 B
- references/refresh/gemini-cli.md490 B
- references/refresh/other-agents.md2.3 KiB
- references/setup/android_studio.md658 B
- references/setup/antigravity.md3.4 KiB
- references/setup/claude_code.md1.9 KiB
- references/setup/cursor.md3.1 KiB
- references/setup/gemini_cli.md2.0 KiB
- references/setup/github_copilot.md3.4 KiB
- references/setup/other_agents.md3.5 KiB
- references/web_setup.md1.6 KiB
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Requirements and compatibility
Works with: Claude Code, Claude apps, OpenAI Codex, GitHub Copilot, Cursor, Gemini CLI, Kiro, OpenCode, Goose, Amp, Roo Code, JetBrains Junie, Factory Droid, Devin (ex-Windsurf), Mistral Vibe, OpenHands, Letta
“Works with” means the tool reads the open Agent Skills format; a skill written for one tool may use features others lack.
Needs: Needs an MCP server, Needs Node.js
Security
What our scanner noticed· Low risk
- Instructions that use the network
A static scan is not a guarantee. Skills are third-party content: review a skill before you let an agent use it.
Attribution and licence
- Published by
- Publisher
- Google (Official)
- Source
- google/skills · skills/cloud/firebase-basics · commit 2194d3b
- Licence
- Apache License 2.0 (redistribution allowed)
- LICENSE (added by AutoGineer from LICENSE)
- ATTRIBUTION.md (written by AutoGineer)
- Synced
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