Gemini File API Integration

Purpose

Understand and work with Gemini's File API for efficient document processing.

Architecture Overview

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  Document Upload                            │
│  UploadFile() -> Gemini File API           │
│  Returns: URI with 48hr TTL                │
└─────────────────┬───────────────────────────┘
                  │
                  ▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  FileCache (in-memory)                      │
│  Prevents re-uploads within session        │
│  Key: file path, Value: FileReference      │
└─────────────────┬───────────────────────────┘
                  │
                  ▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  GenerateContent()                          │
│  References files by URI (not bytes)       │
│  Reuse same URI for multiple queries       │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Client Usage

Creating a Client

// Reads GEMINI_API_KEY from environment
client, err := gemini.NewClient(ctx)
if err != nil {
    return err
}
defer client.Close()

Uploading Files

Single file:

ref, err := client.UploadFile(ctx, "/path/to/doc.pdf", "application/pdf")
// ref.URI is reusable for 48 hours

Multiple files (parallel upload):

paths := []string{"/path/to/w2.pdf", "/path/to/paystub.pdf"}
mimeTypes := map[string]string{
    "/path/to/w2.pdf": "application/pdf",
    "/path/to/paystub.pdf": "application/pdf",
}
refs, err := client.UploadFiles(ctx, paths, mimeTypes)
// refs is map[string]*FileReference

Generating Content

With File API (recommended for multiple queries):

resp, err := client.GenerateContent(ctx, &gemini.GenerateRequest{
    Model:        gemini.ModelFlash,
    Prompt:       "Analyze this W2 for annual income",
    SystemPrompt: "You are a mortgage underwriter...",
    FileURIs:     []string{ref.URI},
    FileMIMEs:    map[string]string{ref.URI: "application/pdf"},
})

With Inline bytes (simpler for single queries):

resp, err := client.GenerateContent(ctx, &gemini.GenerateRequest{
    Model:  gemini.ModelFlash,
    Prompt: "Analyze this document",
    InlineFiles: []gemini.InlineFile{{
        Data:     fileBytes,
        MimeType: "application/pdf",
    }},
})

Data Structures

FileReference

type FileReference struct {
    Name      string    // Gemini-assigned name
    URI       string    // Reusable URI for requests
    MimeType  string
    State     string    // Processing state
    CreatedAt time.Time
    ExpiresAt time.Time // 48 hours from creation
    SizeBytes int64
}

GenerateRequest

type GenerateRequest struct {
    Model        string              // ModelFlash or ModelPro
    Prompt       string              // User prompt
    SystemPrompt string              // System instructions
    FileURIs     []string            // Gemini file URIs
    FileMIMEs    map[string]string   // URI -> MIME type
    InlineFiles  []InlineFile        // Direct bytes (alternative)
    Temperature  *float32
    MaxTokens    *int32
}

GenerateResponse

type GenerateResponse struct {
    Text           string
    FinishReason   string
    TokensUsed     int64
    ModelUsed      string
    ProcessingTime time.Duration
}

Model Selection

Model	Constant	Use Case
Gemini Flash	`gemini.ModelFlash`	Fast, cheaper, most tasks
Gemini Pro	`gemini.ModelPro`	Complex reasoning, escalation

File API vs Inline Comparison

Aspect	File API	Inline
Upload	Once (cached 48hr)	Every request
Best for	Multiple queries, same docs	Single query
Token cost	Lower per query	Higher per query
Latency	Higher first query	Consistent
Break-even	~7 queries	N/A

FileCache Details

Located in internal/gemini/cache.go:

Thread-safe: Uses RWMutex
Expiry-aware: Checks 48hr TTL before returning
Methods: Get, Set, Delete, Cleanup, GetAllURIs

Troubleshooting

"GEMINI_API_KEY not set"

bash

export GEMINI_API_KEY="your-key"

Upload failures

Check file exists and is readable
Verify MIME type matches content
Check file size limits

Rate limits

Add delays between requests:

time.Sleep(500 * time.Millisecond)

Related Files

internal/gemini/client.go - Main client implementation
internal/gemini/cache.go - FileCache implementation
cmd/benchmark/main.go - Performance comparison tool

Search AI Tools

gemini-file-api

Install this agent skill to your Project

SKILL.md