Last updated: November 9, 2026
As Google transitions from Gems to skills, you can help your users choose where to build skills, clean up unused Gems, and migrate important workflows across Google Workspace, the Gemini app, and Gemini Enterprise.
Compare skills across platforms
While Gems are restricted to the Gemini app, skills are available across 3 platforms, depending on how your users work, their edition and age eligibility, and how you want to manage access. Some features are active today, while others are coming soon to deliver deeper platform integration. Skills created in the Gemini app aren't accessible in Google Workspace or Gemini Enterprise, so users must build skills separately in those apps.
| Feature | Google Workspace | Gemini app | Gemini Enterprise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current availability | Available now (rolling out starting November 9, 2026, in English). Users can create, edit, share, and use skills in Google Workspace Studio and across Gmail, Google Docs, Google Slides, Google Drive, and Google Chat. Direct file attachments and additional languages will roll out in future updates. | Available now (in English, with manual file uploads for text and documents). Skill sharing and direct Google Drive file links are coming soon. | Available now. |
| Where users interact | In Google Workspace Studio, across Gmail, Google Docs, Google Slides, Google Drive, and Google Chat on the web (and Google Chat on Android and iOS for invoking skills), or in Google Workspace Studio flows. | In the Gemini web app or mobile app. | In the Gemini Enterprise web app. |
| Admin controls | Managed through Google Workspace Studio skill settings, external skill-sharing settings, Google Workspace Studio log events, Google Workspace Data Loss Prevention (DLP) rules, and Google Drive file-sharing settings. | Managed through Gemini app access settings for your organization or specific organizational units. | Managed in the centralized Skill Registry to audit, approve, and deploy custom skills to specific departments or organizational units. |
| How users access and share skills | Accessed in Google Workspace Studio and across Gmail, Google Docs, Google Slides, Google Drive, and Google Chat, connected to Google Workspace Studio flows, or shared from Google Workspace Studio as independent copies (any referenced Google Drive files must be shared separately). | Accessed in Customize in the left navigation menu. Sharing skills with other users through links is coming soon. | Accessed in Skills in the left navigation menu (under Inbox, Search, and Projects), including custom skills deployed to the user's department or organizational unit. |
Current limitations to keep in mind
As you help your users decide when and where to build skills, keep the following limitations in mind as deeper platform integrations roll out:
- Active skills limit (100 active skills): Users can store an unlimited number of inactive skills in their library, but can have at most 100 active skills turned on at one time. Keeping active skills under 100 prevents routing conflicts and maintains accuracy when Gemini selects among active skills during a conversation.
- Skills in the Gemini app:
- No direct Google Drive links yet: Users must manually upload files from their device. Direct Google Drive file integration and skill sharing are coming soon.
- Supported file types and integrations: Skills support text and document files only. Video and audio files, GitHub files, and developer repository connections aren't supported. For details on supported file types, go to Upload a file or folder to create a skill.
- Language support: Skills in the Gemini app are initially available in English only.
- Skills in Google Workspace (Google Workspace Studio):
- No direct file attachments yet: Users can't directly attach or upload local files to a skill. If custom instructions need to reference external context or documentation, we recommend storing the files in Google Drive, linking to those Google Drive files directly within the skill's instructions, and sharing file access with skill recipients. Deeper file integration is planned for future updates.
- Supported apps and mobile access: Skills aren't yet available in Google Sheets or Google Meet. Creating, editing, testing, and sharing skills require the web, while invoking skills is supported on the web and in the Google Chat mobile app on Android and iOS.
- Language support: Skills in Google Workspace are initially available in English only, with additional languages rolling out in future updates.
Make your transition a success
To prepare your organization for the transition to skills, we recommend the following actions:
Notify your users
- Inform users about the transition and important dates so they can plan ahead.
- Let users know that their converted Gems will be added to Customize in the left navigation menu of the Gemini app as inactive draft skills.
- Remind users to review and activate their migrated skills after automated migration.
Encourage early adoption
- Turn skills on in Google Workspace Studio and Google Workspace for your organization.
- Direct users to the AI skills 101 handbook to learn how to build, invoke, and apply multiple skills to a single conversation (for example, drafting a campaign proposal using a custom "Brand Voice" skill while applying an "Executive Format" skill).
- Share these additional user guides:
Delete unused Gems
Ask users to delete test, one-off, or unused Gems in the Gemini app before automated migration so unused Gems don't clutter their skills list as drafts.
Rebuild high-priority Gems
Encourage creators to manually rebuild their most important Gems as skills early:
- In the Gemini app:
- Share instructions on how to manually recreate Gems as skills.
- Users can copy and paste instructions and manually upload text or document files now (direct Google Drive file linking and skill sharing are coming soon). If your users aren't ready to rebuild Gems yet, or if their Gems rely on Google Drive file links, they can continue creating, editing, and using Gems in the Gemini app until automated migration begins (no sooner than March 2027 for Business and Enterprise, or June 2027 for Education) and wait for Google Drive integration or automated migration.
- In Google Workspace (Google Workspace Studio): Instruct users to follow the Workspace Studio transition guide to rebuild custom instructions that run in Google Workspace Studio, across Gmail, Google Docs, Google Slides, Google Drive, and Google Chat, or in Google Workspace Studio flows. If a Gem relies on knowledge files, users can store those files in Google Drive and link to them directly within the skill's instructions.
- In Gemini Enterprise: Users can rebuild high-priority Gems in Skills in the left navigation menu (under Inbox, Search, and Projects) of the Gemini Enterprise web app. Administrators can also use the Skill Registry, a centralized repository where you can store, version, and manage custom skills for your organization. From the registry, you can audit and approve custom skills, and control which departments or organizational units can access them.
Update Google Workspace Studio flows
- Identify active automated flows in Google Workspace Studio that include Ask a Gem steps.
- Instruct flow owners to follow the Workspace Studio transition guide to replace Ask a Gem steps with Ask Gemini and to build new flows using Ask Gemini steps.
Google Workspace for Education
- Distribute the Gemini Gems and Skills Transition Guide for Education (PDF) to help educators and staff prepare for the transition.
- Because skills aren't replacing Gems in Google Classroom or Gemini LTI™, we recommend that educators using those tools transition to Gemini Notebook (available now) and Guided Learning (coming soon to Classroom) for personalized student learning and support.
- Share these guides with your users:
Related resources
Share these resources with people in your organization:
- About the transition from Gems to skills
- Google Workspace Updates blog post
- Allow people to use skills in Studio and Gemini in Workspace
- Allow people to share skills externally
- Workspace Studio log events
- Manage skills in the Gemini Enterprise Skill Registry
- AI skills 101 handbook
- Create and use skills in the Gemini app
- Learn how skills work in Google Workspace Studio
- Manually recreate Gems as skills
- Workspace Studio transition guide
- Gemini Gems and Skills Transition Guide for Education (PDF)
- Create and assign Gemini Notebook and Gems in Google Classroom
- Use Gemini Notebook and Gems in Google Classroom (for students)
- Share and access notebooks and Gems in Google Workspace LTI™
Updates
The following table lists updates to this page:
| Date | Update |
|---|---|
| November 9, 2026 | Prepare your organization for the transition to skills published |