How to Create Gemini Gems in 2026

Open the Gemini web app, select Gems, choose New Gem, write its instructions and click Save. You can optionally add files under Knowledge and preview a response before saving. Google says the preview does not save the Gem automatically, so finish by selecting Save even if the test looks good.

This guide follows Google's Gem creation instructions, Gem management guide and sharing guide, checked October 30, 2026. Availability and controls can differ by account, country and product updates. We did not sign in or test a Gem for this article.

Toolradar data: its AI assistants snapshot, dated October 25, 2026, tracked 1,572 products in a broad category and listed Google Gemini as an alternative to 128 other tools. That is a directory relationship, not a count of available Gems or a measure of response quality.

What is a Gem?

A Gem is a saved set of instructions that customizes how Gemini responds to a recurring task. Instead of rewriting the same role, context and output format in every new conversation, you can give the Gem those instructions once, then bring it a new request each time.

For example, a team might make a Gem that turns meeting notes into a list of proposed actions. The instruction can ask for an owner and deadline when those are present, and tell the Gem to mark missing details rather than invent them. The Gem still needs the actual meeting notes and a human review of the result.

A Gem is not a guarantee that Gemini will follow every instruction or produce correct facts. Treat it as a reusable starting point: supply relevant context, check the output, and revise the instructions when the same mistake recurs.

Step 1: Open the Gem editor

Google says you must be signed in to Gemini Apps. On a computer, open gemini.google.com, open the sidebar and select Gems. Depending on the interface, Google also describes an Explore Gems entry point. Select New Gem.

Google's help says custom Gems are created, edited and deleted in the Gemini web app. A Gem created there can also appear in the Gemini mobile app and the Gemini side panel in Google Workspace. Account eligibility, work or school administration, and product availability may affect what you see; follow the current controls in your own account.

If you cannot find Gems, check that you are signed in to the intended account, open the sidebar, and consult Google's current help page. Do not assume that an option missing from a work account is available merely because it appears in a personal account.

Step 2: Give it a narrow job

Name the Gem for a task that repeats: Meeting action editor, Product brief reviewer, or Weekly update formatter. A narrow job is easier to test than an instruction to "help with everything."

In the instructions, specify the role, task, relevant context and desired output. Google suggests these four areas as useful ways to structure a custom Gem. You do not need a long persona if a short, testable instruction is clearer.

Here is a starting point you can adapt:

Task: Turn the meeting notes I provide into a proposed action list.

For each action, include the next step, owner, deadline and supporting excerpt.
If an owner or deadline is missing, write "not specified" rather than guessing.
Separate confirmed decisions from open questions. Do not add new commitments.
Return a table followed by a short list of ambiguities I should check.

The last two sentences define the failure you want to avoid: an invented owner or an open question presented as a decision. Keep sensitive or account-specific information out of the permanent instructions unless it is appropriate for the account and for everyone who might receive access to the Gem.

Step 3: Add files only when they help

Under Knowledge, Google's guide says to select Add files to add optional sources. You can upload a file from the device or add a file from Google Drive. Google says Drive files require Keep Activity to be on and Google Workspace connected to Gemini Apps; the interface can offer the connection if it is not already enabled.

Google also says a Drive file added this way uses its most recent version, so later changes to that file can be reflected in the Gem. That is useful for a living style guide, but it means the source can change after you wrote the instructions. Give the document a clear owner and review it when the Gem starts returning different guidance.

Google lists additional knowledge-source options, including NotebookLM notebooks, subject to current availability. Its sharing documentation says NotebookLM notebooks cannot be used as a source for shared Gems. Check supported formats, file limits and access settings in the current interface before promising a workflow to a team.

A file is context, not an independent verification of every statement in it. Ask the Gem to cite the relevant section when appropriate, then open the source and check the answer. If a document is confidential, use the account and sharing controls approved for that material.

Step 4: Preview, challenge and save

Google's editor provides a preview area. Test with one normal example and one awkward example before saving:

1. Give the Gem a short input containing an explicit action, owner and date. Check that it preserves all three.
2. Give it another input with no owner or date. Check that it says the details are missing instead of supplying plausible names.
3. Add an open question and check that the Gem does not promote it to a decision.
4. If you attached a file, ask a question whose answer appears in one identifiable section and inspect the source.
5. Revise the instructions and preview again.

Previewing is not the same as saving. Google explicitly says to click Save after the preview. Then open the saved Gem from the Gem list and try a fresh prompt. If your interface differs, use the current labels shown in Gemini and verify that the Gem appears under My Gems.

For a wider comparison of the account and subscription choices, see Is Gemini Free? and how to get Gemini Pro for free. Those plan details can change separately from the Gem editor.

Step 5: Share with the right access

Google says a Gem can be shared with specific people or, where the account offers it, through general access. On the web, open Gems, select Share next to the Gem, enter the recipient and choose Viewer or Editor. Google also describes options for an expiration date and for notifying recipients. The exact options can vary by personal, work or school account.

The important distinction is what access reveals. Google says anyone with access to a Gem can view its instructions and uploaded files. An editor can update or delete the Gem and its instructions and files; a viewer can use it and view those materials. Do not put a password, private customer record or internal-only instruction in a Gem you intend to share broadly.

If the Gem includes uploaded files and you have permission to share them, Google says it will ask whether to share those files and at which access level. Review the file permissions as well as the Gem's own access. Sharing a Gem and sharing a conversation are separate actions; check which one you are sending.

Edit or delete a Gem

To change instructions later, open the Gemini web app, go to Gems, find the item under My Gems and use its options menu. Google documents editing and deletion in the web app. Test the change again with the same two or three inputs so you can see whether it fixed the problem without introducing another one.

Before deleting a shared Gem, consider whether another person depends on it and whether you need to retain the underlying source files under your organization's rules. Google says editors can also delete shared Gems, so use Editor access only when the recipient should be able to change or remove the shared setup.

A shared Gem may not appear in a recipient's Gem manager immediately. Google says it is added under My Gems after the recipient opens and interacts with it. If someone cannot find it, verify the link, the account they are using and their access level before recreating the Gem.

Common mistakes

• Leaving the goal vague. "Be helpful" gives little guidance. State the task, input and output you expect.
• Treating preview as Save. Test the result, then click Save and confirm the item appears in the list.
• Uploading a document without reviewing access. Anyone with Gem access can view its instructions and uploaded files, according to Google.
• Assuming Drive content is frozen. Google says a linked Drive file uses the latest version.
• Sharing Editor access by default. An editor can change and delete the Gem; use the least access needed for the task.
• Treating a fluent answer as verified. Check the cited source, particularly for facts, numbers and commitments.
• Expecting NotebookLM sources to work in a shared Gem. Google's sharing guide currently says they cannot be used as sources for shared Gems.

For other ways to structure repeatable work with AI, see our Gemini vs ChatGPT comparison. A saved instruction can improve consistency, but the user still supplies the context and reviews the answer.

FAQ

Method

We reviewed Google's Gem creation, management and sharing help pages on October 30, 2026 and used Toolradar's dated AI-assistants CSV for directory context. We did not sign in or test the feature. Google can change the interface, availability and sharing controls; check the current help and account settings.

Cite this: Dupple, "How to Create Gemini Gems in 2026", sources checked October 30, 2026.