Google Gems
Write your instructions once. Every time you open the Gem, Gemini already knows the job.
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This video has instrumental music and no narration. Here is everything that appears on screen, in order.
- 0:00 A Gemini chat window. A long prompt is typed: “You are an instructional coach. Turn my walkthrough notes into feedback: 2 glows, 1 grow, and one next step. Keep it warm, under 150 words, with bold headings.”
- 0:02 Labels stack up beside it: Monday, typed it. Tuesday, typed it again. Wednesday, again.
- 0:06 Large words fill the screen: Every. Single. Time.
- 0:08 Heading: A prompt is used once. A Gem is kept. The Regular prompt card says: retyped or re-pasted every time; details drift and something gets left out; each new chat starts with no instructions.
- 0:12 The Google Gem card says: instructions written once and saved; same structure every time; can hold reference files, called Knowledge; can be shared with your team.
- 0:19 A green title card: Google Gems. Your own AI expert, built inside Gemini. Build once. Reuse daily. Share.
- 0:26 Section 2, Anatomy of a strong Gem. Google's guide to Gem instructions has four parts.
- 0:27 Persona: who should it be? Example: You are a warm, specific instructional coach at a Texas education service center.
- 0:32 Task: what should it do, every time? Example: When I paste walkthrough notes, write 2 glows, 1 grow, and 1 next step the teacher can try tomorrow.
- 0:38 Context: what does it need to know? Example: Teachers use Bluebonnet Learning secondary math. Focus on student discourse and checks for understanding. Non-evaluative.
- 0:43 Format: what should it look like? Example: A short email under 150 words with bold headings Glows, Grow, and Try This Tomorrow, ending with one reflective question.
- 0:49 Plus Knowledge, which is optional: files the Gem should always reference, such as a look-fors PDF and sample feedback.
- 0:50 Caption: Each part removes one guess Gemini would otherwise make.
- 0:54 Section 3, Build it in Gemini. In the Gemini sidebar, the pointer clicks Gems.
- 0:56 The Gems page opens and shows premade Gems. The pointer clicks New Gem.
- 0:58 The New Gem form. Name: Walkthrough Feedback Coach. Description: Turns quick walkthrough notes into glow-and-grow feedback.
- 1:04 The four-part instructions are typed into the Instructions box: Persona, Task, Context, and Format. A checklist marks each part as it is added.
- 1:10 Tip: the pointer rests on the button Use Gemini to re-write instructions. Type a rough idea, let Gemini expand it, and always read what it wrote before saving.
- 1:13 Under Knowledge, two files are added: a walkthrough look-fors PDF and a feedback examples document.
- 1:17 In the Preview panel, sample walkthrough notes are typed and sent. The Gem replies with Glows, a Grow, and Try This Tomorrow. Tip: test in Preview before you save.
- 1:26 The pointer clicks Save. A message confirms: Gem saved.
- 1:31 Section 4, Use it. The new Gem appears in the sidebar, and the pointer opens it.
- 1:33 Only new notes are typed: Algebra 1, objective posted, groups worked while the teacher circulated, no checks for understanding before the exit ticket. The Gem answers in the same Glows, Grow, Try This Tomorrow format. Just paste your notes; the Gem already knows the rest.
- 1:42 Comparison. Without a Gem: the full instructions plus your notes. With your Gem: just your notes. Same feedback, a fraction of the typing.
- 1:46 Closing card: Build it once. Use it every day. Your next 10 minutes: one, Gemini, Gems, New Gem. Two, Persona, Task, Context, Format. Three, Preview, then Save. Pick one task you repeat every week. Video built with the help of AI.
A prompt ends with the chat. A Gem stays.
Typing a prompt
- You rebuild the setup every time.
- A detail slips, and the result changes.
- Every new chat starts from zero.
Using a Gem
- The setup is saved once, in Gemini.
- Results come back in the same shape.
- You only paste the part that changes.
Strong Gems have four parts.
This is Google's own recipe for Gem instructions. Point at a part to see it in a real Gem.
Build yours.
Pick one task you do every week. Fill in the card, then copy each piece into Gemini.
Then, in Gemini
Open Gems
Go to gemini.google.com (opens in a new tab), open the left sidebar, and click Gems.
Click New Gem
You'll see Name, Description, and Instructions.
Paste the three pieces
Name, description, and the instructions from your card.
Test it in Preview
Paste a real, de-identified example on the right. Adjust until it's right.
Click Save
Preview doesn't save. Your Gem now waits in the sidebar under Gems.
Optional: under Knowledge, add a file your Gem should always use, like a rubric or look-fors.
Before you go.
Nothing identifiable goes in.
No student names, IDs, or IEP details. No staff personal information. No confidential district data. Paste the objective, not the roster.
You are the last step.
A Gem drafts. You check every fact, date, and number before anything leaves your hands.
Submit three things
- Your Gem's name and instructions, pasted in full.
- What it does, in a sentence or two.
- One output it made, and one thing you checked or changed.
Your facilitator will share the form link.
Don't see Gems in your account? Save your instructions in a Google Doc and paste them at the top of a new chat. That counts.