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How to Create Customized Gems

How to Create Customized Gems

Introduction

Gems are customized versions of Google’s Gemini model designed for specific purposes. They provide users with a way to create tailored versions of Gemini that better fit their needs. These Gems can assist with various tasks, such as teaching and learning new knowledge, searching for specific information, or supporting work-related activities. Additionally, users can share their customized Gems with others.

As described in Google’s documentation: “Gems are your custom AI experts for help on any topic. Gems can be anything from a career coach or brainstorm partner to a coding helper.”

Note on differences from ChatGPT's GPTs: Gems are intentionally simpler than GPTs. They do not have separate "conversation starter" fields, a per-Gem capability checklist (web browsing, image generation, code interpreter), or custom API "Actions." Gemini's built-in tools are generally available inside any chat rather than toggled on per Gem. Availability, knowledge-file limits, and some features can vary by plan and region, so check the current options in your account.

Guide to Create Your Own Gem

Step 1: Access the Gemini Customization Platform

  1. Use a Google account to log into Google’s Gemini interface.

  2. Click on “Gems” in the sidebar to see some pre-made Gems that you can use. To create your own, scroll down and click on the button labeled “+ New Gem”.

  3. You’ll begin creating your Gem by adding the necessary information to this page.

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Step 2: Define your Gem

The next steps are to provide basic information about your Gem. This information helps users identify the Gem and understand its purpose. The details you provide at this step will not affect how the Gem functions.

  1. Give it a Name: Choose a name that represents its purpose (e.g., “Coding Tutor” for help with coding; “Academic Appointment Maker” for scheduling academic meetings with collaborators or advisors).

  2. Describe its Purpose: Write a brief description outlining what your Gem is designed to do.

Step 3: Customize Behavior & Instructions

The following steps define how your Gem interacts with users. 

  1. Set the Instructions: The instructions guide your Gem on how to process requests and what kind of information to prioritize. They can be written using natural language, and the more instruction you provide for your Gem, the better it will work. According to Google’s Tips for creating Custom Gems your instructions should focus on the following areas:

  • Persona: Tell your Gem what role to play and how to respond.

  • Task: Tell the Gem what you want Gemini to do or create.

  • Context: Provide as much background as possible.

  • Format: Be specific when specifying desired structure.

Consider also how your Gem should interpret and handle user input, as well as any constraints or preferences for responses.

You can also use Gemini to help you write the instructions by clicking the button at the bottom of the text window. Gemini will rewrite what you have written and expand on the information you provided it with.

  1. Set the Default Tool: You may want to select a specific Gemini tool that your Gem will utilize by default. For example, if the purpose of your Gem is to generate an image, you may want to set the default tool to “Create images,” which will prompt your Gem to utilize Google’s Nano Banana image generation tool. If you’re not sure, leave it set to “No default tool”. The user can also change this while using the tool.

Step 4: Configure the Knowledge Base (Optional)

  1. You can upload information to your Gem to enhance its understanding of the task or field you want it to work in, especially if such information is not accessible on the internet. This is done by configuring the knowledge base. If needed, you can upload reference documents, such as PDFs, datasets, or other relevant files.

    1. Under the Knowledge section, click Add files and choose the files to upload (Gems currently supports up to around 10 files; the exact limit can vary).

    2. To reference Google Drive documents (Docs, Sheets) that stay up to date automatically, you may need Keep Activity turned on and Google Workspace connected to Gemini; you'll be prompted to connect it if it isn't already.

    3. Optionally, select Disable knowledge citations if you don't want the Gem to cite your uploaded files in its responses.

Step 5: Save & Share

  1. Click on the “Save” button to save your Gem to your Google account. Once it is saved, your Gem can be shared with others exactly as you would share anything else in your Google Workspace (Google Docs, Sheets, etc.). Other Google users can be added to your Gem as a “viewer” or “editor”, and links to your Gem can be generated to share more widely.

    1. Note that if you share a Gem, the titles of its attached knowledge files will be visible to the people you share it with, so avoid attaching anything you don't want others to see.