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You can recreate a Google Gem as a skill manually by copying its name, description, and instructions in Gemini’s Settings > Skills > Create manually flow. If the Gem has Knowledge files, download them and upload them alongside the new skill’s SKILL.md. Google also plans to migrate Gems automatically, but migrated skills arrive as drafts that need review and activation.
Google is rolling out Skills and retiring Gems on different schedules depending on account type. Availability and controls may vary, so check the current Gemini Apps Help page for your account.
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How do I manually convert a Gem to a skill?
Manual recreation gives you a skill as soon as Skills is available on your account. Use a computer and keep the Gem open while you create the new skill.
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- Open and edit the Gem. In Gemini, open the sidebar, select Gems, then choose Edit beside the Gem you want to recreate. Copy its name, description, and instructions. If it has Knowledge files, open and download each file. Google’s migration instructions describe this manual process.
- Create the skill. Open Gemini in another tab and select Settings > Skills > Create manually. Paste the Gem’s name, description, and instructions into the corresponding fields. Google says the skill name updates automatically to the required format. Select Create.
- Finish if the Gem had no Knowledge files. The manual recreation is complete; review the skill before relying on it.
- Package Knowledge files if the Gem had them. Download the newly created skill as a ZIP and unzip it. It contains
SKILL.md. Put that file in the folder with the Knowledge files you downloaded from the Gem. Name the folder to match the skill name. - Replace the skill with the folder. In Skills, choose Skill actions > Replace skill, select the folder, and upload it. Confirm the skill contains the instructions and reference files you intended to preserve.
The manual procedure recreates the Gem’s name, description, instructions, and—if you package them—Knowledge files. It is not a guarantee that every Gem feature or behavior transfers exactly.
How can I make the skill reusable?
A skill works best when its instructions tell Gemini both when to use it and what a good result looks like. As you copy or refine the Gem’s instructions:
- State the situations or requests that should trigger the skill.
- Keep instructions focused on guidance unique to the task rather than general advice.
- Add concrete examples of the expected output.
Google describes skills as reusable custom instructions that can be combined with other skills. Its transition guidance describes invoking a skill in chat with / followed by its name, while the Gemini product page says Gemini can recognize relevant skills automatically. Google described @ invocation as coming soon; exact behavior can differ during rollout. See Google’s Gemini Skills page.
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Skills use a Markdown-based SKILL.md format. Google’s Skills page offers creation from a blank template, creation with Gemini, templates, and upload of a SKILL.md file or folder. Skill names use lowercase words separated by hyphens, such as my-new-skill.
Can I move a Gem’s Knowledge files to a skill?
Yes, but the manual route requires extra steps: download each Knowledge file from the Gem, then upload a folder containing those files and the skill’s SKILL.md. Google’s automatic migration is expected to include supported files, but for a manual conversion Google’s instructions do not provide a bulk-download step.
What may not transfer or work the same way?
- Some Gem tools and features are not supported in skills. Google’s transition help lists Create video, Create music, Canvas, Deep Research, and Guided learning among Gem tools that currently do not work with skills. It also says skills do not yet work with features including Canvas and Deep Research. Check the live transition help page for updates.
- Skills do not sync across Gemini and Workspace apps. Google says a skill needed in both environments must be recreated separately in each. Workspace availability and eligibility can also differ from personal-account access. See Google Workspace Updates.
- Account eligibility and availability vary. At the time of Google’s published Skills help, Gemini-chat skills required a signed-in personal Google Account, Keep Activity enabled, and an account holder aged 18 or older; that help page said the feature was not yet available on work or school accounts through that path. Google has separately announced Workspace and broader Gemini rollouts, so check the current account-specific page rather than assuming the same controls are available to everyone. See Google’s Skills help and the transition schedule.
Will Google migrate my Gems automatically?
Google Gemini Apps Help says, “When we remove Gems, we’ll automatically recreate your Gems as skills.” The planned automatic migration preserves names, descriptions, custom instructions, supported uploaded Knowledge files, and Gem sharing permissions. Migrated skills appear as inactive drafts: review them and activate them before use or sharing. Google also permits manual recreation ahead of the transition. See About the transition from Gems to skills.
When are Gems moving to skills?
Google’s transition page, last updated September 30, 2026, gives staged dates rather than one deadline for every account. These are Google’s published plans as of October 4, 2026; rollout can vary by account and release schedule.
| Account or change | Google’s published schedule |
|---|---|
| Workspace skills rollout | Begins October 5, 2026. Rapid Release domains were scheduled to complete by October 12; Scheduled Release domains begin October 19 and were expected to complete by mid-November 2026. |
| Gemini app skills rollout | Begins October 13, 2026, with completion expected by mid-November 2026. |
| Gems move to Settings in the Gemini app | November 17, 2026. Google says users can continue creating, editing, and using Gems at this stage. |
| Personal accounts | Google’s separate Gemini Apps Help FAQ says the transition starts in November 2026. |
| Workspace business, enterprise, and nonprofit accounts | No sooner than March 1, 2027: users can no longer create, edit, or use Gems, and remaining Gemini-app Gems are to be migrated to draft skills. |
| Education accounts | No sooner than June 1, 2027: users can no longer create, edit, or use Gems, and remaining Gemini-app Gems are to be migrated to draft skills. |
The dates come from Google’s transition guidance; its Skills availability help may change as rollout proceeds. In particular, “no sooner than” is not a guaranteed exact retirement date.
Should I recreate the Gem now or wait?
| Choice | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Recreate it manually | If Skills is available to your account, you can make the skill now and review its instructions directly. You must copy the Gem details and handle Knowledge files yourself. |
| Wait for automatic migration | You can avoid immediate manual recreation. Google plans to migrate Gems as draft skills, which still need review and activation before use or sharing. |
If you rely on a Gem with Knowledge files or features that are not currently supported by skills, check the current transition help and confirm the resulting skill meets your needs before depending on it.
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