Create & manage skills for Gemini Apps

You can use skills to create and save custom instructions that can be used across your tasks. Instead of re-typing your preferences or uploading the same files. Spark can use relevant skills in the background or you can specify a skill to use for your task or workflow.

With skills, you can:

Save time and effort: Build a skill once and use it in any Gemini Spark task.
Automate your workflow: Gemini automatically recognizes when a skill is relevant to your current prompt and applies it for you.
Mix and match skills: Use multiple skills for a single task to handle more complex work exactly the way you want. You can even use skills with other skills.

Important: Skills are currently only available in Gemini Spark. Learn more about Gemini Spark.

What you need

To create and use skills, you must:

Be 18 or over.
Sign in to the Gemini app with a personal Google Account. For now, this feature isn’t available if you sign in with a work or school Google Account. Learn how to sign in to Gemini Apps.
Have a qualifying Google AI subscription. Learn how to upgrade.
- In the US, you must have a Google AI Pro or Ultra subscription.
- In other countries, you must have a Google AI Ultra subscription.
Have Keep Activity on.

Important: For now, skills are:

Available wherever Gemini Apps are supported, except in the European Economic Area, Nigeria, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.
Available in all Gemini Apps languages with a Google AI Ultra subscription, or in English only if you’re in the US with a Google AI Pro subscription.
Only available in Gemini Spark in the Gemini mobile app, the Gemini app on Mac, and the Gemini web app at gemini.google.com.

Create a skill

You can create a skill from the Skills page or in a Spark task. On the Skills page, you can create a skill with help from Gemini, build one from a prefilled or blank template, or upload a skill file.

Tip: You can reference other skills within your skill instructions to build more complex workflows.

Step 1: Go to the Skills page

On your computer, go to gemini.google.com.
- On a Mac, you can also open the Gemini app .
On the sidebar, click Switch to Spark Skills .

Step 2: Choose how you want to create a skill

Work with Gemini to create a skill

On the Skills page, at the top, click Create with Gemini .
Follow the instructions in the task thread.

Edit a prefilled template to create a skill

On the Skills page under “Recommended,” click the skill template you want to use.
Make your edits to the name, description, and instructions.
When you’re done, at the top, click Create.

Use a blank template to create a skill

On the Skills page, at the top, click Create manually .
Enter the name of your skill, a description of what it does, and instructions for it to follow.
When you’re done, at the top, click Create.

Upload a file to create a skill

Important: For now, scripts that require access to the internet are not supported.

On the Skills page, at the top, click Upload .
Select a SKILL.md file or a .zip file that contains a SKILL.md file in the main folder.
Click Open.
Review the skill and make any edits you want to make.
When you’re done, at the top, click Create.

Upload requirements

Supported file types

You can upload plain-text based files. If you can open it in a basic text editor and read it, it is likely supported.

Supported:
- Text & docs: .txt, .md, .rst, .rtf, .tex, .log.
- Code: .py, .sh.
- Data & config: .json, .yaml, .csv, .toml, .xml, .env, .sql.
- Web & build: .html, .css, .svg, Makefile, Dockerfile.
Not supported:
- Binary & rich media: .pdf, .docx, .doc, .xlsx, .jpg, .png, or any other non-plain-text formats or image types.

Structure & naming

Skill metadata: Your project must include a SKILL.md file located in the root (main) folder.
Naming convention: The skill name inside SKILL.md must use all lowercase with words separated by a hyphen (such as my-new-skill).
Size limit: The total size of all uploaded files must not exceed 100 MB.

Security restrictions

No external actions: Scripts can’t perform actions or requests on external websites.

Tip: Before you upload, check for hidden binary files (like .DS_Store or .pyc) that might cause the upload to fail.

Ask Gemini to create a skill in a Spark task

On your computer, go to gemini.google.com.
On the sidebar, click Switch to Spark Tasks .
In the text box, ask Gemini to create a skill and describe what you want the skill to do.
- For example, Create a skill based on these instructions: <your instructions>.
Click Submit . Gemini will create your skill and save it to your Skills page.
To make edits to the skill, just describe your edits in the thread.

Tip: You can’t activate, deactivate, or delete a skill from a task. To perform those actions, on the sidebar, click Skills .

Explore skill examples

Skills can automate a wide range of tasks and workflows:

Writing help: A skill can help with homework and have specific instructions not to give answers. It can include your past papers, feedback, and scores.
Brainstorming: A skill can expand on ideas and then generate a design document based on a standard template.
Tactical support: A skill can help with specific tasks, like converting bank statements into formatted spreadsheets or generating product descriptions for a website.
Career guidance: A skill can give advice on job opportunities based on your resume.

Use skills for a task

Skills are designed to work in the background and can be used across Gemini Spark tasks. You can ask Gemini to use specific skills for a task. Gemini can also automatically use a skill when it’s relevant to your task.

Ask Gemini to use a skill: In the task thread, enter /, then select the skill.
Gemini automatically uses skills: Gemini can automatically use skills that are turned on based on the context and intent of your task.
Combine skills: You can include multiple skills for Gemini to use in a single task. This helps Gemini complete complex, multi-step tasks effectively.

Manage your skills

You can manage your skills from the Skills page in the Gemini web app.

Manage Gemini’s automatic use of a skill

Gemini can only automatically use skills that are turned on. You can turn skills off at any time. If a skill is off and you ask Gemini to use it, Gemini will ask you if you want to turn it back on.

To stop Gemini from using a skill automatically:

On your computer, go to gemini.google.com.
- On a Mac, you can also open the Gemini app .
On the sidebar, click Switch to Spark Skills .
Click the skill that you want Gemini to stop using.
At the top, click More Disable .

To allow Gemini to automatically use a skill again, follow the same steps and click Enable .

Edit a skill

On your computer, go to gemini.google.com.
- On a Mac, you can also open the Gemini app .
On the sidebar, click Switch to Spark Skills .
Click the skill you want to edit.
Make your edits.
- To edit directly, update the "Description" and "Instructions" fields.
- To edit conversationally, click More Edit with Gemini .
- To upload a file to replace a skill, click More Replace skill .
When you’re done, at the top, click Save.

Tip: In a Spark task thread, you can also ask Gemini to update a skill and its files.

Delete a skill

Important: If you delete a skill, it can’t be undone.

You can only delete a skill from the Skills page.

On your computer, go to gemini.google.com.
- On a Mac, you can also open the Gemini app .
On the sidebar, click Switch to Spark Skills .
Hover over the skill you want to delete.
Click More Delete .

Download a skill

On your computer, go to gemini.google.com.
- On a Mac, you can also open the Gemini app .
On the sidebar, click Switch to Spark Skills .
Hover over the skill you want to download.
Click More Download . This downloads your skill in a .zip file.

Common questions

What's the difference between a task, schedule, and skill?

To help you get the most out of Spark tasks, it’s helpful to understand the three building blocks that power its logic: tasks, schedules, and skills. Think of these as the what, when, and how.

A task is your high-level goal. It represents a complete project or objective you want Gemini Spark to manage for you.

Example: "Plan and manage my business trip to London."

A schedule lets you hand over tasks to Gemini Spark so they run automatically in the background. You tell Gemini what to do and when to do it. Tasks can be scheduled to run at a specific date and time or in response to an event.

Example: "Every day at 8AM (condition), give me an update on AI news (task)"
Example: "When my flight is delayed (condition), notify me and propose an update to my itinerary (task)."

Tip: Schedules in Gemini Spark are different from scheduled actions in Gemini chat. Learn how to schedule actions in Gemini Apps.

A skill is a set of reusable instructions and additional context. It teaches Gemini how to do a specific task and what tools to use. You can specify the skill Gemini Spark should use for a task or a schedule’s action. Spark can also automatically use a skill when it’s relevant to a task.

Example: Using a "Travel Booking" skill and a "Gmail Writing" skill simultaneously to rebook a room and send a confirmation.

In summary, you define the task (what you want), set the schedules (when it should happen), and provide the skills (how to do it) to complete the work.

What happens if I cancel or downgrade my Google AI subscription?

If you cancel your Google AI subscription or downgrade to a subscription that doesn't support access to Gemini Spark, you will lose access to Gemini Spark, tasks, schedules, and skills. Your data is retained but some features are paused or disabled:

In-progress Spark tasks will finish, but are not deleted.
Schedules will be paused, but not deleted.
Skills are turned off, but not deleted.

To regain access and resume these features, you’ll need to upgrade or resubscribe to a Google AI subscription that supports Gemini Spark. Learn how to manage your Google AI subscription.