Gemini cheat sheet

A one-page reference for Google Gemini at work: the AI in the Gemini app and across Google Workspace. UK English. Check anything that matters against a trusted source.

Key capabilities by level

Foundations

• Draft, rewrite and summarise text in the Gemini app.
• Ask everyday questions and get plain-English explanations.
• Upload a file or image and ask questions about it.

Practitioner

• Use Gemini inside Gmail, Docs and Sheets to draft and summarise in place.
• Run Deep Research to gather and organise sources on a topic, then check them.
• Work with long documents thanks to a large context window.

Power User

• Save a reusable instruction for a repeated task. Follow the Gems and skills transition guide for the current options.
• Summarise a meeting in Google Meet and pull out the actions.
• Combine Workspace grounding so answers draw on your own Drive files.

Tier map in three lines

• Free: Gemini app access with everyday limits.
• Individuals: Google AI Plus, Pro and Ultra step up usage, features and model access (features and limits depend on your account and rollout).
• Organisations: Eligible Google Workspace editions include Gemini features; add-ons and admin controls can change what each user can access.

See the current Gemini plans and Workspace AI options for today's details.

Five best prompts

1. Summarise this email thread and draft a reply confirming the Friday deadline. [in Gmail]
2. In this doc, tighten the executive summary to five sentences without losing any key point. [in Docs]
3. In this sheet, work out the monthly total per Fernway region and explain the formula you used. [in Sheets]
4. Run deep research on this topic and give me a briefing with sources I can open and check. [topic]
5. Summarise the meeting recording: decisions made, open questions, and who owns each action.

Top three mistakes

• Assuming web-connected means always right. Gemini can still be wrong or out of date; open the sources and confirm.
• Trusting it on high-stakes facts. For anything legal, financial or health-related, verify elsewhere before acting.
• Vague prompts. Say who it's for, what you want, and the length or format; the reply is only as clear as the ask.

A reliable Gemini handover

Check which Gemini surface and work account you are using. For reusable instructions, follow the current Gems-to-skills guidance in the course and verify availability in your account. In Sheets, test generated output against known cells before using it in a report.