How to Migrate Gemini Gems to Skills Before Nov 17

Google is replacing Gemini Gems with Skills for personal accounts. On November 17, 2026, Gems become read-only. You can still open them, but you cannot edit, use, or create new ones. Google removes them on December 17, 2026.

Skills work differently. Type a forward slash followed by the skill name in any chat to apply the instructions. You can stack multiple skills in one conversation. Gemini also detects when a skill fits your prompt and applies it automatically.

Google will convert remaining Gems into draft skills automatically. Manual migration gives you control over the result and lets you test the skill before the deadline.

Why Skills Replace Gems

Skills use an open Markdown format called SKILL.md. You can export a skill and move it between tools. They also work across the Gemini app and some Workspace surfaces once availability expands.

Gems required a separate window. Skills stay inside the main chat. This reduces the steps needed for repeated tasks such as weekly reports, email drafts, or meeting summaries.

Check Your Timeline

The November 17 deadline applies to personal Google accounts for users 18 and older. Workspace business and enterprise accounts keep Gems until no sooner than March 1, 2027. Education accounts follow in June 2027.

If you use a personal account and rely on custom Gems, complete the steps below before November 17. After that date the Gems become read-only and you lose the ability to edit them directly.

Step-by-Step: Recreate a Gem as a Skill

Follow these steps on gemini.google.com from a computer. Menu labels can vary slightly during rollout.

1. Open the Gemini app and sign in with your personal account. Click the sidebar menu and select Gems. If you do not see Gems, click More first.

2. Find the Gem you want to move and click Edit next to it. Copy the full instructions into a text file as a backup.

3. Under the Knowledge section, open each attached file and download it. Create a local folder named after the skill. Use lowercase letters and hyphens, for example weekly-status-report.

4. In a new browser tab, return to Gemini. Click Customize in the sidebar, then Skills. Click Create and choose Create manually.

5. Paste the name, description, and instructions from your Gem. Click Create to save the skill.

6. If the Gem had knowledge files, open the new skill, click the three-dot menu, and choose Download. This gives you a zip containing SKILL.md. Place the SKILL.md file inside the folder you created earlier along with the downloaded knowledge files.

7. Back in the Skills list, open the three-dot menu on the skill again and choose Replace skill. Upload the folder or the updated zip so the knowledge files attach correctly.

8. Test the skill. Start a new chat, type a forward slash, select the skill name, and run a prompt that previously worked with the Gem. Adjust the instructions if the output differs.

Repeat the process for every Gem you use regularly. Google automatically converts any remaining Gems later, but the resulting skills start as inactive drafts that still need review.

Tips for Better Results

Keep skill names short and descriptive. The name appears after the slash, so clarity helps when you have several skills.

Include one short example of the desired output inside the instructions. This improves consistency compared with Gems that relied only on the system prompt.

Download knowledge files before December 17 even if you plan to wait for automatic migration. Some file types such as certain audio, video, or legacy Office formats may not transfer fully. Google also limits total size; files above 100 MB risk partial removal of the largest items.

After you activate a skill, you can combine it with others. Type the slash commands for multiple skills in one prompt when the task needs several sets of rules.

What Happens After November 17

Gems move into Settings and stay readable until December 17. You cannot edit them or create new ones. After December 17 they disappear from the Gemini app for personal accounts.

Automatic migration produces draft skills that preserve names, descriptions, instructions, and supported knowledge files. You must open each draft and activate it before the skill becomes usable.

Conclusion

The switch from Gems to Skills simplifies repeated work inside the main Gemini chat. Manual recreation before November 17 gives you a tested skill rather than an unreviewed draft. Download your knowledge files today, recreate the most important Gems, and test them with real prompts.

For more ways to use Gemini features, see our guide on using Gemini 4 Argon in the Gemini app.

Sources

• Google Support: About the transition from Gems to skills
• Google Workspace Help: About the transition from Gems to skills