Imagine this: You’re on a tight deadline, staring at your Google Docs draft, and the words just aren’t flowing. Maybe your report sounds too casual for the execs who’ll read it, or your essay feels a little meh.
That’s everything Gemini in Google Docs can fix. Think of it as your AI-powered writing sidekick, ready to suggest optimal text, refine your tone, summarize key points from lengthy material, and even help you rewrite existing text with a fresh perspective.
Whether you’re crafting a letter, a blog post, or just trying to make your words sound more polished, Gemini’s AI features sprinkle that much-needed magic dust onto your Google Workspace.
Let’s see how to make the Google Docs Gemini feature work for you!
👀 Did You Know? The United States contributes the most traffic to Google Gemini at 9.8%, followed by Indonesia at 8.5%, and India at 8.2%.
⏰ 60-Second Summary
- Gemini AI in Google Docs is a built-in AI writing assistant that refines tone, suggests text, summarizes content, and rewrites drafts for polished results
- Gemini can also Create images directly within Google Docs
- Access Gemini via the “Ask Gemini” panel in Google Docs, provide detailed prompts, and insert AI suggested text seamlessly
- Use specific prompts and include related documents for better context and results
- Some of Gemini’s limitations include restricted free access, generic output, no live web data, struggles with long docs, basic images, and inconsistent tone
- Brain, ’s native AI assistant, addresses these limitations by offering deeper integration with project management, ensuring context-aware suggestions and workflow automation
- It generates, refines, and translates content while maintaining your preferred tone and style. It also grounds its suggestions directly in your tasks, dashboards, and projects to reduce context-switching
- Choose for a smarter, all-in-one solution for writing, collaboration, and task management, replacing multiple standalone tools
How to Use Gemini in Google Docs
Gemini AI is like having a built-in writing assistant right in Google Docs. It can improve your existing content, generate new ideas, and summarize long reports—so you don’t have to stress over getting these tasks right. Plus, it works seamlessly inside Google Workspace apps like Google Sheets and Google Slides. And for those of us who can’t live without sourcing information from Google Search, it can do that while drafting your content, too.
Beyond generating content, Google Docs Gemini can double up as an all-purpose AI-powered assistant, offering professional advice and improving the quality of your communication in an office setting.
Let’s explore how to use Google Gemini in Google Docs:
Get started quickly
Getting started with Gemini on Google Docs is easy:
- Open Google Docs on your computer
- Click ‘Ask Gemini’ in the top right corner
- Type what you need in the Google Gemini panel
- Insert the generated text into your document
💡 Pro Tip: Be specific with your prompts!
Instead of ‘Create a social media strategy for a new product launch,’ try “Create a social media strategy for amplifying the launch of our new line of organic pet food products, primarily focusing on organic and user-generated content on Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram.”
The more precise your request, the better Gemini’s response!
Get help polishing your content
If you’ve just opened a Google Doc and are simply staring at the blank screen, the Help me write option next to the pen icon is your friend. Click on it and give Gemini a detailed prompt outlining your requirements, including the kind of content, the tone of voice, the style, and other relevant information. Now, hit Create and watch it generate the right content for the moment—from elevator pitch ideas to multi-page essays.
Rate the response, refine, or recreate the output until you’re satisfied. Once you’re happy, click Insert to get it onto your AI document.
🎥 Watch this video explainer for our best tips on creating documentation using AI👇🏽
🧠 Fun Fact: Google’s AI Bard was renamed Gemini as part of a broader rebranding.
Generate a document
Want to create an entire document from scratch without prompting, re-prompting, or prompt chaining? Here’s how to go about it:
- Select Help me create from a blank page
- Type your prompt to generate the document in the pop-up window
- Click Create to generate your document
- Review your document to ensure everything is in place
💡 Pro Tip: You can include related documents from your Google Docs or Google Drive into the prompt to give Gemini additional context without copy-pasting everything. Simply select the @ symbol in the prompt and select the relevant document.
Edit existing text
Already have a chunk of your project report drafted but want to improve the quality of articulation? Here’s how to do it:
- Highlight the text you want to improve
- Click Gemini and pick an option: Rephrase, Shorten, or Elaborate. You can also add a custom prompt to refine the text
- Choose the best version and click Insert
👀 Did You Know? The Gemini Ultra model achieved a 90.0% score on the Massive Multitask Language Understanding [MMLU] benchmark, surpassing human expert performance.
Create images inside Docs
Yes, you can create images directly inside Google Docs with Gemini. Here’s how:
- Click Insert > Image > Help me create an image
- Describe the image. Be as detailed as possible
- Click Create to begin generating
- Pick your favorite custom image option and add it to your doc
You can also preview how the image looks inside the doc before inserting it.
Generate cover images
Is your blog post outline nearly ready to go and just missing the perfect cover image? Use Gemini to generate one for you. Follow these instructions:
- Type @, then select Cover image > Help me create an image
- Enter the prompt and click Create
- Insert an image by selecting one from the gallery or by clicking View More for additional options
Limitations of Using Gemini in Google Docs
While Gemini AI is a helpful writing and creative assistant, it’s not without its quirks. Here are a few limitations to keep in mind when using it in Google Docs:
- Limited free access: Many advanced features require a Google One AI Premium subscription, and free users may not get a deep, context-based suggestion
- Can generate generic content: Responses may lack depth on complex topics, and Gemini can sometimes misinterpret prompts
- No real-time internet access: It doesn’t pull live data, so you’ll need to fact-check and update information manually
- Struggles with long documents: Context can get lost in longer pieces, leading to repetition or missing key details
- Inconsistent tone and style: Responses may vary, requiring manual edits to maintain a consistent voice
Using AI and Docs with
AI writing tools can be a big deal for productivity but also have frustrating limitations. You’re not alone if you’ve ever struggled with AI responses that lack any personality whatsoever, fail to maintain the right tone and voice, or frequently waste time with hallucinations.
While Google Gemini in Docs offers AI-powered assistance, it often falls short when it comes to deeply contextualizing content, processing long documents accurately, and offering project integration. But , the everything app for work, has a smarter alternative.
Say hello to Brain. As an AI-powered assistant baked into , it acts as your AI Writer for Work, your AI Project Manager, and your AI Knowledge Manager.
It’s most helpful in generating content and keeping it structured, relevant, and tied directly to your work. Brain also integrates seamlessly with Whiteboards to generate AI images to your liking.
📮 Insight: Only 12% of our survey respondents use AI features embedded within productivity suites. This low adoption suggests current implementations may lack the seamless, contextual integration that would compel users to transition from their preferred standalone conversational platforms.
For example, can the AI execute an automation workflow based on a plain text prompt from the user? Brain can! The AI is deeply integrated into every aspect of , including but not limited to summarizing chat threads, drafting or polishing text, pulling up information from the workspace, generating images, and more!
Join the 40% of customers who have replaced 3+ apps with our everything app for work!
Whether you’re drafting project retrospective reports, brainstorming ideas for your next launch campaign, or collaborating on key documents, Brain offers a smarter, more integrated solution than standalone AI tools. Instead of being held back by writer’s block, just type a quick prompt in plain English describing the outcomes you want, and Brain will suggest the right content, summarize ideas, or refine the wording for your message.
Happy with the drafts generated by Brain?
Insert them into Docs in one click and modify them as needed. As a Google Docs alternative, ’s native Docs feature provides your team with a built-in, collaborative space to draft, edit, and refine content.
Unlike Google Docs, which exists separately from project management tools, keeps everything in one place, reducing context-switching and workflow disruptions.
Need feedback? @Mentions and inline comments help teams communicate efficiently, keeping discussions focused and revisions clear. Tracking changes is also a breeze on , thanks to its collaboration-first approach.
Plus, your Docs can be directly linked to your tasks in , ensuring that content always stays relevant to the work at hand.
You can even embed Docs within task descriptions or dashboards, making critical information easily accessible for everyone without them digging through folders.
While Gemini can sometimes misinterpret prompts or generate vague, generic content, Brain provides context-aware suggestions that align with your specific needs. As a result, Brain ensures that your content remains insightful, accurate, and actionable.
Long documents? No problem. Unlike Gemini, which can lose track of context in extended content, Brain retains key details, avoiding repetition or missing important points. Plus, it maintains a consistent tone and style, helping teams create polished, professional content without endless manual edits.
Instead of relying on an AI tool that creates more work, why not use one that actually enhances productivity?
💡Pro Tip: Use the translate feature in Brain to help global teams collaborate more effectively by breaking down language barriers.
Beyond Plain Docs: The Advantage
The difference is pretty straightforward if you’re choosing between Gemini in Google Docs and Brain.
Gemini in Docs is a standalone AI tool that can assist with writing and editing. However, it lacks built-in awareness of your projects, deadlines, and task dependencies. It’s constrained within a single document, meaning you must manually gather and verify information from multiple sources.
Brain connects information across your workspace. So, AI in doesn’t just help you write—it’s deeply integrated into your entire workflow. If you need to draft a project update, it can pull insights from related tasks, documents, and comments, ensuring consistency. Plus, it automates workflows and suggests actions based on your content. If you draft a meeting summary, it can create follow-up tasks instantly.
Why settle for Google Docs’ dependency on external integrations when offers you a unified platform for AI writing, project management, and collaboration? Sign up for today and experience the difference.
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