How to Create Gemini Skills and Move Your Gems Before Nov 17

Gemini skills are Google's new way to give Gemini reusable, custom instructions, and they are about to replace Gems. According to 9to5Google, Google told users in the Gems manager that existing Gems will be migrated automatically to skills starting November 17, 2026. Your Gems keep working until then, which gives you roughly seven weeks to learn the new system and decide how you want your custom assistants to behave.

This guide walks through what Gemini skills are, who can use them, the four ways to create one, the rules for uploading a SKILL.md file, and a practical plan for moving your Gems over on your own terms.

• Google's migration notice sets November 17, 2026 as the date Gems start converting to skills automatically.
• There are four ways to create a skill: with Gemini's help, from a template, manually, or by uploading a SKILL.md file or folder.
• Uploaded skills can be up to 100 MB in total and must have SKILL.md in the root folder.
• You call a skill by typing "/" in chat, and Gemini can also apply skills automatically when they are relevant.

Quick Picks: Which Way to Create a Gemini Skill

• Best for beginners: Create with Gemini. Describe what you want in plain language and let Gemini draft the skill.
• Best for quick wins: Edit a prefilled template. Change the name, description and instructions and you are done.
• Best for precise control: Create manually. Write your own instructions from a blank template.
• Best for power users: Upload a SKILL.md file or folder with reference files, up to 100 MB in total.

What Are Gemini Skills?

A Gemini skill is a named package of instructions that tells Gemini how to handle a particular kind of task. Think "draft a weekly client update in my house style," "turn meeting notes into a task list," or "review a Python script against our team's conventions." Gems served the same purpose as custom versions of Gemini, but the way you reach them changes.

Gems live in a side panel and you use one at a time. Skills are called from the prompt box with a "/" command, and 9to5Google notes that several skills can be used in the same conversation. Google's help page also says Gemini can apply a skill automatically when it recognizes that one is relevant. In practice that means a skill behaves less like a separate chatbot you switch into and more like a capability the main assistant can reach for.

If you have used skills in other AI assistants, such as the packaged skills we covered in Claudeforce's Salesforce skills for Claude, the concept will feel familiar: small, focused instruction sets that the assistant loads when the task calls for them.

Who Can Use Gemini Skills?

Google's help page lists four requirements:

• You must be 18 or older.
• You must be signed in with a personal Google Account. Work and school accounts cannot use skills yet.
• Keep Activity must be turned on.
• You need the Gemini mobile app, the Gemini Mac app, or gemini.google.com on the web.

There is also a plan question. 9to5Google reports that skills are currently available to Google AI Pro and AI Ultra subscribers, created from the Gemini Spark tab. Google's help page adds that the feature is rolling out gradually, so it may not appear on every account at once. If you do not see Skills in Settings yet, that is the likely reason.

How Do I Create a Gemini Skill?

All four creation methods start from the same place: open Settings, then Skills.

Method 1: Create with Gemini

Choose "Create with Gemini" and follow the instructions in the chat. You describe the job, Gemini asks follow-up questions, and it drafts the skill for you. This is the easiest route if you know what you want the result to look like but are not sure how to phrase the instructions.

Method 2: Edit a prefilled template

The Skills page shows recommended templates. Pick one, adjust its name, description and instructions, and select Create. Templates are a fast way to see how Google expects a well-formed skill to read, which makes them useful even if you later write your own.

Method 3: Create manually

Select "Create manually," then enter a name, a description and the instructions, and save. The description matters more than it looks: because Gemini can apply skills automatically, a clear description of when the skill should be used helps it pick the right one.

Method 4: Upload a SKILL.md file or folder

Select Upload and choose a SKILL.md file, a folder, or a .zip file that contains SKILL.md in its root. This route lets you bundle reference material alongside the instructions, such as a style guide, a sample document or a small script.

What Are the SKILL.md Upload Rules?

Google's help page spells out the rules for uploaded skills:

• Root file: SKILL.md must be in the root folder of what you upload.
• Naming: skill names use lowercase letters and hyphens, for example my-new-skill.
• Size: the total upload can be up to 100 MB.
• Text and document files: .txt, .md, .rst, .rtf, .tex and .log are supported.
• Code files: .py and .sh are supported.
• Data files: .json, .yaml, .csv, .toml, .xml, .env and .sql are supported.
• Web files: .html, .css, .svg, Makefile and Dockerfile are supported.
• Media: .pdf, .jpg and .png are supported.
• Not supported: binary Office formats such as .docx and .xlsx. Export those to PDF, Markdown or CSV first.
• No internet scripts: scripts that need to reach external websites are not supported.

Google also recommends removing hidden binary files such as .DS_Store and .pyc before uploading. One more practical detail: reference files can only be added through upload, and updating any file means uploading the whole skill again with all of its files. Keep each skill in its own folder on your computer so re-uploading is painless.

How Do I Use a Skill in a Gemini Chat?

There are three ways a skill comes into play:

• Call it directly: type "/" in a chat and pick the skill from the list.
• Let Gemini choose: with a skill active, Gemini can apply it automatically when your request matches what the skill is for.
• Combine skills: use more than one skill together for a bigger job, such as a research skill feeding a formatting skill.

If a skill keeps triggering when you do not want it, you can stop automatic use without deleting it. Go to Settings, then Skills, pick the skill, open More and choose Deactivate. Activate works the same way.

How Do I Edit, Download or Delete a Skill?

Everything lives under Settings, then Skills:

• Edit: change the description or instructions directly, choose More and then "Edit with Gemini" to revise it conversationally, or use "Replace skill" to upload new files.
• Download: choose More and then Download to save the skill as a .zip file. This is a good habit before making big changes.
• Delete: choose More and then Delete. Google warns this is permanent.

What Happens to My Gems on November 17?

Starting November 17, 2026, Google will convert Gems to skills automatically, according to the migration notice reported by 9to5Google and TechCrunch. You do not have to do anything for your Gems to carry over. Google's help page also notes that you can recreate a Gem as a skill yourself before then if you prefer.

There are good reasons to consider doing it yourself. Gems and skills do not have identical features today:

• Default tools: Gems can set default tools such as image creation or Canvas.
• Attached files: Gems can carry context files.
• Sharing: Gems can be shared by link.

Thurrott reports Google saying that sharing and Google Drive file attachments are coming to skills in the coming weeks. Until then, a Gem that leans heavily on attached files or link sharing may need some thought before it becomes a skill.

A Simple Plan to Move Your Gems to Skills

• Take an inventory. List every Gem you use and note which rely on attached files, default tools or shared links.
• Copy the instructions. Save each Gem's instructions into a plain text or Markdown file so you have a record either way.
• Pick your top three. Recreate the Gems you use most as skills now, using Create manually or the upload route.
• Rewrite the description. Because Gemini can pick skills automatically, describe when each skill should be used, not just what it does.
• Convert files. Turn any .docx or .xlsx reference material into PDF, Markdown or CSV so it can travel with the skill.
• Test with "/". Call each new skill directly on a real task and compare the output with the old Gem.
• Let the rest migrate. For Gems you rarely use, the automatic migration on November 17 is fine.

What Are the Current Limitations of Gemini Skills?

Google's help page lists a few:

• Scripts that need internet access are not supported.
• Reference files can only be added by uploading, not individually later.
• Updating files means re-uploading the whole skill.
• Skills work on mobile, the Mac app and the web, and the feature is still rolling out gradually.

None of these is a deal-breaker for the typical Gem, which is mostly instructions and a bit of context.

Frequently Asked Questions About Gemini Skills

Will my Gems stop working before November 17?

No. According to 9to5Google, Gems keep working until they are migrated.

Can I use Gemini skills with a work or school account?

Not yet. Google's help page says skills currently require a personal Google Account.

Can I use more than one skill at once?

Yes. Google's help page describes combining skills, and 9to5Google notes skills can be used together, unlike Gems.

What is the fastest way to back up a skill?

Use More and then Download under Settings and Skills to save it as a .zip file.

The shift from Gems to Gemini skills is less a loss than a reshuffle: the custom instructions you have written still matter, and skills make them easier to call and combine. Spend an afternoon moving your favorites over and you will be ready well before the deadline. For more hands-on guides and Google AI updates, including Gemini 3.8 Flash TTS voice design, browse our AI section.

Sources: Google Gemini Help: Create and manage skills for Gemini Apps — accessed September 29, 2026; 9to5Google: Gemini Gems are becoming skills — September 27, 2026; TechCrunch: Google is replacing Gemini's Gems with skills — September 28, 2026; Thurrott: Google Gemini's custom Gems are being replaced with skills — September 2026.