One would think that you can talk to Gemini (or any other AI chatbot) like a friend and instantly get the answers you want. But to truly get the most out of an artificial intelligence machine, you have to give it all the help you can. This is where the art and method of prompting come in. The official Google Workspace prompt guide can help elevate your productivity using Gemini for Workspace. The free handbook was released at the Google Cloud Next 2024 event.

Start by downloading the Gemini for Google Workspace Prompt Guide in PDF format.

A look inside the prompting guide

Within its 45 pages, the Gemini for Google Workspace Guide (April 2024 edition) helps you learn the basics of writing prompts that make Gemini work better. It teaches you to break big tasks into smaller steps so you can clearly tell Gemini what to do.

The guide covers different use cases for different types of people in an organization, examples of how to use it within Google Workspace apps, and sample prompts for everyday tasks done by executives, founders, and workers in sales, marketing, customer service, managing projects, and human resources.

Credit: Cloud.google.com

Prompting 101 covers these roles within an organization:

• Customer service

• Executives and entrepreneurs

• Human resources

• Marketing

• Project management

• Sales

It’s useful to remember this takeaway from the experts behind Gemini before you start practicing the prompts:

You will likely need to try a few different approaches for your prompt if you don’t get your desired outcome the first time. Based on what we have learned during our Workspace Labs program, the most successful prompts average around 21 words, yet prompts people often try without knowing this are short—usually less than nine words.

Every prompt has four main pillars that can make it easier for LLMs like Gemini to understand your query.

Persona: Give the AI a role that matches your own.

Task: Tell Gemini what it needs to do.

Context: Give as much background as you can about the outcome.

Format: Tell Gemini how to structure the answer—word count, bullet points, numbered lists, paragraphs, tables etc.

Tip: This framework works similarly across all AI chatbots like ChatGPT. You don’t need all four for the AI to work, but including them as much as possible can give more precise results.

Next, you can jump straight to the section that best matches your current role. But do look at the others, too, because it can give an idea of different prompt styles that help you collaborate better with Gemini in any situation.

Use the guide as a primer for more advanced prompts

AI prompting in Gemini or other tools is all about natural conversations (“Make it a conversation,” as the guide says). You don’t need to end the chat there. The guide stresses that you should iterate on the basic prompt. Each successive chat gives Gemini a chance to get more context and fine tune the answer.

Here are a few more tips from the guide to help you master the finer points of the instructions.

• Break up related tasks into several prompts.

• Continue to build on the initial prompt and fine tune the generated response.

• Give Gemini a few constraints (like word count) for precise results.

• Use the scenarios as inspiration for how you can collaborate with Gemini for Workspace.

• Force Gemini to work harder for you by asking questions like, “What questions do you have for me that would help you provide the best output?”

• Tailor your prompts for a specific tone in the answers like formal, informal, technical, creative, or casual.

This Prompting 101 guide will benefit beginners to Gemini the most. Keep it open on your taskbar the next time you use any Google Workplace app.