Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google.

ZDNET’s key takeaways

• Google has added new Gemini tools to Sheets, Docs, and Slides.
• Gemini can access your Gmail, Drive, and more for relevant info.
• You can create entire spreadsheets or documents with a prompt.

If you’ve ever struggled with starting a letter or a presentation, Google has a little help coming your way courtesy of Gemini.

Google is introducing several new Gemini integrations across Docs, Slides, Sheets, and Drive, the most notable of which is aimed at helping you create projects from the beginning. Gemini already exists in Google’s productivity offerings, but now it can access your email, your Drive, and other documents and use those to craft entire spreadsheets in Sheets, presentations in Slides, or documents in Docs, the company said Tuesday.

Also: I tested Google Docs’ new AI audio summaries, and they’re a massive time-saver

You can tell Gemini what sources you’d like it to access (it won’t access unless you specifically request), and when it creates something, you’ll see notations of what it actually used. 

Here’s a look at what’s new with Gemini. 

What’s new with Gemini in Sheets

Perhaps the most useful change is coming to Sheets.

Before, you could ask Gemini to create a table or formula, fix formatting, and look for data entry errors. But now, you can ask it to create an entire spreadsheet. Google explained that you can just tell Gemini what you’re working on, like “Help me organize my upcoming move by making a checklist for packing each room, a contact list for utilities in my new city, and a spreadsheet to track moving company quotes from my email inbox.”

Gemini will craft an entire spreadsheet based on your request, pulling relevant information from your Gmail and Drive files.

In addition, Gemini can also make changes to an existing spreadsheet, adding tables or dashboards, and enter data on a sheet with “Fill with Gemini.” With the latter, you can categorize data or summarize data with information from Google Search. For example, Google said, you might ask Gemini to help track college applications, and it will fill in data like the due date, tuition, and more.

What’s new with Gemini in Docs

Gemini can already refine your writing in Docs, but now you get even more personalized help. You can describe what you want, and Gemini will use contextual information to create a draft, like, “Put together a newsletter for my neighborhood based on the last HOA meeting notes in my email.”

Also: Stop using Google Docs like a beginner: 10+ useful tricks to boost your productivity

You can also ask Gemini’s new “Match writing style” option to refine a document so that every part fits your tone and voice or aligns with the style of a reference document. 

What’s new with Gemini in Slides

Slides is also getting the ability to create a new project from the ground up with Gemini, but Google said that feature is coming soon. When it does arrive, you can create full layouts, editable diagrams, or entire presentations from a prompt. 

Also: I tested Google Docs’ new AI audio summaries, and they’re a massive time-saver 

Right now, you’re getting the ability to ask Gemini to create a new slide in your deck that fits your overall theme and pulls relevant information from your files, emails, and the web, and you can ask Gemini to edit a single slide with queries like “make this match the colors of every other slide” or “make this less flashy.”

What’s new with Gemini in Drive

Drive is also getting a little love, adding the ability for you to get instant answers about your files or get a better understanding of your documents. Google said you can now use AI Overview at the top of your Drive to see a summary of relevant information or ask a complex question like,”What specific things should my tax advisor know before I file this year’s tax returns?” 

These features are rolling out slowly, starting with Google AI Ultra and Pro subscribers and Workspace users.