Google has integrated Gemini AI into Google Sheets, which lets you handle and organize your data using simple prompts. This integration is part of a suite of AI tools within Google services like Gmail, Docs, and Slides. It’s really changing how we work with spreadsheets.
Gemini in Sheets can help you create tables, generate formulas, and tackle other tasks easily. This guide will show you how to use Gemini within Google Sheets to boost your productivity.
Before we get started, you will need to have a Google account with a subscription to the Google One AI Premium Plan. Once that is set, open a new or existing Google Sheet.
Generating Data Using Gemini
Here’s how you can use Gemini to create data within your sheet:
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To begin, locate and click the ‘Help Me Organize’ button on the toolbar to activate Gemini.
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The ‘Help Me Organize’ panel should appear on the right side of your screen.
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Enter a prompt. For example, try something like “Create a marketing campaign material tracker for a new product launch” and then either hit ‘Create’ or press ‘Enter’.
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Gemini will generate data based on your prompt. You can then adjust this data to meet your specific needs.
Using Smart Fill Suggestions from Gemini
Gemini’s Smart Fill is a great tool that provides suggestions as you enter data, predicting what comes next based on existing patterns. Here is how to use it.
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First, enable smart fill by going to ‘Tools’ menu and selecting ‘Auto-Complete’ to open the smart fill settings.
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Make sure ‘Enable Enhanced Smart Fill Suggestions’ is checked. If it’s not, click on it to enable the feature.
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Now, start filling out your sheet. For example, create a table reviewing various restaurants with a star-rating system.
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After you’ve inputted some initial ratings, Gemini’s Smart Fill will start to suggest ratings for other entries based on the established pattern.
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You can then choose to either accept the suggestions or ignore them as you continue to input data.
Note: At the moment, Gemini Smart Fill is only compatible with English text values, needing at least three example rows and two columns of text data. Dates and numbers are not currently supported.
Summarizing Spreadsheets Using Gemini
Gemini can also summarize your spreadsheet data quickly, which saves you time and effort.
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In the ‘Help Me Organize’ panel, type a prompt like “summarize this spreadsheet” and press ‘Enter’.
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Gemini will then take a moment to generate a summary of the data, depending on the size of your sheet.
Creating Tables Using Gemini
You can also create tables using prompts. This simplifies how you organize your data.
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Open the Gemini side panel by clicking on the ‘Help Me Organize’ button.
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Then, input a prompt such as “create a table for a full day team event” and click ‘Create’ or press ‘Enter’.
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Gemini will then generate a table based on the prompt, and you can customize as needed.
Generating Formulas Using Gemini
Lastly, Gemini can assist you with creating formulas, making complex calculations easier.
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Open the Gemini panel by clicking on the ‘Help Me Organize’ button.
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Next, enter a prompt. For example, try “create a formula to find cell C1 in range D:G and output value in column G”, then click ‘Create’.
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Gemini will provide the formula.
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After selecting a cell, click ‘Insert’ when prompted to add the formula to your spreadsheet.
Note: With all these methods, you can generate multiple versions and adjust the outputs until they meet your needs.