What a Gem holds, and where to copy it
| Part | Where it is | How to keep it |
|---|---|---|
| Name, description, instructions | Gems, then Edit next to the Gem | Copy and paste them. Google's own steps for moving a Gem by hand do the same |
| Knowledge files you uploaded | The Gem's editor, under Knowledge | Click each file, then Download. Google says files are downloaded one at a time |
| Files added from Google Drive | Your Drive | Google says a Gem uses the latest version of a Drive file, so the file is already in your Drive |
| Gemini tools (Canvas, Deep Research, Create video, Create music, Guided learning) | The Gem's settings | Note which ones it used: Google says they do not work with skills for now |
| Your chats with the Gem | Your Gemini activity | Google Takeout, My Activity, Gemini Apps |
Download the knowledge files
- On a computer, go to gemini.google.com, open the sidebar and click Gems (under More if you do not see it).
- Next to the Gem, click Edit.
- Under Knowledge, click a file to open it, then click Download at the top. Do the same for each file.
- Put the files in one folder. Google's steps name it like the skill: lowercase, with hyphens between words, such as sample-skill-name.
Google says some file types do not carry over when Gems turn into skills: audio, video, .doc, .xls and .ppt files, archives and GitHub files. On personal accounts, download them before December 17, 2026 (About the transition from Gems to skills).
Ask Google Takeout for your Gems data
Google's page on downloading Gemini data says Takeout's "Gemini" item holds your Gems data, and that your Gemini chats are under My Activity (Download your Gemini Apps data).
- Go to takeout.google.com, signed in to the account you use for Gemini, and choose Deselect all.
- Tick "Gemini" for your Gems data. For your chats, tick "My Activity", open "All activity data included", choose Deselect all, tick "Gemini Apps" and click OK.
- Choose Next step, pick how the archive reaches you, then Create export. Google says it can take from a few hours to a few days, and an emailed link works for 7 days.
Google's page does not describe the layout of the Gems data in the archive. Open it when it arrives, and keep the instructions you copied by hand as well.
What a skill accepts
- Plain-text files, PDFs and images. Binary files such as .docx, .doc and .xlsx are not supported.
- Up to 100 MB of files in all.
- A SKILL.md file in the main folder, and a skill name in lowercase with hyphens between words.
- To change a skill's files later, you upload the whole skill again.
All of these are from Google's page, Create and manage skills for Gemini Apps.
Keep it all in one backup
Pack your Gem with Skillcase: paste the name, description and instructions, add the files you downloaded and tick the Gemini tools the Gem used. You get one backup ZIP with every file exactly as it was, gem.json and a README; a skill for Gemini with SKILL.md at the top, where Word files are turned into text; and a skill for Claude and ChatGPT. Skillcase marks the files Google's move leaves out, and nothing is uploaded.
Pack your Gem before December 17
Paste your Gem's name, description and instructions, add its knowledge files, and download one backup that keeps every file, a skill for Gemini with Word files turned into text, and a skill for Claude and ChatGPT. Skillcase marks the files Google's move leaves out. Free, in your browser, and nothing is uploaded.
Questions
Is there an export button for a Gem?
Google's help pages describe none. They describe copying the name, description and instructions from the Gem's editor, downloading each knowledge file, and Google Takeout's "Gemini" item for your Gems data.
Can I download all of a Gem's files at once?
Google says that to move files by hand you download them one at a time; you can then upload them all at once to a skill.
Until when can I download a Gem's files?
On personal accounts, until December 17, 2026, Google says. After that the Gems and their files are no longer available in Gemini Apps.
Sources: Google: About the transition from Gems to skills; Google: Use Gems in Gemini Apps; Google: Download your Gemini Apps data; Google: Create and manage skills for Gemini Apps. Last checked: October 27, 2026. Skillcase is an independent tool by Peak Apps Studio and is not affiliated with OpenAI, Anthropic, Google or Ollama.