In today’s fast-paced digital world, staying organized and efficient is more crucial than ever. Juggling multiple projects, files, and information can quickly become overwhelming. That’s why Google continues to innovate and enhance its Workspace tools, empowering users to work smarter, not harder. Following the successful rollout of Gemini in the Google Drive side panel, we’re thrilled to announce a significant update that will further revolutionize how you interact with your files: folder support for Gemini.

Since its initial release, Gemini in the Drive side panel has proven to be a valuable asset for users, providing quick summaries of documents, offering key insights into projects, and streamlining the way we interact with PDFs. Now, we’re taking it a step further by integrating folder support, giving you even more granular control over your Gemini conversations and unlocking new levels of productivity.

Introducing Folder-Focused Gemini Conversations

This exciting new feature allows you to direct Gemini’s powerful AI capabilities to a specific folder within your Google Drive. Imagine being able to instantly summarize all the documents within a project folder, quickly locate specific files, or even identify the overarching theme of the content within a given folder. With folder support, Gemini becomes your intelligent research assistant, readily available to provide the information you need, precisely when you need it.

How It Works: Simple and Intuitive

Interacting with Gemini using folders is designed to be seamless and intuitive. You can easily specify a folder using the familiar @-mention functionality. For example, you can type commands like:

• “Summarize files in @-project-alpha”
• “What is the theme of the content in @-marketing-campaign”
• “Find presentations in @-q4-reports”

Gemini will then focus its analysis and responses exclusively on the content within the designated folder. This targeted approach ensures that you receive the most relevant and accurate information, saving you valuable time and effort.

Beyond Summaries: Uncovering Deeper Insights

The benefits of folder support extend beyond simple summaries. Gemini can help you uncover deeper insights by analyzing the relationships between documents within a folder. For instance, you can ask Gemini to identify key trends, pinpoint potential gaps in your research, or even generate new ideas based on the combined information within a folder.

Supported File Types: Expanding the Possibilities

Gemini’s folder support currently works with a wide range of commonly used file types, including text documents, PDFs, spreadsheets, and presentations. This ensures that you can leverage Gemini’s capabilities across the majority of your Drive content.

Getting Started: Empowering Your Workflow

Accessing and utilizing folder support for Gemini is easy. Here’s how you can get started:

For Admins:

To enable Gemini in the side panel for your users, ensure that smart features and personalization are turned on in the Admin console. You can also set personalization as the default setting for your users.

For End Users:

There are several ways to initiate a Gemini conversation focused on a specific folder:

• Directly from the folder: Navigate to the desired folder in your Drive and click the “Summarize this folder” button. Alternatively, right-click the folder and select “Ask Gemini” from the context menu. You can also select a folder and click “Summarize this folder” in the selection toolbar.
• Using the side panel: If the Gemini side panel is already open, simply drag and drop the folder from your Drive into the panel, or @-mention the folder in the text box.
• Searching for a folder: When searching for a folder, look for the Gemini icon next to the folder in the search dropdown box. Clicking this icon will initiate a folder-focused conversation.

Rollout and Availability:

The rollout of folder support for Gemini will be gradual, taking up to 15 days for feature visibility on Rapid Release and Scheduled Release domains, starting on December 11, 2024. This feature is available to Google Workspace customers with the following add-ons: Gemini Business, Enterprise, Education, Education Premium, and Google One AI Premium.

Resources for Further Exploration:

To learn more about collaborating with Gemini in Google Drive, visit the Google Help Center: [Link to Google Help Center Article]. Admins can find more information about enabling smart features and personalization in the Google Workspace Admin Help Center: [Link to Google Workspace Admin Help Article].

The Future of Productivity:

The addition of folder support to Gemini in Google Drive represents another step forward in Google’s commitment to empowering users with AI-driven tools. By streamlining workflows, enhancing collaboration, and unlocking deeper insights, Gemini is transforming the way we work. We encourage you to explore this new feature and discover how it can revolutionize your productivity.