[Practical Guide] Streamline Your Work with the Google Workspace Side Panel

Hello, this is the official note editorial department for Google's AI, Gemini.

From AI that 'answers' to AI that 'executes autonomously.' How Agentic AI is changing the way we workIn that article, we introduced the major trend of evolving from AI assistants to 'autonomous agents.'

This time, we are delivering apractical guide that answers the question, 'So, how do I actually use it?'to you.

We will introducespecific prompts you can try immediately and a demonstration of autonomously operating agentsusing various Gemini features, including the side panel in each Google Workspace app.

*Gemini's responses are not always correct. Please verify the accuracy of the results yourself when using Gemini.

1. Sheets: Canvas has finally arrived! Generate mini-apps just by giving instructions

With the latest update to Google Sheets, you can now create and edit entire sheets using natural language, anduse 'Canvas' to create interactive screens like Kanban boards or dashboards from spreadsheet data.is now possible.

By simply giving the Gemini side panel a 1-2 line instruction like'Create a Kanban board to manage ongoing projects,' it can now automatically build a real-time, 'interactive mini-app' right before your eyes.has become possible.

The biggest advantage is that since this is created as a spreadsheet 'file',you can share it directly with all team members, allowing everyone to interact with it and view it together.point.

Previously, Gemini Canvas had the challenge of making it difficult to share deliverables with other members of the organization, but by running it on Sheets, that problem has been solved.

To use this feature, simply open the side panel of the spreadsheet where you want to create a dashboard (in this case, a task management sheet) and enter a prompt like the following.

You can check a sample of the spreadsheet (Kanban board) that Gemini actually automatically created this time fromthis sample spreadsheet.

Furthermore, a 'fill feature' that automatically inserts AI functions tailored to the context just by selecting cells, and a feature that converts messy text into table data in an instant have been added, making it possible to have an agent experience where it feels like the spreadsheet has 'hands' and moves on its own.

Now, from here on, we will introduce a practical example of streamlining work by linking Gemini across multiple apps, using the common daily task of 'follow-up work after events like internal study sessions' as a theme.

2. Slides: Automatically generate a 'summary slide' from notes in one go

For example, when holding an internal information sharing session, if you wanted to create a 'digest version' of the materials for review purposes, you previously had to manually structure the points onto each slide while looking back at your notes. With this update,

you can now specify files directly within Google Drive from the Google Slides side panel and have it assemble the entire presentation.is now possible. For example, suppose you have 'Design Study Session Notes' created in Google Docs saved in Google Drive. Just open a new slide, open the side panel, and enter a prompt like the following.

With just this,Gemini reads the context of the entire proposal and suggests a structure based on the number of slides in the side panel..

Once you confirm the proposed structure, you can automatically pour the text into all the slides at once with a single click of a button.

All that's left is to adjust the fine layout and design as needed, and your beautiful presentation material is complete. You don't have to worry about the content deviating from the original notes.

3. Forms: Automatically create a "survey" in seconds by feeding it your notes

Next is creating a survey form.

Previously, you had to launch Google Forms, think of what questions to include from scratch, and manually set up each question one by one, such as "satisfaction level" or "what went well."

With the new "Help me create a form" feature in Google Forms, Gemini automatically generates the most appropriate survey items for your theme based on your notesfor you.Open a new Google Forms creation screen and enter the following into the prompt input field that appears.

When you click the "Create" button, Gemini will determine the best options and question types for the workshop theme and build the survey form in an instant.

4. Gmail: Automatically create a "sharing email" using multiple files as context

Once the slides and survey form are ready, the final phase is sending a sharing email to the relevant parties (attendees and absentees).

Previously, this required back-and-forth work between apps: copying the links for the slides and the form, pasting them into a new email screen, and manually typing out a thank-you message.

This effort is greatly reduced now that Gmail's Help me writecan draft emails while referencing files in Google Drive and past interactions as context.

Open a new email composition screen in Gmail and enter the following prompt into Help me write.

Gemini will then read the key points from the notes in your Drive and create a professional email draft that organizes the information about the slides and the survey.

Furthermore, you can provide additional instructions to the drafted email, such as "make it a bit more polite" or "put the task list in bullet points."

Instead of writing the first email from scratch, you simply review the draft Gemini created and paste in links as neededto complete the entire follow-up process.

The human role is shifting from searching for and pasting information to reviewing and making decisions based on content.

Conclusion

Meeting notes, emails, management tables, report documents.

As Gemini understands the connections between information that was previously managed separately, misunderstandings within the team—like "Where is that document?" or "Who should I ask about this?"—will decrease.

Furthermore, Workspace data is never used to train Google's AI models without permission, and Gemini's responses are based only on information that you have permission to view.A design that can be used with peace of mind in an organizationis also an important point of Workspace Intelligence.

When scattered team information is connected through Gemini,each member's time can be spent on work only humans can do, such as thinking and discussing. Organizational productivity changes through such small accumulations.

Start by asking Gemini in the side panel for help with your familiar meeting minutes or management tables.

▶︎ Free Gemini App
▶︎ Google Workspace with Gemini (for businesses/teams)

※The features introduced here are mainly available in Google Workspace Business Standard plans or higher, or the Google AI Pro / Ultra plans. There is also a free trial period, so please take advantage of it.

※Some features are only available in environments where the Google Workspace language setting is set to "English" or where administrators have enabled specific early-access or alpha features from the Admin console. Please check the official Help Center for detailed setup instructions.