Learn how to use sources with Google Workspace with Gemini

When you use Gemini in Workspace apps like Docs and Drive, you use sources to tell Gemini exactly which information to use in its response.

Sources are files, documents, or contextual info that Gemini uses to provide more relevant and focused answers to your prompts.

With sources, Gemini can:

• Find information: Get tailored responses or ask for data points found in your files.
• Summarize documents: Get a summary or extract key points from a file you have as a source.
• Compare facts between files: Use multiple source files to compare data, insights, or findings across them.

Understand your sources

When you interact with Gemini, you can manage the content that it can access to inform its response. You can:

• Add a source from Drive
• Manage source settings 
• Use cell ranges as a source in Sheets

Add a source from Drive

You can add specific files in Drive when you want Gemini to prioritize these files before it consults other options. When you add a source, it remains active for your entire conversation, providing consistent context for Gemini's responses.

To add a source in Docs:

1. At the top right corner, click Ask Gemini .
2. At the bottom of the panel, click Add sources .
3. Click Add from Drive.
4. Select a file.
5. Click Add.

To add a source in Drive or Slides:

1. At the top right corner, click Ask Gemini .
2. At the bottom of the panel, click Add sources .
3. Select a file.
4. Click Add.

What you can add as a source

• Google Docs
• Google Sheets
• Google Slides
• PDFs

Tips:

• To add a file, you need permission to view it. You can only use files you have permission to view in Drive as sources. If you don’t have access to the file, you get this alert: “You need access to some files.” Learn how to get permission to open a file or folder.
• Before you can add a PDF as a source, upload it to Drive. Learn how to upload files and folders to Google Drive.

Manage source settings

Important:

• Gemini only searches the sources you have enabled, but uses your data and activity from across Workspace apps to prioritize the most relevant information from those sources. Some sources are on by default, and you can disable them in your source settings at any time.
• Gemini can reference sources from a previous turn in your current conversation. To exclude a source you had previously included, start a new conversation and go to your source settings to select the sources you want.

You can select the locations that Gemini uses to proactively search for content related to your prompt. To manage source settings, you need one of the following:

• A personal Google Account: 
  • Google AI Pro
  • Google AI Ultra
  • Google Workspace Experiments
• A work or school account: 
  • You need an eligible Google Workspace plan with access to Gemini Alpha. Your administrator controls access to Gemini Alpha. If you can't find this feature, your administrator may not have Alpha features enabled for your organization.

To manage source settings in Docs and Slides:

1. At the top right corner, click Ask Gemini .
   • In Docs, you can also add sources from the bottom bar.
2. Click Add sources .
3. Turn specific search locations on or off:
   • Drive search
   • Gmail search
   • Chat search
   • Web search

To manage source settings in Drive:

1. At the top right corner, click Ask Gemini .
2. Click Add.
3. In the left panel, click Search settings.
4. Turn specific search locations on or off:
   • Drive search
   • Gmail search
   • Chat search
   • Calendar search
   • Web search

Use cell ranges as a source in Sheets

In Sheets, if you want Gemini to use a specific range or table in the file instead of the entire sheet:

1. Highlight the cell range in your sheet.
2. Ask Gemini a question that references the range.

Tip: Cell ranges are only for the sheet tab you are currently on.

Check sources that contribute to Gemini’s response

After Gemini generates a response, you can review a list of the files that contributed to its answer. Below the response from Gemini, select Sources to find the list of sources.

For all requests that you make to Gemini, there’s a limited processing capacity, often referred to as a context window. If you have too many sources, or include sources with too much text, they may exceed this capacity. In these cases, Gemini might base its response on some, but not all, of the content.

Even when Gemini shows sources, it can still get things wrong. For example:

• Gemini might miss a source it used, or it may cite a document that is not directly used for a specific piece of information.
• In some cases, Gemini can make up a source, presenting it as factual even if it wasn't part of the request.

Make sure to double-check the response and verify information with the listed sources, and with other sources you trust, before you rely on the generated content.

Get more help with sources in Docs, Drive & more

To get instructions for how to use Gemini and sources in Docs, Drive, and other Workspace apps that support sources, visit:

• Collaborate with Gemini in Docs
• Collaborate with Gemini in Sheets
• Collaborate with Gemini in Slides
• Get insights about your files & folders with Gemini (Google Drive)
• Use Gemini in Drive for research & analysis
• Write & edit with Gemini in Google Docs
• Generate a slide with Gemini in Google Slides