How to Use Gemini in Google Slides: Slides, Images and Edits

Pitch decks, training slides, a client update that has to be ready by Friday. Slides are one of those jobs that take twice as long as they should, because the thinking and the layout happen at the same time. Gemini in Google Slides tries to take some of the layout and first-draft work off your plate.

Here's how to open it, how to ask for a slide or an image, and the limits Google lists on its help pages, including one that catches people out: some of the slide tools are English only.

Opening the Gemini side panel in a presentation

1. On your computer, open a presentation in Google Slides.
2. Click Ask Gemini at the top right.
3. Pick a suggested prompt or type your own, then press Enter.

Google's help says the side panel can generate images, generate new slides, summarise a presentation, write or rewrite content, and reference your Drive files. You'll need an eligible Google Workspace or Google AI plan, and personal accounts may be able to try it through Workspace Experiments. Check which accounts include it on Google's help page before you plan a project around it.

Asking Gemini in Google Slides for a single new slide

Google has a dedicated way to make one slide at a time. Here's the sequence its help describes:

1. Open the presentation and click Ask Gemini.
2. Describe the slide you want.
3. Optional: choose Match a presentation style, then Add from Drive, to borrow the look of another deck.
4. When the preview appears, choose Insert to add it as a new slide, or Replace to swap the selected slide.

The catch is in the small print. Google says this slide generator works on desktop only, supports English only, and creates only one slide at a time. So it's a good fit for a single awkward slide, such as a service explainer or a team intro, rather than a whole deck.

Editing a slide you already have with Gemini in Google Slides

You can also describe a change to an existing slide, such as its design or its content. A preview appears, and you choose whether to insert it as a new slide, replace the selected one, or close it. If the first go isn't right, click Ask Gemini again with a tighter instruction. Because you can keep the original, this is a low-risk way to experiment.

To start a fresh conversation, Google says to open More options and click Clear history. Otherwise, earlier prompts may colour what comes next.

Making pictures with Gemini in Google Slides

1. Click the slide where the picture should go.
2. Go to Insert, then Help me visualize, then Image.
3. Enter a prompt in the right-hand panel.
4. Optional: add a style or choose an aspect ratio.
5. Click Create, click the result to preview it, then click Insert.

Google's prompting tips are simple. Avoid figurative language, and describe the subject, the setting, the distance to the subject, the materials and the background. 'A ceramic coffee mug on a pale wooden table, seen from close up, soft window light' beats 'a cosy morning vibe'.

There are rules. Google says generated images are for use only within Google Slides and Google Vids, and they may be inaccurate or not reflect real-world situations. Don't use a generated picture to show a real product, a real person or a real result you can't back up. My guide to AI images for business goes deeper on using generated pictures sensibly.

Pulling in your Drive files as slide sources

Gemini in Slides can reference your Drive files while it writes or builds a new slide. Typing @ lets you pick a file, and Google's Docs help mentions typing @ followed by a presentation name to match a deck's style. That means you can feed it last quarter's report and ask for a summary slide. As ever, read the result against the source.

Limits of Gemini in Google Slides to keep in mind

• Conversation history is lost if you refresh the browser, close and reopen the presentation, or go offline.
• For web answers, include a phrase such as 'Use Google Search' in your prompt.
• You can only create calendar events on your primary calendar.
• Conversations with Gemini in Slides aren't saved to Gemini Apps Activity.
• Some Gems aren't supported in every language.
• Gemini may suggest inaccurate or inappropriate information, so don't rely on it as medical, legal, financial or other professional advice.

If you give feedback with the thumbs up or thumbs down, don't include personal, confidential or sensitive data, because people may read it.

Using Gemini in Google Slides for everyday business decks

• Build a first-pass slide for a new service and rewrite it in your own words.
• Summarise a long presentation into a short brief for a colleague.
• Generate a simple illustration for a training slide.
• Match the style of your best existing deck for a new proposal.
• Tighten wordy slides before a client call.

Don't paste confidential client data into a deck you'll share. For help picking the right AI jobs for your business, see my work as an AI consultant, or start with my first-week guide to Gemini.

Gemini in Google Slides versus Google Vids

Google's image help covers both Slides and Vids, and the image steps differ slightly: in Vids you go to Insert, then Generate an image. If your deck is turning into a video, that's a different product. Everything above is about Slides.

Frequently asked questions

How do I use Gemini in Google Slides?

Open a presentation on a computer, click Ask Gemini at the top right, then type a prompt or pick a suggestion in the side panel.

Can Gemini make a whole presentation?

Google's slide generator makes one slide at a time and is English only on desktop. Google's help also lists a separate presentation feature, so check its page for what your account offers.

How do I make an image with Gemini in Slides?

Go to Insert, then Help me visualize, then Image, enter a prompt, click Create, then Insert from the preview.

Can I use Gemini's images outside Slides?

Google says generated images are for use only within Google Slides and Google Vids.

Does Gemini remember my chat in Slides?

No. Google says history is lost if you refresh, close and reopen the presentation, or go offline.