How to Use Gemini in the Google Docs Side Panel to Draft and Edit

Google Docs ships with a Gemini side panel for accounts that have the feature enabled. It can draft new sections, rewrite what you select, and answer questions about the document. This guide shows how to open it and use it for real editing tasks.

• A Google account with Gemini in Workspace enabled
• A Google Doc you are editing
• A modern browser
• About 6 minutes

Step 1: Open the Gemini side panel

Open your document and look at the top right of the toolbar for the Gemini spark icon, sometimes labeled Ask Gemini. Click it and a panel slides in from the right with a prompt box at the bottom.

Step 2: Generate a first draft

Type what you want into the panel prompt. Be specific about format and length. Gemini drafts into the panel, and an Insert button drops the text at your cursor.

Step 3: Rewrite a selection

Highlight a paragraph first, then ask the panel to rewrite it. Selecting text gives Gemini the exact context, so requests like make this more concise or change the tone to friendly land on the right words.

Rewrite the selected text in a warmer tone.
Shorten this paragraph to two sentences.
Summarize this document in 5 bullet points.
List any open questions raised in this doc.

Step 4: Ask questions about the document

The panel can read the whole doc. Ask it to summarize, find action items, or check whether a topic is covered. Because it answers from the live document, the response reflects your latest edits.

Result: you can draft, rewrite, and interrogate a document from one panel. Keep prompts specific and review every insertion before you keep it.