Getting Better Results from Gemini

Gemini's Style

Gemini prioritizes direct, grounded answers over verbose explanations. It's designed to be helpful without unnecessary elaboration. If you want more detailed or conversational responses, explicitly request them.

Place Critical Constraints at the END

This is key for Gemini: constraints placed at the end of prompts are honored more reliably than those at the beginning.

Less reliable:

"Keep this under 100 words. Write a product description for our new software..."

More reliable:

"Write a product description for our new software that helps teams collaborate remotely. It should highlight the video calling, document sharing, and project management features. Keep the description under 100 words."

Put your most important restrictions last.

Use Split-Step Verification

For accuracy on factual tasks, ask Gemini to verify before generating:

Step 1: "First, check if you have reliable information about [topic]. Tell me what you know and your confidence level."

Step 2: "Now, based on that information, write a summary for [audience]."

This two-step approach catches potential hallucinations before they end up in your final output.

Ground Gemini in Your Sources

When you provide documents or context, explicitly tell Gemini to use only that information:

"Based ONLY on the document I've provided above, answer these questions. If the answer isn't in the document, say 'Not found in the provided document' rather than guessing."

This prevents Gemini from mixing in information that might not be accurate for your specific situation.

Multi-Source Synthesis

When asking Gemini to analyze multiple documents or sources, place your question at the end:

"Here is Document A: [content]

Here is Document B: [content]

Here is Document C: [content]

Based on the entire content above, what are the common themes and key differences between these three proposals?"

This structure helps Gemini process all sources before attempting to answer.

Be Careful with Personas

Gemini takes assigned personas seriously. Avoid putting it in ambiguous or potentially problematic situations:

Good: "Write this from the perspective of a marketing professional."

Risky: "Pretend you're the customer and I'm trying to sell you something."

Keep personas professional and straightforward.

Request More Detail When Needed

Since Gemini tends toward concise responses, explicitly ask for more if you need it:

• "Provide a detailed explanation with examples"
• "Give me a comprehensive analysis, not just a summary"
• "Expand on each point with specific details"

Google Workspace Integration

Gemini integrates deeply with Google's productivity tools:

Gmail: Draft emails, summarize threads, suggest responses

Google Docs: Help write, edit, and format documents

Google Sheets: Analyze data, create formulas, generate insights

Google Slides: Create presentation outlines, suggest designs

If you're a Google Workspace user, enable Gemini in these apps for seamless workflow integration.

Use Clear, Direct Prompts

Gemini responds best to straightforward instructions without excessive hedging:

Less effective: "I was wondering if you could maybe help me think about some ideas for improving our website?"

More effective: "Give me 5 specific ways to improve our homepage conversion rate. Focus on above-the-fold content."

Direct prompts get direct, useful answers.

Upload Documents for Analysis

Gemini handles document analysis well:

• Upload PDFs for summarization or analysis
• Share spreadsheets for data insights
• Include screenshots for visual context
• Provide multiple documents for comparison

Example: "Here's our Q3 sales report. What are the three most important trends, and what should we do differently in Q4?"