Google drops Gems for Skills, joining OpenAI and Anthropic in the shift to agent-ready prompt formats
Google is ditching Gems for Skills—adopting Anthropic's open standard and joining OpenAI in the shift to agent-ready prompt formats.

Why it matters
Google is replacing its proprietary Gems feature with Skills, a reusable prompt format based on an open standard from Anthropic. This standardization matters because it signals convergence around agent-compatible prompt structures across major AI platforms, lowering friction for builders and enterprises deploying multi-model workflows.
The key facts
5 to knowGems being phased out starting November 2026
Skills format based on Anthropic open standard
Skills invoked via '/' command or run automatically by Gemini
Existing Gems migrate automatically to Skills
Aligns Google with OpenAI and Anthropic on prompt standardization
The story so far
Earlier coverage of this storyline
- Google is killing off Gemini’s Gems in favor of ‘skills’TechCrunch AI
- This story
Go to the source
The Decoderthe-decoder.com
Publisher excerpt: Google is replacing Gems with "Skills" in Gemini chat. Skills are detailed, reusable prompts that users invoke by typing "/" or that Gemini runs automatically. The format is based on an open standard from Anthropic. Gems will be phased out starting in November, with existing ones migrating…