Guide
Move your Gem to a skill
Gems on personal accounts turn into skills automatically on November 17, 2026, and the original Gems are removed on December 17, 2026. Gems on work accounts last until at least March 1, 2027, and Gems on school accounts until at least June 1, 2027.
If you'd also like your Gem as a portable SKILL.md that works in Grok Bot, Muse or Dots, and can run on a schedule, this guide shows you how. It takes about 15 minutes per Gem. BotPlaza is an independent catalog, not affiliated with Google.
What carries over and what doesn't
| Part of your Gem | Moves to a skill? | How |
|---|---|---|
| Instructions | Yes | Copy them by hand into the skill's Steps and Boundaries. |
| Starter prompts | Yes | Conversation starters go in the "When to use" list. |
| Knowledge files | Yes, by hand | Put the files in a references/ folder next to SKILL.md, and list them in the skill. |
| Name and description | Yes | They become the skill's front matter. |
| Connections to other services | Rebuild them | Use a connector or app in your target assistant, if one exists for that service. |
The automatic conversion on November 17 applies to personal accounts only. Whatever it produces, save your own copy of the instructions and files first, so you have everything in one place if you want to move.
If you're also moving a custom GPT, note that GPT custom actions (API calls) don't carry over either. The same fix applies: replace each one with a connector in your assistant where one exists. See Move your custom GPT to a skill.
Step by step
1. Copy what your Gem knows
Open your Gem's settings and copy these into a note:
- The full instructions text.
- Any starter prompts you use to open it. These go in the "When to use" list.
- The knowledge files. Download them and put them in a
references/folder next to SKILL.md. - Any service it relied on, described in one line ("reads my calendar", "checks a shared doc").
Personal accounts: do this before December 17, 2026.
2. Turn it into a SKILL.md
A skill is one Markdown file with a short header. Paste your Gem's pieces into this template and fill in the angle brackets:
---
name: <short-name-with-dashes>
description: Use when <the requests this skill should handle>. Produces <what the user gets>.
metadata:
version: "1.0.0"
---
# <Skill name>
## What it does
<One or two sentences on the outcome. Start from your Gem's description.>
## When to use
- <Starter prompt 1>
- <Starter prompt 2>
- Not for: <requests it should leave alone>
## Inputs
- <What the user provides, with a sensible default>
- Knowledge files: files in references/, next to SKILL.md
## Steps
1. <First thing to do. Move your Gem's instructions here, one action per step.>
2. <Where it needs another service: "Use the connected <service> app to ...", or "Ask the user for ...">
3. <How to finish>
## Output format
<The shape of the answer: headings, a table, a short list, length limit.>
## Boundaries
- Read-only unless the user approves a change.
- Never send, post or buy anything without asking first.
- <Anything your Gem was told never to do>Write the description as "Use when ...", because that's how assistants decide to pick the skill up. Keep each step to one clear action, so it's easy to adjust later.
3. Add a schedule, if it should run on its own
If you opened your Gem at the same time every day or week, let the skill do that for you. Add a line under the title:
## Schedule
Daily, 7:00 AM. Deliver the result in chat.Then set the schedule in your assistant when you install it. Grok Bot uses routines, and Dots supports scheduled check-ins. Scheduling in Muse isn't confirmed yet, so there you run the skill on demand.
4. Install it
Paste the SKILL.md into your assistant and ask it to save the skill. The steps for Grok Bot, Muse, and Dots are on each skill page, such as Morning Newspaper.
Two assistants also take the file directly:
- ChatGPT Skills: upload the skill zip on Business, Enterprise, Edu, and Healthcare plans.
- Gemini: upload a SKILL.md or a zip, on personal accounts for people 18 and older.
If a ready-made skill already does the job, start from one below, such as Research Brief.
Or start from a ready-made skill
Many Gems do jobs that already have a skill on BotPlaza. Install one of these, then copy your favourite instructions into its Steps or Boundaries.
| If your Gem was a ... | Start from |
|---|---|
| Research helper Gem | Research Brief |
| Fact-checker Gem | Source Check |
| Morning briefing Gem | Morning Newspaper |
| Email summary Gem | Inbox Digest |
| Meeting prep Gem | Meeting Prep Brief |
| Weekly planning Gem | Weekly Planner |
| Reading list Gem | Reading Digest |
| Resume editor Gem | Tailored Resume |
| Cover letter Gem | Cover Letter from Template |
| Fitness coach Gem | Weekly Fitness Summary |
| Weekly meal planner Gem | Meal Plan & Grocery List |
| Money check-in Gem | Subscription Audit |
FAQ
My Gem is on a personal account. What happens to it?
It turns into a skill automatically on November 17, 2026, and the original Gem is removed on December 17, 2026. Save your instructions and files before then so you keep a copy you control.
My Gem is on a work or school account. How long do I have?
Work account Gems last until at least March 1, 2027, and school account Gems until at least June 1, 2027. There's no rush, but moving early lets you add a schedule now.
Do I need to know how to code?
No. A SKILL.md is plain text with a short header. If you can edit a document, you can write one.
Can I use the same skill in more than one assistant?
Yes. The same file works in Grok Bot, Muse, and Dots. ChatGPT Skills can take a zip upload on Business, Enterprise, Edu, and Healthcare plans. Gemini can take a SKILL.md or a zip on personal accounts for people 18 and older. Paste steps for Grok Bot, Muse, and Dots are on each skill page, such as Inbox Digest.