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Multimodal model · Gemini

Prompt for Gemini

Gemini is at its best when you hand it a lot of material and a precise job to do with it.

  • Long context
  • Multimodal
  • System instructions
  • JSON output
01 — Overview

What Gemini rewards

Two things make Gemini prompts different in practice: the very large context window and native multimodal input. You can paste an entire specification, a transcript set or a codebase excerpt and ask for analysis across all of it, and you can mix images, audio and video into the same request.

With that much context, structure matters more than wording. Label your inputs, put the instruction after the material for long documents, and be explicit about what to do when the answer is not in the provided text. Google’s prompt design guidance covers the underlying strategies.

  • 01Very long context — whole documents, transcripts or repositories in one request.
  • 02Native image, audio and video understanding.
  • 03Reliable structured output when you specify a schema.
  • 04Available in AI Studio and Vertex AI with system instructions and tuning controls.
02 — Anatomy

A Gemini prompt that holds up on long inputs

  • System instruction Durable role, rules and refusal behaviour. Set once, reuse.
  • Labelled context Wrap each source in a clear delimiter with a name and date.
  • Task after context For long inputs, put the instruction last so it is not buried.
  • Grounding rule "Answer only from the provided documents; otherwise say not found."
  • Output schema Name the fields and types you want, or ask for JSON only.
  • Citations Require a document name and section for every claim.
03 — The prompts

5 prompts written for Gemini

Paste, then replace the [bracketed] parts. Keep the wording identical for anything you want repeated across a set.

Nothing matches that word. Clear the field to see every prompt.

Prompt 01

Long-document analysis with citations

Contracts, specs, research sets and report bundles.

  • long context
  • analysis
Template · plain text
SYSTEM INSTRUCTION
You are a careful analyst. You answer strictly from the documents provided. If something is not stated, you write "not found in the provided documents". You never infer intent or add outside knowledge.

DOCUMENTS
<doc id="1" name="[name]" date="[date]">
[paste full text]
</doc>
<doc id="2" name="[name]" date="[date]">
[paste full text]
</doc>

TASK
1. List every [obligation / requirement / finding] with the document id and section.
2. Flag contradictions between documents, quoting both sides (max 15 words each).
3. List the [dates / amounts / thresholds] as a table with the source for each.
4. Note what a reader would still need to ask, based only on gaps in these documents.

FORMAT
Markdown. Every bullet ends with (doc [id], [section]). No summary paragraph, no recommendations.
Prompt 02

Multimodal review of a screenshot or design

UI critique, accessibility passes and design QA.

  • multimodal
  • design
Template · plain text
[Attach the image or video]

You are a senior product designer reviewing the attached [screen / flow] for [audience] on [device].

WHAT THIS SCREEN MUST ACHIEVE: [primary user task]
CONSTRAINTS: [design system], [brand palette], [platform conventions]

REVIEW
1. Describe what you actually see, element by element, before judging anything.
2. Visual hierarchy: is the primary action obvious within two seconds? Say why.
3. Accessibility: contrast concerns, touch target sizes, text scaling, label clarity, focus order. Flag what needs manual testing rather than guessing.
4. Copy: anything ambiguous, jargon-heavy or too long.
5. Mobile fit: what breaks at 360px width.

FORMAT
Table with: issue, severity (blocking / should-fix / nit), where it is on screen, why it matters, suggested change. Then three things that already work well.
Prompt 03

Structured JSON extraction

Turning messy text into data you can pipe into a system.

  • json
  • extraction
Template · plain text
Extract structured data from the text below.

Return JSON only. No prose, no markdown fences, no explanation.

SCHEMA
{
  "items": [
    {
      "name": "string",
      "category": "one of: [a] | [b] | [c]",
      "quantity": "integer or null",
      "date": "YYYY-MM-DD or null",
      "source_quote": "string, max 20 words, verbatim",
      "confidence": "high | medium | low"
    }
  ],
  "unresolved": ["string, things that looked like items but were ambiguous"]
}

RULES
- Never invent values. Use null when the text does not say.
- source_quote must appear verbatim in the input.
- If nothing matches, return {"items": [], "unresolved": []}.

TEXT:
"""
[paste text]
"""
Prompt 04

Reusable system instruction

Standing setup for an assistant you use repeatedly.

  • system instruction
  • setup
Template · plain text
You are [role] for [organisation/product].

SCOPE
You help with [tasks]. You decline [out-of-scope requests] and say what you can help with instead.

KNOWLEDGE RULES
- Treat the documents I provide as the only source of truth about [our product/policies].
- If information is missing, say so and name what you would need.
- Never state a statistic, price or policy that I did not provide.

STYLE
- [Plain, direct, no filler openings]. Short paragraphs. Lists only when there is a real sequence.
- Reading level: [grade]. Define jargon on first use.
- [Language] spelling.

OUTPUT
- Default format: [Markdown with H2s].
- When I ask for data, return a table.
- End with "Needs verification:" plus a bullet list whenever any claim is uncertain.

BEHAVIOUR
- Ask up to two clarifying questions when the task is ambiguous, then proceed with stated assumptions.
- Never apologise repeatedly; correct and continue.
Prompt 05

Video or meeting recording summary

Working directly from an uploaded recording.

  • video
  • summary
Template · plain text
[Attach the video or audio file]

Analyse the attached recording of [what it is].

DELIVER
1. Timeline: timestamp ranges with a one-line description of each segment.
2. Decisions made, with who said them and the timestamp.
3. Action items: owner, task, due date if mentioned. Mark missing owners as "unassigned".
4. Open questions raised but not resolved.
5. Notable quotes: max 3, verbatim, under 20 words each, with timestamps.
6. For visual content: describe anything shown on screen that is not spoken.

RULES
- Only what is in the recording. No advice, no inferred causes.
- If audio is unclear at a point, write "inaudible" with the timestamp.
04 — Craft notes

What separates a good prompt from a wasted run

Do this 05

  • Label every pasted source with a name and date.
  • Put the instruction after the material on very long inputs.
  • Add an explicit "not found" rule to suppress guessing.
  • Specify a JSON schema when you need machine-readable output.
  • Use system instructions for rules you would otherwise retype.

Not this 05

  • Dumping ten documents with no delimiters or labels.
  • Assuming a long context means you can skip structure.
  • Asking for JSON and prose in the same response.
  • Relying on the model for facts outside the pasted material.
  • Ignoring that image and video answers still need human verification.
05 — Questions

Asked often, answered plainly

Where should the instruction go in a long prompt?

With large pasted material, put the instruction after it, or repeat it briefly at the end. Instructions sitting alone at the top of a 50-page paste are easy to lose track of.

How do I stop Gemini from adding outside knowledge?

State the grounding rule explicitly and give it an approved fallback phrase, then require a citation for each claim. Requiring a verbatim source quote is the most effective single constraint.

Can I mix images and text in one prompt?

Yes. Attach the media and reference it explicitly ("in the attached screenshot"). Asking the model to describe what it sees before evaluating reduces confident misreadings.

06 — Sources

Read the primary documentation

Vendors change flags, limits and defaults often. Where this site disagrees with official docs, the docs win.