Google Workspace for Work: Sheets, Gmail and Gemini
Use the Google apps your team already has: a Google Sheets job tracker that totals itself, Gmail filters and checked AI drafts, Gemini in Gmail, and cited answers and briefings from your own documents.
Google Workspace for Work: Sheets, Gmail and Gemini is a free, hands-on AI course for office staff, owners and team leads at small businesses that run on Gmail, Google Sheets and Drive: 6 short modules (about 49 minutes in all) where you do each step yourself in a safe practice copy of Google Sheets, Gmail, Gemini and Gemini Notebook, which checks your work. No coding, no cost, and you can start without signing up.
Who it’s for: Office staff, owners and team leads at small businesses that run on Gmail, Google Sheets and Drive. A free Google account is enough to start.
Why this course
Most small teams already use Google Workspace, paid or free, and still lose hours to the same jobs: a job list nobody trusts because three people keep their own copy, an inbox sorted by hand, and long threads and documents someone has to read before every meeting.
This course starts with the spreadsheet everyone needs, built on real Google Sheets screens, then moves to Gmail and the Gemini features that summarize, draft and answer from your own files. Each module is a hands-on practice, then a checklist to do it in your own account.
What you’ll build
- Module 1: A Google Sheet called "Jobs, October" with eight jobs, a frozen header, a Status drop-down (Booked, Done, Invoiced, Paid), SUMIF totals for each status, a yellow highlight on every job that is done but not invoiced, and a saved "Crew A" filter view.
- Module 1 · Google Sheets · Beginner · ~15 min
Google Sheets: Build a Job Tracker That Totals Itself
Maria (made up) runs a six-person cleaning company. Jobs get finished every day, but invoices go out late because nobody can see which jobs are done and not yet billed. Every Friday she scrolls through texts and a paper list to work it out, and some jobs slip through.
- Module 2 · Gmail · Intermediate · ~8 min
Gmail Filters, Labels and AI Drafts With a Human Check
Make Gmail label every website quote request automatically, draft the reply with Help me write, and catch the made-up price before it's sent.
- Module 3 · Gmail + Gemini · Beginner · ~7 min
Gemini in Gmail: Summarize a Thread and Draft the Reply
Catch up on a long email thread in seconds with Summarize this email, ask Gemini what you owe, then write, refine and polish the reply with Help me write.
- Module 4 · Gemini Notebook · Beginner · ~7 min
NotebookLM (Now Gemini Notebook): Cited Answers and a Briefing from Your Docs
Create a notebook, add a PDF, a Google Doc from Drive and a web page as sources, ask a question and check its citations, save the answer to a note, and turn it all into a Briefing Doc.
- Module 5 · Gemini Notebook · Beginner · ~6 min
NotebookLM Audio Overview: Turn Your Documents into a Podcast
Paste a new hire handbook and meeting notes into a notebook, customize an Audio Overview for two new accountants, listen, join the conversation with Interactive mode, and share it with the new hires.
- Module 6 · Gemini · Beginner · ~6 min
Gemini Deep Research: a cited brief before a client meeting
Ask Gemini Deep Research to research a prospect's industry, read its plan before it starts, then check where the key numbers really came from.
Prerequisites
- For the practice: a web browser. Each module runs in a copy of the real tool’s screens, so you need no account and no sign-up to start module 1.
- To do it for real: a free Google account. Each module says which one it uses.
Time to complete
About 49 minutes of hands-on practice across 6 modules (134 steps in all). Modules take 6 to 15 minutes each, so you can do one in a sitting and come back for the next.
Take it with you
Google Sheets job tracker cheat sheet: the settings and words from this course on one printable page. Read it online · Download the PDF
Glossary
Questions about this course
Is Google Workspace for Work: Sheets, Gmail and Gemini free?
Yes. All 6 modules of Google Workspace for Work: Sheets, Gmail and Gemini are free, and you can start module 1 without signing up.
How long does Google Workspace for Work: Sheets, Gmail and Gemini take?
About 49 minutes of hands-on practice across 6 modules, beginner to intermediate. Each module takes 6 to 15 minutes, so you can do one at a time.
Which tools will I practice in?
Google Sheets, Gmail, Gemini and Gemini Notebook. You practice in a copy of each tool's real screens that checks every step, so nothing touches your real accounts, and no coding is needed.
Who is Google Workspace for Work: Sheets, Gmail and Gemini for?
Office staff, owners and team leads at small businesses that run on Gmail, Google Sheets and Drive. A free Google account is enough to start.
Where do I start?
Start with module 1, Google Sheets: Build a Job Tracker That Totals Itself. The modules are in order, so each one builds on the last.
Do I need a paid Google Workspace plan for this course?
No. The Google Sheets and Gmail filter modules work with a free Google account. Gemini features in Gmail and Gemini Notebook depend on your account and plan; each module says what it needs.
Will the practice change my Google account?
No. Each practice is a click-through copy that checks your work and never touches your account. Every module ends with a checklist to do it for real.
What do I need before I start Google Workspace for Work: Sheets, Gmail and Gemini?
Only a web browser for the practice: it runs in a copy of each tool's screens, so you need no account and no sign-up to start module 1. To repeat a module in your own tools afterwards, the modules list a free Google account.