Google adds AI 'Skills' to Chrome for reusable prompts

Google announced on Tuesday that it is adding more artificial intelligence capabilities to its Chrome web browser. As part of this update, the company is introducing a new feature called Skills. This feature will allow users to save and reuse their favorite AI prompts, which can then run across different web pages without requiring the user to type them in again.

The new feature integrates with Gemini, which is Google’s AI model, inside the Chrome browser. The rollout of Skills arrives as Google competes directly with other browser-based AI offerings. Competitors in this browser ecosystem include OpenAI, Perplexity, and The Browser Company, all of which are vying for users’ attention with their own AI integrations. By allowing users to save prompts that can run across different web pages, Google is positioning Chrome to handle more persistent, personalized AI tasks.

To use the feature, users can save an AI prompt as a Skill directly from their chat history. Once saved, the Skill can be triggered in Gemini in Chrome by typing a forward slash ( / ) or clicking the plus sign ( + ) button. The Skill then runs on the active web page, as well as any other selected tabs. These saved Skills can also be edited at any time. Additionally, Google is launching a Skills library containing pre-programmed workflows for common tasks in areas such as productivity, shopping, recipes, and budgeting, which users can add and customize.

During testing, Google found that early adopters utilized Skills for health and wellness tasks, such as calculating protein macros in recipes, as well as for comparing shopping options and summarizing long documents. Similar to other Gemini actions in Chrome, the feature will require user confirmation before executing certain actions, such as sending an email or adding an event to a calendar.

The Skills feature begins rolling out today to Chrome desktop users who are signed into their Google accounts. However, the feature is subject to a strict language constraint at launch. Google has asserted that the feature will initially work only if the user’s Chrome browser language is set to English (US).

Why it matters

Google’s introduction of ‘Skills’ aims to reduce friction in AI-assisted workflows by eliminating the need to repeatedly type out prompts. This marks a shift toward more persistent, personalized AI interactions directly within the browser.