Lesson 1: Gemini in Workspace on One Page

One word, four products

A user raises a ticket: "Gemini isn't working." Before you check anything, find out which Gemini they mean. A Workspace user can meet at least four separate Gemini surfaces. Each has its own licence, switch and settings page, and they fail in different ways. It's like a user saying "the printer is broken" in a building with four printers on four print servers. You go and find out which printer first.

About this course. This course is independent. Google has not produced or endorsed it. We don't copy Google's documentation. We teach you how to read it. Every console path, privilege and limit here is labelled with the date it was checked against Google's own help pages. This lesson was checked on 3 November 2026. Google moves these screens often, so check again before you quote any of them to a user.

The map

Two recent changes, both from Google's own Workspace Updates blog:

• NotebookLM became Gemini Notebook on 16 July 2026. The old links still redirect. Users will keep saying "NotebookLM" for years, so translate for them in your tickets.
• Gemini Enterprise controls moved into the Workspace Admin console on 17 April 2026. Before that, they sat on a card inside the Google Cloud Platform app. Any runbook written before then sends you to the wrong place.

Gotcha: Each surface has its own switch. Turning off Gemini in Gmail doesn't turn off the Gemini app, and turning off the Gemini app doesn't turn off the Gmail side panel. Google's help pages also note that when Gemini is off in one app, Gemini in another app may still reach that app's data. Always check the switch for the surface the user actually means.

The chain that decides whether a feature appears

For any surface, a feature appears only when every link in this chain says yes. Work through it from the top, and stop at the first link that says no:

USER  (which account? managed Workspace account or a personal Gmail account?)
  |
  v
EDITION / LICENCE   Admin console > Directory > Users > [user] > Licences
  |                 Does the user's edition (or a purchased add-on or
  |                 Gemini Enterprise licence) include this surface?
  v
SERVICE STATUS      Generative AI > [Gemini app | Gemini Notebook | Gemini Enterprise]
  |                 Is it On for this user's organisational unit or group?
  v
FEATURE SETTING     Generative AI > Gemini for Workspace > Feature access
  |                 Is Gemini on for this specific app (Gmail, Docs, Meet ...)?
  v
USER SETTING        The user's own smart features and personalisation
                    settings. Google's documentation says these must be
                    on for Gemini to work in Workspace services.

The chain explains three things:

• A setting changed but nothing happened yet. Google says Gemini app changes take effect within 24 hours, and usually sooner. Wait before you assume the fix failed.
• Two users in the same team see different things. They can sit in different organisational units or configuration groups. Google's help pages say a group setting overrides an organisational unit setting.
• A personal account behaves differently from a work account. If the user is signed in with a personal Gmail account, none of your console settings apply to them.

Worked example: a ticket note

A user writes: "No Gemini button in Docs, but my colleague has one." Here's a first-line note that follows the chain using read-only checks:

Ticket 4471: Gemini side panel missing in Docs
Surface:        Gemini in Workspace apps (Docs side panel), NOT the Gemini app
Account:        user is signed in as j.patel@corp.example (managed account) - OK
Licence:        checked user's licences in Directory > Users - edition includes Gemini - OK
Feature access: Generative AI > Gemini for Workspace > Feature access
                Docs = Off for OU "Contractors"; user is in Contractors,
                colleague is in "Staff"  <-- FIRST 'NO' IN THE CHAIN
Path verified:  Google admin help, checked 2026-11-03
Next step:      policy is intentional and set tenant-wide; explain to user,
                refer to the policy owner if they need an exception

The note names the surface, records each check, marks the first link that says no, and dates the console path it relied on.

Labelling what you quote: GA, beta, alpha, unconfirmed

Google's admin help page "What are software testing phases and GA?" defines the release stages:

• Alpha: usually by invitation only, with no SLA and no technical support obligation. Use it in test environments only.
• Beta: open to wider testing, usually with limited support and no SLA unless the terms say otherwise. Google says betas last about six months on average.
• Generally available (GA): ready for production use and covered by an SLA where one applies.

When you quote a screen, a privilege or a limit to a user or a colleague, attach a label like this:

Gemini app history retention options: 3 / 18 / 36 months (default 18)
Status: GA | Source: Google admin help "Turn the Gemini app on or off" | Checked: 2026-11-03

If Google's page marks a feature as Beta or Alpha, write that down. If you can't find it on a current Google page, label it unconfirmed and don't promise it to the user.

Best practice: Keep a short internal page that lists each console path you rely on, with its source link and the date you last checked it. When a screen moves, you only fix it in one place.

Key takeaways

• "Gemini" can mean the Gemini app, Gemini in Workspace apps, Gemini Notebook (formerly NotebookLM) or Gemini Enterprise. Ask which one before you check anything.
• In November 2026, all four are controlled from the Admin console under Generative AI. Gemini Enterprise needs its own separately bought licence.
• Work through the chain from top to bottom: user > edition or licence > service status > feature setting > user setting. Stop at the first link that says no.
• Date every console path and limit you quote. Label each one GA, beta, alpha or unconfirmed, using Google's current help pages as your source.