Deep Research

Use Gemini Deep Research to investigate a focused question, review the plan before it searches, and turn the report into a checked set of findings. This walkthrough uses public information, so you can begin without connecting your email or files.

Before you start

• A computer browser signed in at gemini.google.com with access to Deep Research. You must be aged 18 or over.
• One question with a clear audience, location and time period, plus three things the report must answer.
• Time to read the report and open its source links yourself. Generation may take several minutes or longer for complex topics.
• An available research request: Gemini limits daily requests and simultaneous research tasks. Paid Google AI Pro and Ultra plans have higher limits; follow the limit notice shown in your account.

Want to do it yourself?

Difficulty

6 out of 10

Estimated completion time

45–90 minutes, plus report generation

Skills you’ll need: Narrow a research question, review the proposed sources, and verify decision-critical claims against the linked evidence.

I’ll do it myselfI’d rather get help

How this helps your brand

Researching real visitor questions can help shape more useful website content. Checking the evidence and turning a finding into a specific page improvement connects the report to a customer decision.

1. 1

   Step 1: Narrow the question before starting

   “Research websites” is too broad to evaluate. A focused question might be: “What information do first-time visitors need on a Toronto dog-walking business website before requesting a callback?”

   Choose three outputs, such as common visitor questions, examples of useful page content, and a checklist for your draft. Add a time period if recent information matters. Ask for evidence and unresolved points, rather than asking Gemini to prove an opinion you already hold.

2. 2

   Step 2: Select Deep Research and choose the sources

   At gemini.google.com, open Add Files in the prompt box and choose Deep Research. Google Search is included as a source by default. If the Sources control is available, use it to confirm you are researching the public web for this exercise.

   Paste the prompt below and submit it. You do not need to connect Gmail or Drive for this walkthrough. Connecting those sources is a separate choice with its own account requirements.

3. 3

   Step 3: Read and correct the research plan

   Gemini creates a plan before producing the report. Read each part and check it against your actual question. Use Edit plan if it includes the wrong region, an unrelated audience or a topic you did not request.

   For the dog-walking example, a plan about running a national pet-care franchise has drifted too far. Ask it to focus on the information needed by local customers visiting a small business website. Start research only after the plan matches your scope.

   If Gemini shows a usage limit instead of starting, follow the notice about when access is available again. Save your prompt separately so you can resume later; repeated submissions do not remove a limit.

   Illustrated exampleCatch scope drift in the research plan

   Keep this scope in viewWhat do first-time visitors need before requesting a callback?

   Toronto · small dog-walking business · public web sources

   Research planIllustrative excerpt

   1. 01
      Find common questions from local customers. Matches the audience
   2. 02
      Remove the driftCompare national pet-care franchise models.

      Replace withFind page content that answers those visitor questions.
   3. 03
      Make a checklist for the website draft. Matches the requested output

   Start research after the plan matches all three requested outputs.

4. 4

   Step 4: Start research and read the completed report

   Click Start research. You can leave the chat while the work runs. When the report is ready, click Open and read it all the way through before using its conclusion.

   Note answers to your three original questions and anything the report could not establish. If most of it answers a different question, return to your original scope and ask a focused follow-up instead of trying to adapt irrelevant findings.

5. 5

   Step 5: Check the claims that would change your decision

   The report includes links to sources. Open at least three that support its most important findings. For each, check who published it, when it was written or updated, and whether it actually supports the sentence in the report.

   Distinguish evidence from interpretation. Several businesses using a booking form is an observation; a claim that every business needs the same form requires more support. Do not turn a small sample into a universal rule.

   If a link is broken, outdated or says something different, mark that finding unverified. Ask Gemini to explain the mismatch and find a better source, then open the replacement yourself. If evidence is still missing, leave the question open.

   Tip: Copy a questionable sentence into your follow-up and ask: “Which source supports this exact claim, and what part of that source supports it?”

   Illustrated exampleKeep the finding as narrow as the evidence

   Invented pages and excerpts for this example.

   Three source pages openedHow can a visitor enquire?

   • AWalker A · enquiry page
     Send your preferred days using our enquiry form.Form offered
   • BWalker B · contact page
     Request a callback using the form below.Form offered
   • CWalker C · contact page
     Call or email to arrange a first walk. No web form is available.Phone and email listed

   2/3

   Two of these three pages offer a form.

   This describes the sample you checked.

   Supported observation

   “Some businesses in this sample offer an enquiry form.”

   Unverified leap

   “Every dog-walking website needs a form.”

   Still open: Would a form help your visitors? That needs more evidence, such as testing the callback journey with a customer.

6. 6

   Step 6: Save the findings with their evidence

   In the report’s Canvas panel, choose Share & export, then Copy Contents to save a copy in your own notes. Keep the source links and add the date you checked them.

   Add your own short closing note: what the evidence supports, what remains uncertain, and the next action you will take. For the example, that might be adding a service-area section and testing whether a visitor can find it.

   Check the saved copy before closing the chat. Google says finding past research reports requires Keep Activity to be on; a separate saved copy lets you retain the findings without relying on chat history.

Research this question: [one focused question].

Audience: [who will use the findings]
Location or market: [relevant region, or say location is not relevant]
Time period: [dates or how recent the information needs to be]
The report must answer: [three specific questions]
Scope to exclude: [topics you do not need]

Use public web sources. Prefer original research, official documentation and first-party information where relevant. Show a research plan for me to review before starting. In the report, connect important claims to source links, include publication or update dates when available, distinguish facts from interpretations, and flag conflicting evidence or missing information. Finish with a short list of practical next steps and questions that remain unresolved.