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Google Opal is an experimental, no-code tool for turning a plain-language idea into an editable, shareable AI mini-app. You can build a workflow with prompts, model calls, and tools, then refine it in a visual editor. But Opal is temporary: Google says Opal and Gems made by Labs will turn off on November 17, 2026, and existing workflows will not migrate automatically. If you use it, plan to save the prompts and instructions you want to keep.
What is Google Opal?
Google announced Opal on July 24, 2025, as an experimental Google Labs tool for building and sharing AI mini-apps. Rather than writing code, you describe what you want in natural language. Opal turns that description into a workflow that can connect prompts, AI model calls, and tools. You can revise the workflow with further instructions or edit its steps visually, then share the app for other people to use with their own Google accounts. Google’s launch announcement described the initial release as a public beta limited to the United States.
“No-code” describes how the workflow is assembled; it does not establish that every app Opal generates is production-ready, error-free, or suitable for sensitive or high-stakes work. Evaluate an app’s behavior and outputs for your own use case.
How to build an app with Opal
Google’s developer quickstart offers two ways to begin: remix a demo from the Gallery or create an Opal from a natural-language description. The visual editor lets you add and connect steps, adjust prompts and tools, configure the output webpage, and preview the app. Google handles hosting in the documented workflow, so it does not require you to set up a web server. See Google’s Opal quickstart.
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- Open Opal on a desktop browser. Google says the editor is optimized for desktop. The current supported-country list is maintained in the Opal FAQ.
- Choose a starting point. Select a demo in the Gallery to remix, or start a new Opal and describe the mini-app you want to create.
- Review the generated workflow. In the visual editor, inspect its input, generation, and output steps. Connect or rearrange steps as needed, edit prompts, and select tools.
- Configure and preview the result. Set up the output webpage, then preview the app to see how the workflow behaves.
- Share the app if it is ready for others. Opal apps can be shared for use with another person’s Google account. Check the workflow and outputs before sharing.
Google has described examples including research and data analysis, saving findings to Google Sheets, newsletter updates, meal planning, marketing content, composite visual media, and interactive storytelling. These are examples of workflows people have tried, not guarantees of reliability or performance for every user. Google’s November 2025 update describes those examples and the product’s expansion.
What changed after Opal launched?
Opal’s capabilities and reach changed after its initial US beta. Google later brought Opal technology into experimental Gems in the Gemini web app, with an Advanced Editor at opal.google. In February 2026, Google also announced an agent step that can select tools and models based on a goal, use memory and dynamic routing, and ask follow-up questions. These are Google-announced product features, not independent performance findings.
| Date | What Google announced |
|---|---|
| July 24, 2025 | Opal launched as an experimental Google Labs tool in a US-only public beta. Google Developers Blog |
| November 6, 2025 | Google said availability had expanded from 15 countries to more than 160. This is Google’s reported availability on that date, not a current guarantee. Google’s expansion update |
| December 17, 2025 | Google announced Opal technology in the Gemini web app for experimental Gems, alongside an Advanced Editor at opal.google. Google’s announcement |
| February 24, 2026 | Google announced an agent step with goal-directed tool and model selection, memory, dynamic routing, and interactive chat. Google’s announcement |
| November 17, 2026 | Google says Opal and Gems made by Labs will turn off. Workflows will no longer run interactively, and existing workflows will not migrate automatically. Opal FAQ |
Is Opal available in your country, and does it work on a phone?
Google reported availability in more than 160 countries on November 6, 2025, but that dated figure should not be treated as a live coverage list. Check the supported countries in Google’s current Opal FAQ before relying on access. The FAQ also says the editor is optimized for desktop; a phone can be used to view or use an app that has already been created.
Is Google Opal free?
Google’s cited Opal pages do not establish a price or pricing plan. Check the current product information in Google’s own interface and documentation rather than assuming that an experimental Labs tool is free or that its terms will remain unchanged.
What does Google say about Opal data?
Google says Opal prompts and outputs are not used to train its generative AI models. It also says a small subset of prompts may be reviewed by humans to troubleshoot or better understand use cases. That is not the same as saying Google never sees prompts. For details about data collection and use, Google directs users to its Opal FAQ, Terms of Service, and Privacy Policy.
Is Google Opal shutting down?
Yes. Google’s FAQ says the Opal service and Gems made by Labs will turn off on November 17, 2026. After that date, Opal workflows will no longer run interactively. Google says users’ workflow files will remain in the “Opal” folder in personal Google Drive and can be downloaded to retrieve prompt text, but the workflows will not automatically transfer to another service. Google’s shutdown FAQ recommends opening workflows before the cutoff and copying prompts or custom instructions worth keeping.
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What can you use instead?
Google names two alternatives, depending on what you need. Neither is described as an automatic replacement for Opal’s visual workflow builder, and moving a workflow requires manual setup.
- Gemini Skills: Google suggests Skills for everyday tasks and reusable custom chat prompts.
- Google AI Studio: Google suggests AI Studio for deeper prototyping and custom prompt experiments.
Choose based on the task you need to preserve: a reusable chat instruction may fit a Skill, while experimenting with prompts may fit AI Studio. Re-create and verify the relevant behavior there rather than assuming an Opal workflow can be imported. Google’s FAQ explains its suggested alternatives and the lack of automatic migration.
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