If you've searched for how to use NotebookLM, you may have noticed something confusing: the tool now has a new name. In July 2026, Google renamed NotebookLM to Gemini Notebook. Same product, same idea, new label.
This beginner guide is for students, teachers, freelancers and office workers who want an AI assistant that works from their own notes and files, not from random web pages. You don't need any technical skill.
You'll learn what Gemini Notebook (formerly NotebookLM) is, whether it's free, how to create your first notebook, how to ask questions with citations, and how to turn your sources into study guides, flashcards, audio overviews and slide decks. All plan details below were checked on Google's own help pages as of October 2026.
What is NotebookLM (now Gemini Notebook)?
Gemini Notebook, formerly NotebookLM, is a free Google AI research and study tool that answers questions using only the sources you upload, such as PDFs, Google Docs, websites and YouTube videos. Its answers include citations that point back to your sources. It can also turn your material into summaries, flashcards, audio overviews, videos and slide decks.
Google announced the new name on its official blog post, NotebookLM is now Gemini Notebook, dated 16 July 2026. Google describes it as "the same standalone product, now doing more across the Google ecosystem."
What changed with the rename, according to that post:
- Notebooks can now be created and opened inside the Gemini app, and they sync with the standalone site.
- Google says notebooks are also coming to AI Mode in Search, without a date.
- A new "secure cloud computer" lets a notebook write and run code to analyse your sources. Google says this started with Google AI Ultra subscribers and some Workspace business customers, and is rolling out to Pro users on the web.
For most beginners, the day-to-day tool works the way NotebookLM always did. The official site is still the easiest place to start. In this guide, we'll use "Gemini Notebook" and "NotebookLM" to mean the same thing.
Why this tool is different from ChatGPT
Most AI chatbots answer from their general training and the web. Gemini Notebook is "source-grounded". You give it your sources, and it focuses its answers on them.
That matters for three reasons:
- Fewer made-up answers about your material. Answers come with citations you can click and check.
- Your notes become searchable. Ask "What did the lecture say about photosynthesis?" and get an answer with the exact passage.
- One place for a project. Keep all the PDFs, notes and links for one exam, client or report together.
If you're new to AI tools in general, our guide to AI tools for beginners explains the basics first.
Is NotebookLM free? Plans and limits
Yes, there's a free version. Google's Gemini Notebook plans and limits page lists a Standard (free) tier plus higher limits on paid Google AI plans. As of October 2026, it shows:
| Limit | Standard (free) | Plus | Pro | Ultra |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Notebooks per user | 100 | 200 | 500 | 500 |
| Sources per notebook | 50 | 100 | 300 | 500–600 (by Ultra tier) |
| Gemini model access | Yes | Yes | Higher | Highest |
| Watermark removal on images and videos | No | No | Yes | Yes |
Google labels these limits "subject to change". The same page says daily quotas reset after 24 hours and monthly quotas after 30 days. It doesn't publish a fixed number of daily chats or audio overviews for each plan on that page, so you'll see a message in the app if you hit a cap.
Per source, Google's add sources help page says each source can be up to 500,000 words, or up to 200 MB for uploaded files.
A few other points from the plans page:
- You must be above the age of consent in your country to use it.
- Browser access works in supported countries, and paid plans depend on where Google AI plans are sold. India is among the countries where Google sells these plans; check the Google One plans page for current rupee prices.
- Google notes that in India, a visible watermark is applied automatically on certain image and video outputs.
For most students, the free tier is enough. Fifty sources in one notebook covers a whole semester's notes for a subject.
How to use NotebookLM: create your first notebook
Here's how to use NotebookLM (Gemini Notebook) from scratch. It takes about five minutes.
- Go to notebooklm.google and sign in with your Google account. You can also open notebooks from the Gemini app.
- Click Create new (or "New notebook").
- Add your first source: upload a PDF, pick a file from Google Drive, paste a link, or paste text.
- Wait a few seconds while it reads the source. You'll see a short summary appear.
- Give the notebook a clear name, like "Class 12 Biology – Unit 3" or "Client X – Market Research".
- Type your first question in the chat box at the bottom.
That's it. Your notebook now has three main areas:
| Area | What it does |
|---|---|
| Sources | Lists everything you added; tick or untick sources to include or exclude them |
| Chat | Ask questions and get answers with numbered citations |
| Studio | Create outputs: audio overview, video overview, report, flashcards, infographic and slide deck |
Adding sources: PDFs, Docs, YouTube and websites
The quality of your answers depends on the quality of your sources. Google's add sources help page lists these supported types as of October 2026:
- PDF, Word, text, Markdown, CSV and PowerPoint files
- Google Docs, Google Slides (up to 100 slides) and Google Sheets
- Web page URLs and public YouTube URLs
- Audio files such as MP3 and WAV (transcribed when imported)
- Images, ePub files and Google Play Books ebooks (text only)
- Pasted text and notes, and even Gemini chats
Rules worth knowing
Google's help page lists some limits that trip up beginners:
- YouTube: Only public videos with captions work, and only the transcript is imported. Very new uploads (within about 72 hours) may not work yet. Videos without speech aren't supported.
- Websites: Only the page text is imported, not images or embedded videos. Paywalled pages aren't supported.
- Google Drive files: These sync automatically every few minutes, and you can force a sync. The tool can't edit or delete your original Drive files.
- Doc comments and footnotes aren't imported.
Finding new sources with research
You don't have to bring every source yourself. The same help page describes Fast Research and Deep Research, which search the web for sources on your topic and let you add them to the notebook. Always open and skim what it finds before trusting it.
Asking questions with citations
This is where the tool shines. Ask a question, and the answer includes small numbers. Click a number and it jumps to the exact passage in your source.
Good beginner questions:
- "Summarise chapter 4 in 10 bullet points."
- "What are the three main arguments in this report?"
- "Explain this concept like I'm in Class 10."
- "Where do these two sources disagree?"
- "List every date mentioned in these notes, in order."
How to get better answers
- Untick sources you don't need. If you only want answers from one chapter, select only that source.
- Be specific. "Explain the causes of the 1857 revolt using source 2" beats "Tell me about 1857."
- Ask for a format. Tables, numbered lists or "explain in 5 lines" all work.
- Check the citations. If an answer has no citation, treat it with care.
Want more prompt ideas? Our list of ChatGPT prompts for students works well here too; just add "using my sources" to each one.
Study guides, flashcards and quizzes
For students, this is the best part of learning how to use NotebookLM.
In the Studio panel, you can create:
- Reports, such as a study guide, briefing document or summary
- Flashcards for quick revision
- Infographics that turn notes into one visual page
Google's education page for the tool, NotebookLM for education, also describes generating flashcards and interactive practice quizzes based only on your uploaded sources.
A simple revision workflow
- Upload your class notes and the textbook chapter.
- Create a study guide report and read it once.
- Generate flashcards and test yourself.
- Ask the chat: "Which topics did I get wrong most often? Explain them again simply."
- Repeat a day before the exam.
A friendly reminder: these tools help you revise, but they don't replace understanding. Always cross-check important facts with your textbook or teacher.
Audio and video overviews
Audio Overview
An Audio Overview turns your sources into a spoken discussion you can listen to like a podcast. Google's Audio Overview help page lists four formats, as of October 2026:
| Format | What it sounds like |
|---|---|
| Deep Dive (default) | Two AI hosts discuss your material in detail |
| The Brief | One speaker, a summary under two minutes |
| The Critique | Two hosts review your material, like feedback on an essay |
| The Debate | Two hosts argue different viewpoints |
You can choose Shorter, Default or Longer length (Longer is English only). The help page lists 80+ languages, including Hindi, so you can create Hindi audio summaries of English notes.
There's also an interactive mode where you can join the conversation and ask the hosts questions by voice. Google says this is English only and works with newly generated overviews.
Video Overview
A Video Overview creates a short narrated video summary of your sources. It's useful for visual learners or for sharing a quick explainer with a team. Generation takes a few minutes, and you can keep working while it runs.
Using NotebookLM for presentations
Many people search "how to use NotebookLM for PPT". The Studio panel includes a slide deck option that builds a presentation from your sources.
A practical workflow:
- Add your research sources to one notebook.
- In chat, ask: "Create a 10-slide outline for a presentation on this topic, with a title and 3 bullets per slide."
- Edit the outline in chat until it's right.
- Use the Studio slide deck option to generate a deck, or copy the outline into PowerPoint, Google Slides or Canva.
- Add your own examples, visuals and speaker notes.
The generated deck is a starting point. Always review it, fix anything inaccurate and make it sound like you before presenting.
NotebookLM vs ChatGPT vs Gemini
These tools overlap, but each is best at different jobs.
| Feature | Gemini Notebook (NotebookLM) | ChatGPT | Gemini app |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main strength | Answers from your own sources | General writing and reasoning | General assistant tied to Google apps |
| Citations to your files | Yes, built in | Partly, depends on feature | Partly, depends on feature |
| Audio overviews (podcast style) | Yes | Not built in | Via notebooks opened in the app |
| Flashcards and study guides | Built-in Studio outputs | You prompt for them | You prompt for them |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Best for | Studying, research, summarising documents | Drafting, brainstorming, coding help | Everyday questions, Google Workspace tasks |
In short: use Gemini Notebook when the answer must come from your material. Use a general chatbot for open-ended writing. For a deeper comparison of the two big chatbots, read ChatGPT vs Gemini.
Tips for better results
- One notebook per topic. Don't mix unrelated subjects; answers get muddled.
- Use clean sources. Text-based PDFs work better than blurry scans.
- Name your sources. Rename files like "Lecture 5 – Cell Division" so citations make sense.
- Save good answers as notes. Pin useful replies so you don't lose them.
- Ask it to quiz you. "Ask me 5 questions from source 3, one at a time" turns reading into practice.
- Check before you share. Audio and video overviews can simplify or miss nuance.
Privacy and limits
Before you upload anything, know how your data is handled. Google's plans and limits page says, as of October 2026:
- Your data isn't used for training unless you choose to give feedback.
- For Google Workspace and Workspace for Education accounts, data isn't reviewed by humans or used for training, even with feedback.
- Some generated images and videos carry invisible SynthID watermarks.
Practical privacy tips:
- Don't upload Aadhaar, PAN, bank statements or medical records you don't need to.
- For client work, check your contract before uploading client documents.
- Share notebooks only with people who need them.
Common mistakes beginners make
- Uploading everything into one notebook. Fifty random sources make answers vague.
- Trusting answers without checking citations. Click at least one citation per important answer.
- Using it for live news. It works from your sources, so it won't know about events your sources don't cover unless you add them.
- Expecting final-quality slides. Treat generated decks as a first draft.
- Ignoring source limits. Very long files may need splitting into chapters.
Final Thoughts
Learning how to use NotebookLM, now Gemini Notebook, is one of the most useful AI skills for students and knowledge workers. It doesn't try to know everything. It tries to know your material well, and it shows you where each answer came from.
Start small. Make one notebook for one subject or project, add five good sources, and ask ten questions. Then try a study guide and an audio overview. Within an hour, you'll know whether it fits the way you learn and work.
Google changes features and limits often, so check the official help pages if something looks different from this guide.
Key Takeaways
- NotebookLM was renamed Gemini Notebook in July 2026; it's the same product with new Gemini app integration.
- It answers from your own sources and adds clickable citations.
- The free Standard tier allows 100 notebooks and 50 sources per notebook, as of October 2026.
- Supported sources include PDFs, Google Docs, Slides, Sheets, websites, public YouTube videos and audio files.
- The Studio panel creates reports, flashcards, infographics, audio overviews, video overviews and slide decks.
- Audio Overviews support 80+ languages, including Hindi.
- Always check citations and avoid uploading sensitive personal documents.
Want to explore more AI tools that help with study and work? Read our guide to AI tools for beginners, compare ChatGPT vs Gemini, and grab ready-made ChatGPT prompts for students. You can also browse AI and software tools in our store or read more on our blog.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is NotebookLM the same as Gemini Notebook?
Yes. Google renamed NotebookLM to Gemini Notebook on 16 July 2026. Google calls it the same standalone product, now with extra features such as access from the Gemini app.
Is Gemini Notebook (NotebookLM) free to use?
Yes, there's a free Standard tier. As of October 2026, Google's help page lists 100 notebooks and 50 sources per notebook on the free tier. Paid Google AI plans raise these limits.
Does NotebookLM work in Hindi?
Audio Overviews can be generated in 80+ languages, and Google's help page lists Hindi among them. You can ask questions in Hindi too, but test with your own material to see how well it handles your sources.
Can I use NotebookLM on my phone?
Yes. Google offers mobile apps, and notebooks can now also be opened in the Gemini app. Google's help page notes that the mobile app has its own list of supported countries, so check availability in the app store.
What files can I upload to NotebookLM?
You can add PDFs, Word, text, Markdown, CSV and PowerPoint files, Google Docs, Slides and Sheets, web links, public YouTube videos, audio files, images and ePub books. Each source can be up to 500,000 words or 200 MB.
Can NotebookLM make a PPT for me?
Yes, the Studio panel has a slide deck option that creates a presentation from your sources. You can also ask the chat for a slide-by-slide outline and paste it into PowerPoint, Google Slides or Canva.
Is NotebookLM better than ChatGPT for studying?
For revising from your own notes, many students find it more focused because answers come from your sources with citations. ChatGPT is broader and better for open-ended writing. Many people use both.
Does Google use my uploaded files to train AI?
Google's help page says your data isn't used for training unless you give feedback. For Workspace and Workspace for Education accounts, it says data isn't reviewed by humans or used for training, even with feedback.
Why can't NotebookLM read my YouTube link?
Only public videos with captions work, and only the transcript is imported. Very recent uploads, private or unlisted videos, and videos without speech aren't supported, according to Google's help page.
How many sources can I add to one notebook?
On the free Standard tier, you can add up to 50 sources per notebook, as of October 2026. Plus allows 100, Pro allows 300, and Ultra allows 500 to 600, depending on the tier.