How to use NotebookLM: a complete guide

To use NotebookLM, create a notebook, add your documents, then ask focused questions and check the passages cited in its answers. The tool is now called Gemini Notebook, formerly NotebookLM: Google officially announced the change on July 16, 2026. You can then turn your collection of sources into a summary, study materials, or an audio overview, while keeping the original documents as your reference.

Before you start: account, documents, and purpose

This tutorial covers the desktop browser experience. You will need a Google account with access to the service, an internet connection, and documents you are authorized to upload. If you use a work or school account, check your organization’s rules before adding internal information.

Above all, decide what you want to accomplish: understand a course, prepare for a meeting, or extract commitments from a set of documents. A notebook built around a specific question is easier to check than a collection containing every file you have.

To follow the steps, consider a hypothetical set of training materials: a course outline, teaching materials, and assessment instructions. The goal is to produce a preparation sheet, then check what you have learned. None of the results described here comes from a test or a customer case study.

The underlying approach resembles RAG, or retrieval-augmented generation: answers draw on a collection of documents. This makes them easier to verify, but does not guarantee accuracy. The guide to RAG explains why an available source can still be retrieved incorrectly or misinterpreted.

1. Create a notebook for your project

Open the service, sign in with the account you plan to use, and choose the option to create a new notebook. Give it a clear name, such as “Training — assessment preparation,” then add your first document. The official getting-started guide describes the Sources, Chat, and Studio panels.

Follow a simple rule: use a separate notebook for each project or coherent collection of materials. According to the documentation, notebooks are independent. You should not rely on the service searching several notebooks at once to find information scattered across them.

Before asking for a summary, state your goal in the chat:

Je prépare une évaluation à partir des documents de ce notebook.
Commence par identifier les thèmes couverts et les documents disponibles.
Signale les informations manquantes pour organiser mes révisions.
Ne déduis pas de consignes d'examen qui ne figurent pas dans les sources.

Treat the answer as an initial inventory. If an essential document is missing, add it now. If a file covers a different subject, remove it from the sources selected for the task.

This step also helps you spot problems with the collection itself. A fluent summary cannot compensate for a missing official course outline or outdated teaching materials.

2. Import your sources and check their content

In the Sources panel, choose the option to add sources, then select the appropriate import method for your document. Supported formats include PDFs, office documents, pasted text, web addresses, and audio files.

Different imports capture different kinds of content. As of October 24, 2026, the source documentation makes the following distinctions:

Source	Content used	Recommended check	Limitation to know
Web page	Text from the specified page	Check that the passage you need appears	Linked pages and embedded media are not imported
Public YouTube video	Transcript from captions	Review technical terms	Information conveyed only through visuals may be missing
Audio file	Transcript generated during import	Check names and wording	Poor audio quality can cause the import to fail
File from Drive	Synced source	Check which version you are viewing	Comments and footnotes are not imported

Next, open each important source and look for a passage you already know. For tables, check the headings, units, and alignment between rows and columns. The presence of a table alone does not establish that its contents remain usable after import.

According to the current documentation, files from Drive can update automatically. If you need to reproduce your work later, record the date you accessed the source and keep a separate copy of the document version you used.

If your collection is incomplete, follow a deep research process with source verification, then select the documents you want to include before importing them.

3. Ask questions that produce verifiable answers

Select the relevant sources in the Sources panel. Start with a narrow request, then expand gradually: identify learning objectives, find definitions, or list exceptions.

A useful prompt specifies the scope, the expected output, and how to handle missing information:

À partir du programme et des consignes d'évaluation sélectionnés,
prépare une liste des compétences explicitement attendues.
Pour chacune, indique le document et le passage qui la justifient.
Sépare les exigences obligatoires des recommandations.
Si une compétence n'est pas mentionnée, indique « non documenté ».

Open the citations and check that each passage supports the exact claim attached to it. A reference to a topic does not prove that it will appear in an assessment. A recommendation does not become a requirement simply because it appears in the answer.

Next, ask the tool to compare documents without forcing them to agree:

Repère les différences entre le programme et le support pédagogique.
Pour chaque différence, présente les passages concernés.
Distingue une contradiction explicite d'un simple complément.
Ne choisis pas une version comme correcte sans justification documentaire.

A hallucination can be subtle: a claim attributed to the wrong document, an overly broad generalization, or an added detail. For anything that matters to your decision, also read the original text surrounding the cited passage.

Keep evidence and suggestions separate. A proposed study schedule can be useful even if it does not appear in your sources, but it should be clearly presented as a proposal.

4. Turn answers into working materials

Once you have checked the facts, request an output suited to your task. The Studio panel offers options including reports, flashcards, quizzes, and visual materials.

For a study sheet, start with the information you have already verified:

Prépare une fiche de révision à partir des compétences vérifiées.
Organise-la par thème : définition, mécanisme, exemple et point de vigilance.
Associe les affirmations aux sources disponibles.
Termine par les points que les documents ne permettent pas de résoudre.

For active recall, try a question-and-answer exercise in the chat instead:

Interroge-moi sur les documents sélectionnés, une question à la fois.
Attends ma réponse avant de proposer une correction.
Explique mon erreur à partir d'un passage source.
Distingue une réponse incomplète d'une réponse incorrecte.

For work, replace the study sheet with a briefing note covering decisions already made, open questions, and information that still needs confirmation. Ask the tool to distinguish written commitments from suggested actions.

Read the finished document on its own, independently of the conversation that produced it. A reader should be able to understand where the information comes from and what uncertainties remain. Keep a copy of the approved output together with its references.

The AI tools directory and the document and PDF analysis category can help you identify other tools suited to your file formats.

5. Generate an audio overview in French

In Studio, select the option to create an audio overview. Choose French and specify the subject in the customization options. The audio overview documentation, accessed on October 24, 2026, describes the language, format, and instruction settings.

Présente les notions du dossier pour une personne débutante.
Explique les termes techniques avant de les employer.
Concentre-toi sur les objectifs d'apprentissage et les difficultés fréquentes.
Signale les désaccords entre sources et les informations absentes.
N'ajoute pas d'anecdotes présentées comme des faits.

First, listen to the sections covering definitions, conditions, and exceptions. Google states that the voices and content are AI-generated and may contain errors or audio glitches.

An audio overview can help you prepare for a reading assignment or review a subject. To verify exact wording, return to the chat and the source document. Natural-sounding voices do not establish that the information is correct.

Cost, limits, and privacy: check your account

A free Standard plan is available, with higher access levels depending on your subscription or license. Review the official plans before paying: your work account may already include access that meets your needs.

Older daily quotas may no longer reflect your account’s limits. On August 28, 2026, Google announced flexible limits for consumer accounts, rolling out from September 2. These take into account factors including request complexity, the conversation, and the sources, with limits refreshing every five hours. Check the usage indicator displayed in your account.

For privacy, Google distinguishes personal accounts from eligible work accounts. According to its current notice, feedback sent from a personal account may include sources and conversations that undergo human review. The protections described for work or school accounts differ.

Before using the service as a group, define which documents are allowed and who is authorized to use them in your company AI usage policy. Check the sharing settings as well: hiding sources in a chat view does not necessarily remove access to them, as the help page on public notebooks warns.

Common problems

A source does not appear correctly. Open the imported content and search for the passage you expected to find. Try a readable file or an authorized excerpt pasted as text, then check the tables and characters.

The answer is too vague. Select fewer sources, name the document, and ask a factual question. Request supporting passages before asking for a broad summary.

Recent information is missing. Check the dates of your sources and whether they have been updated. Having an older document in the notebook does not automatically allow the tool to describe the current situation.

Generation is blocked. Check your usage status and account access. A feature may depend on your plan, its rollout status, or the interface you are using.

The output mixes facts with recommendations. Ask for separate lists, then review the references. For a closer look at how to check the data being used, see the article on data flows and the GDPR.

Checklist before reusing the output

The notebook serves a specific purpose.
Relevant sources are readable, appropriate, and dated.
Claims that affect decisions have been checked against the original passages.
Missing information and suggestions are clearly identified.
The audio overview has been checked before sharing.
Recipients and sharing permissions have been verified.

Frequently asked questions

Does NotebookLM still exist?

Yes. It has been called Gemini Notebook since July 2026. The name change does not mean the service was discontinued: Google continues to offer a standalone experience for research and working with sources.

Can you use NotebookLM for free?

A free Standard plan is available. Before paying for a higher tier, check what your account already includes and identify which limits actually get in the way of your work.

Can NotebookLM analyze an entire video?

For a YouTube URL, the import uses the transcript of a public video with captions. You therefore cannot assume that it has analyzed every gesture, chart, or visual detail.

Are NotebookLM answers always accurate?

No. A citation makes an answer easier to check, but the cited passage may be incomplete or misinterpreted. For any information that affects a decision, read the original document and the surrounding context.