Google NotebookLM: How to use it for study - with real, practical workflows

Google's NotebookLM is built around AI from the start. Unlike chatbots, it does not wander off the internet; it works with what you have given it

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Google’s NotebookLM isn’t just the app that turns your documents into a podcast. It’s an AI-first notebook that sits beside your sources, summarises them, answers questions with citations, and reshapes material into briefings, study guides, timelines, and even audio. Because everything happens in the context of the files you add, the outputs stay grounded and transparent. In this guide, I will walk you through how it can make research and learning more engaging, interactive, and fun.

What NotebookLM is (and why it’s different)

NotebookLM is built around AI from the start. You add sources such as PDFs, Google Docs, Slides, pasted text, or web links, and the notebook spins up an AI that “knows” those materials. It can surface key ideas, compare arguments across papers, and cite back to the exact passages it used. Unlike general chatbots, it does not wander off the internet; it works with what you have given it.

Getting started

Sign in with your Google account, create a notebook, and add sources. You can point it at a Drive file, paste text, upload a PDF or TXT, or drop in a URL. After ingesting, the home view shows three anchors: Sources (everything you added), Chat (ask questions, get cited answers), and Studio (structured outputs like overviews, reports, timelines, and the podcast maker).

• Heads-up on limits: up to 50 files per notebook and roughly 500,000 words per file. Very large uploads may take a moment to process. 

The dashboard, in practice

Sources lists each document with auto-generated summaries and suggested questions.

Chat lets you query across all sources (“Compare the definitions of formative assessment in Papers A and C”) and returns answers with inline citations.

Studio can create a video or audio overview, reports, mind maps, and the two-host podcast that turns your material into a conversational explainer you can play, scrub, or share.

Generating ideas

When I wanted inspiration on a particular topic, I simply asked NotebookLM in the chat for ideas. The responses were varied and often creative. By experimenting with different prompts, you can guide the AI toward exactly the kind of ideas you need – whether that is brainstorming themes, outlining potential approaches, or suggesting unique angles to explore. If your first query feels too generic, try refining it. The more specific and tailored your prompt, the more relevant and actionable the results will be.

 

In short, varied prompts can either give you a clear direction right away or spark follow-up questions that lead you to even better ideas.

The notes page

When neither the notebook guide nor the chat is open, the default screen is the notes page. The default notes page contains no notes. There are two types of notes: written and AI-generated. Written notes are notes you type in yourself. To create a new note, click “Add note” at the top of the notes page. This will generate a new, blank note for you. The other one gives an option to discover any topic with AI. 

Podcast generation with NotebookLM

One of NotebookLM’s most innovative features is its ability to produce customised podcasts where two AI voices discuss your documents. This is not just basic text-to-speech; the result is not a direct narration, but a dynamic conversation between two hosts highlighting the key points. The tone and flow truly resemble a real podcast, and the voices sound surprisingly human and expressive.

 

For example, I shared the same ‘AI in Education’ content, you can set up your AI hosts and let them turn your document into an engaging, conversational audio experience.

 

After this, you get an option to even change the speed, share the podcast, or even moving forward and backward.

Structured formats

NotebookLM isn’t just for generating insights, it also helps you organise your notes into clear, structured formats. With the new formatting tools in the notebook guide, you can quickly turn your content into FAQs, study guides, or timelines, all without leaving your notebook. This makes it easier to keep information organised and ready for review or sharing.

Tips for using NotebookLM

• Choose relevant sources – Upload reliable, topic-specific documents to ensure accurate and useful insights.
• Ask clear, specific questions – Well-structured prompts lead to more focused and helpful responses.
• Experiment with prompts – Try different formats, like comparisons, pros/cons lists, or creative summaries, to unlock new insights.
• Review and verify information – Always double-check AI-generated content for accuracy, especially with complex or sensitive topics.