Find sources with Fast Research
Search the web or the Drive files you can access, review the results and import only the useful sources.
Gemini Notebook · source-grounded research
Research from your own sources
A Notebook gives Gemini and NotebookLM a selected knowledge base for one project. Use it to ask grounded questions, trace answers back to sources and keep the same evidence available as the work continues.
Notebooks sync between Gemini and NotebookLM, but the two apps use the sources differently.
Sources are the foundation of every answer
📚Add trusted sourcesUse reports, PDFs, web pages, Drive files, presentations, audio, video and other supported material.
☑️Select what should countChoose the sources that should answer the current question instead of using the entire collection automatically.
💬Ask a focused questionMention important source names when you want the answer narrowed to specific evidence.
🔗Open the citationsCheck the passage behind an important summary, comparison or recommendation.
Gemini and NotebookLM ground answers differently
Where you chat
How the answer is grounded
Use it when
NotebookLM
Answers are grounded exclusively in the notebook sources and include inline citations.
You want source-controlled research and traceable evidence.
Gemini with a Notebook
Answers use notebook sources but may also use web search and other Gemini tools.
You want the notebook context inside the wider Gemini experience.
Build a useful source collection
Use Deep Research for a larger search
NotebookLM can run a multi-site investigation, show the report and source list, and let you choose what to import.
Keep Drive sources current
Supported Drive sources can sync when the original file changes, so the notebook is not trapped on an old copy.
Ask questions that can be checked
Using only the selected policy documents, compare the eligibility rules for employees in India and Singapore. Cite the relevant passage for every difference and flag any point the sources do not answer.
A grounded answer is more useful when the question defines the source boundary and asks Gemini to identify missing evidence.
Keep the evidence clean
Prefer current, authoritative sources
A focused collection of reliable material gives clearer answers than a large folder of drafts and duplicates.
Remove or label outdated versions
If two files conflict, identify which one is current instead of leaving Gemini to guess.
Keep one coherent scope
Create a new Notebook when the sources and instructions no longer belong to the same project.
Practical rule
Use NotebookLM when answers must stay inside selected sources. Use the same Notebook in Gemini when you also want web search and other Gemini tools.
Turn the same sources into different outputs
Slide Deck
Create detailed slides or presenter slides, then present them or download a PDF or PowerPoint file.
Infographic
Condense the source material into a visual explanation that can be reviewed and shared.
Video Overview
Create a narrated visual overview of the notebook material.
Audio Overview
Turn the sources into a discussion-style or other supported audio explanation.
Flashcards and quizzes
Generate study material that helps a learner recall and test the source content.
Mind map and reports
Explore relationships visually or create briefings, study guides and other source-based reports.
Create Studio outputs in NotebookLM
Open the Studio panel
Choose the output type, add any available audience, format, length or focus instructions, and start generation.
Continue working while it generates
Larger outputs such as a slide deck or video can take several minutes and are created in the background.
Review before sharing
AI-generated visuals, narration, questions and slides can contain factual or visual errors even when based on your sources.
Gemini does not create NotebookLM Studio outputs
Task
Where to do it
Important difference
Chat with notebook sources
Gemini or NotebookLM
Gemini may also use the web; NotebookLM stays within notebook sources.
Create slides, quizzes, infographics, audio or video
NotebookLM Studio
These artifact controls are not available from the Notebook inside Gemini.
Continue a Gemini discussion as notebook context
Gemini, then NotebookLM
Gemini chats can appear as read-only notebook context when enabled.
Choose the output for the audience
Presentation or leadership update
Use a Slide Deck and choose detailed or presenter-style slides based on how it will be consumed.
Learning and revision
Use quizzes, flashcards, audio or video overviews to explain and test understanding.
Fast visual summary
Use an infographic or mind map when relationships matter more than a long report.
Grounded does not mean automatically correct
Open citations and verify important claims. Studio outputs are generated from the notebook, but they can still simplify, omit or misrepresent source details.