Gather sources and write a report on a topic in 10 minutes with NotebookLM
Upload up to 50 links and documents - NotebookLM will find key facts, group them, and produce a ready-made report draft according to your requirements
- 1.Open NotebookLM at notebooklm.google.com and sign in with any Google account. Click Create new - in the Name field, name the project, for example «Report on topic X», and click Save.
If the service is unavailable in your region, use a VPN. NotebookLM does not require a paid subscription and works in any Google account.
NotebookLM ↗ - 2.In the left Sources panel, click Add. Select the source type: URL - for a web page or YouTube video, Google Drive or Upload - for PDF, TXT, Google Docs. Add as many sources as you have (up to 50 per notebook). NotebookLM will automatically extract the text.
The maximum allowed file size is about 500,000 words per source. Do not upload confidential documents - data is processed on Google servers.
NotebookLM ↗ - 3.In the central panel at the top, paste the following prompt into the chat box, replacing the text in square brackets with your topic and requirements. Click the send arrow. NotebookLM will respond based only on the uploaded sources and link to specific paragraphs.
Every quote in the response is clickable - clicking opens the original snippet. If the response is too short, add «expand each section in detail».
NotebookLM ↗PromptAct as a research analyst. Based ONLY on the sources in this notebook, write a structured report on [TOPIC]. Structure: 1) Executive summary (3-4 sentences). 2) Key findings (5-7 bullet points, each with a citation). 3) Trends and patterns across sources. 4) Contradictions or disagreements between sources. 5) Open questions. Audience: [WHO WILL READ IT]. Tone: formal, concise, no filler. At the end, list all sources used with titles.
What this prompt doesThe prompt sets the role of an analyst and the report structure: brief summary, key findings with links, trends, contradictions between sources, and open questions. Replace [TOPIC] with the report topic, [WHO WILL READ IT] - with the audience description (e.g., «marketing manager» or «course student»). - 4.Highlight the response text with your mouse, press Ctrl+C (Cmd+C), and paste it into Google Docs or Word. If you need to expand a section, return to NotebookLM and send a clarifying request, for example: «Expand the Key findings section, add 3 sub-points with quotes». Copy the addition and add it to the document.
The Copy button in the upper right corner of the response copies the entire text at once.
NotebookLM ↗ - 5.In the right panel of NotebookLM, open the Notes tab. Click + and select Essay, Briefing doc, or Study guide - NotebookLM will generate an alternative report format from the same sources. Copy the most suitable option and merge it with the main document.
Study guide is handy for educational topics, Briefing doc - for business reports, Essay - for analytical reviews.
NotebookLM ↗
- freeNotebookLM (free tier)Completely free for any Google account: up to 100 notebooks, up to 50 sources in each, no credit card required.
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