Break down a large PDF or article in 3 minutes with Gemini Notebook
Upload a document of up to 500,000 words and get a summary, key points, and answers from the text without reading it
- 1.Open NotebookLM using the link below and sign in with any Google account. Click Create new notebook.
The tool is free, no card required. If you are in Russia, you may need a VPN - it works best with a European or US IP.
Google NotebookLM ↗About this tool - 2.In the Sources panel on the left, click Add and upload a file - PDF, DOCX, TXT, a web link, or paste text directly. You can add up to 50 sources to a single notebook.
The limit for a single source is up to 500,000 words. Do not upload documents with personal or sensitive data unless necessary: Google processes them on its servers. Source content is not used to train models.
Google NotebookLM ↗About this tool - 3.Once the source is uploaded, click on it and select Auto summary - NotebookLM will automatically create a summary with 10 key points. Review them.
This takes a few seconds. The notes can be copied or exported to Google Docs.
Google NotebookLM ↗About this tool - 4.In the chat panel on the right, paste the following prompt, replacing the text in brackets with your own details. NotebookLM only answers based on uploaded sources and provides links to specific paragraphs with citations - click them to verify.
Each numbered citation in the response is a clickable link to a specific paragraph in the original document.
Google NotebookLM ↗About this toolPromptAct as an expert analyst. Review the uploaded document(s) and produce the following: 1. A summary in [3-5] sentences - what the document is about and why it matters. 2. Key findings or arguments: list the top [5], each in one sentence. 3. Counterarguments or limitations: what the author does NOT address or where the reasoning is weak. 4. Action items: if a reader wanted to apply this knowledge practically, what [3] concrete steps should they take? 5. Glossary: list [5-10] specialised terms from the text with one-line definitions. Write everything in [Russian]. Format with clear headings and bullet points.
What this prompt doesThis English prompt asks NotebookLM to analyze the document and produce: a 3-5 sentence summary (specify the number), five main takeaways, weak points and limitations, three practical steps, and a glossary of terms. Replace the numbers in square brackets with your own, and replace [Russian] with Russian to get the response in Russian. Adjust [3-5], [5], [3], etc. to fit your needs. - 5.To compare multiple documents at once - add a second source in the left panel, then ask a question in the chat such as: 'Compare the approaches in Source 1 and Source 2 - what do they agree and disagree on?' NotebookLM will compare the texts and point out where they match or contradict each other.
This is useful for competitor analysis, reviewing scientific papers, or comparing contracts.
Google NotebookLM ↗About this toolPromptCompare the approaches across all uploaded sources. For each major topic, build a table with: Topic | Source 1 position | Source 2 position | Agreement / Disagreement. Highlight the [3] most important disagreements and explain each in 2-3 sentences. Write in [Russian].
What this prompt doesThis prompt creates a comparison table across all uploaded documents: for each topic it shows each source's position and where they agree or disagree. Replace [3] with the desired number of key disagreements, and replace [Russian] with Russian for a response in Russian. - 6.Click the Studio icon in the right panel to create useful artifacts: a FAQ for the document, a study guide, a timeline of events, a briefing doc, or an Audio Overview - a 10-minute podcast-style review of your document with two voices.
Audio Overview takes 2-5 minutes to generate and downloads as an MP3. A great way to revisit the gist of a document on the go.
Google NotebookLM ↗About this tool
- freeGoogle NotebookLMCompletely free for all Google account users: no subscription, no limits on the number of requests, up to 50 sources and 500,000 words each. A paid NotebookLM Plus plan is available with Google One AI Premium for about $20/mo and increases the limits, but the free version is enough for this recipe.
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