Gemini Notebook, previously called NotebookLM, is most useful when you have material to understand rather than a blank prompt to fill. Start with one small notebook and a question you can check yourself. A pile of unrelated documents makes the first session harder than it needs to be.
This researched guide uses Google’s documentation checked on October 6, 2026. The examples are suggested exercises, not results from a hands-on app test. For the broader verdict, read our Gemini Notebook review.
Create your first notebook
Install the app through the official store links in Google’s mobile guide. Sign in, create a notebook and give it a descriptive name. Add a PDF, website, audio file, public YouTube link or copied text using the options available in your app. Then open Chat to ask about the material and Studio for generated outputs. Menu placement can differ between versions.
Choose a name that tells you what belongs inside: “Camera buying checklist” is easier to manage than “Research.” Avoid uploading a whole personal archive as your first experiment.
Try a small, checkable exercise
Here is an original practice source you can paste into a notebook:
Workshop A runs on Tuesday from 18:00 to 19:30 and costs £15. It requires a laptop. Workshop B runs on Saturday from 10:00 to 12:00 and costs £20. A laptop is optional. Both workshops are suitable for beginners. Neither includes transport.
Ask: “Which workshop can I attend without bringing a laptop? Give the cost and identify the sentence supporting your answer.”
You can verify the answer without expertise or external research: B permits attendance without a laptop, costs £20 and lasts two hours. That is a check of the supplied text, not a prediction of the app’s output. If the answer invents lunch or transport, correct it and inspect which passage it used.
Add a second source with a purpose
Add a second note: “I work until 18:30 on weekdays. My workshop budget is £18.” Now ask which constraints prevent attendance at each workshop. The useful answer should recognize the timing problem for A and the budget problem for B, rather than recommend one unconditionally.
This exercise teaches a better habit than asking for a generic summary: state a decision, supply the constraints and require evidence. For real research, keep the original source names clear enough that you can identify the document behind an answer.
Make questions narrower
| Broad question | More useful question |
|---|---|
| Summarize everything | What are the three conditions for attending Workshop A? |
| Which is best? | Which meets my timing and budget constraints, and what remains unknown? |
| Explain this | Explain the laptop requirement and quote the relevant sentence from my practice note |
These prompts are original suggestions. They do not guarantee accurate output. Before acting, check dates, amounts and exceptions in the source itself.
What to do next
Keep your first notebook small until the answers are easy to audit. Then move to flashcards and quizzes for active recall or Audio Overviews for listening. If a file does not load, use our source import checklist.
Do not assume an announced feature appears in every account immediately. Check the current app and account availability; our Gemini versus Notebook comparison explains why similar names can lead to different controls.
