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Documentation Index

Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://google-40.mintlify.app/llms.txt

Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

The chat panel in NotebookLM lets you ask questions directly about the sources in your notebook. Unlike general-purpose AI assistants, NotebookLM only draws on the documents, PDFs, and other sources you’ve uploaded—so every answer is grounded in your material and backed by a citation you can verify.

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How to open the chat

When you open a notebook, the chat panel appears in the main area of the screen. If you have sources added, you can start asking questions right away. No additional setup is required.

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Ask a question

Type your question into the input field at the bottom of the chat panel, then press Enter or click the send button. NotebookLM searches across all your sources and returns a response within a few seconds.
Be specific in your questions. Instead of asking “What does this say?”, try “What does [document name] say about [specific topic]?” More context in your question leads to more precise answers.

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Read the response and citations

Every answer includes inline citation markers—numbered references that appear in brackets within the response text. These markers tell you exactly which source passage the AI used to form that part of its answer. Click any citation marker to jump directly to the referenced passage in the source panel. The relevant section is highlighted so you can read it in full context.
If your sources don’t contain relevant information about your question, NotebookLM will tell you rather than generating an answer from outside your notebook.

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Example questions that work well

Here are some question types that get useful results from NotebookLM:
  • “Summarize the key findings in [document name]”
  • “What does [source] say about [topic]?”
  • “Compare the approaches described in [doc A] and [doc B]”
  • “Find all mentions of [term] across my sources”
  • “What are the main arguments made in [source]?”
  • “List the recommendations from [document name]“

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Follow up in the same session

After receiving an answer, you can ask follow-up questions to go deeper. NotebookLM maintains the context of your current session, so you can ask clarifying questions like “Can you say more about that?” or “What evidence does [source] give for that claim?”

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Conversation history

Your previous questions and answers appear above the chat input field, so you can scroll up to review earlier exchanges within the same session.
AI-generated answers should be treated as a starting point, not a final source. For critical or professional work, always click through to the cited passages and read the original source text before relying on the information.

Citations

Learn how inline citations work and how to use them to verify AI answers.

Notebook Guide

Auto-generate summaries, FAQs, and study guides from your sources.

Adding sources

Add documents, PDFs, and other sources to your notebook.

Understanding AI chat

Learn how NotebookLM’s AI chat is grounded in your sources.