Gemini Notebook (Formerly NotebookLM): Complete Guide

Have you ever needed to read a 60-page PDF report, a university textbook chapter, or a long government circular — only to find that a normal AI chatbot mixes in outside assumptions that aren't in your file? Gemini Notebook (formerly known as NotebookLM) is built specifically for that problem. It is Google's source-grounded AI research assistant that answers questions using ONLY the sources you upload, complete with clickable citations pointing straight back to the exact passage in your documents.

Because it is restricted to the files and links you provide, Gemini Notebook is less likely to make things up (hallucination) than a general-purpose chatbot.

Why did NotebookLM become Gemini Notebook?

On 16 July 2026, Google officially renamed NotebookLM to Gemini Notebook — it is the exact same product, all your existing notebooks stay intact, and old notebooklm links redirect automatically.

Getting started free & plan limits (Checked Nov 2026)

You can start using Gemini Notebook at zero cost with any regular Google (Gmail) account on the free Standard (RM0) plan.

Plan limits table (Usage Limits — Subject to Change)

Based on Google's official help documentation and Malaysian subscription pricing checked in November 2026, here are the notebook and source limits across plans:

"Notebooks / sources" = how many notebooks you can have, and how many sources each notebook can hold. Pro saves up to 16% with annual billing.

• Maximum size per source: Each individual source can contain up to 500,000 words, or up to 200 MB for uploaded files.
• Daily chat and overview limits: Google's official page does not publish fixed daily numbers for chats or Audio/Video Overviews — there are daily and weekly usage limits that change from time to time depending on your plan tier.
• Malaysia college student offer: Eligible college students aged 18+ in Malaysia can redeem 1 year of Google AI Plus at no cost by 31 December 2026 (a payment card is required at sign-up, and the plan auto-charges RM23.99/month afterwards unless cancelled).

First step: Set your output language (including Bahasa Melayu)

If you upload English documents right now but want your summaries and answers written in Bahasa Melayu (or vice versa), you can set your preferred output language in seconds:

1. Sign in to Gemini Notebook with your Google account.
   • You should see: The Gemini Notebook page with a Settings gear icon in the top-right corner. On your first visit it may open an empty notebook called Untitled notebook straight away. That's normal.
2. Click the Settings gear icon (top right) → select Output language → choose "Melayu" (or English) from the list of 80 supported languages (note that "Melayu" is listed separately from "Indonesia", and the default setting is "Default").
   • You should see: Your output language preference saved, so responses inside your notebooks will follow your chosen language.

Supported source types (and their limitations)

Each notebook acts as a self-contained workspace. When you open a notebook, you can mix and match several types of reference materials.

Officially supported sources

• Documents & files: PDF, Word (docx), PowerPoint (pptx), plain text (txt), Markdown (md), CSV, and ePub.
• Google Workspace files: Google Docs, Google Slides (up to 100 slides), and Google Sheets (limited to 100k tokens).
• Images: JPG, PNG, WebP, HEIC, and other image formats.
• Audio files: MP3, WAV, and other audio formats.
• Web & video links: Web URLs and YouTube URLs of PUBLIC videos.
• Other inputs: Pasted text, notes, Gemini chats, and Play Books / textbooks (text only).

Source limitations you must know

Before troubleshooting why a link or file won't import, keep these five official limitations in mind:

1. Web pages import text only: Images, embedded charts, and interactive elements on web pages are not imported.
2. Paywalled pages are not supported: Articles behind a login or subscription paywall cannot be imported.
3. YouTube video requirements: YouTube videos must be public and must have captions. Videos without speech will fail, and videos uploaded less than 72 hours ago may not import yet.
4. Audio without speech isn't supported: Instrumental audio or sound recordings without spoken words cannot be processed.
5. Google Drive rules: You need view access to the Drive file, and document footnotes and comments are not imported.

3 real Malaysian workflows (With ready-to-copy prompts)

Here are three practical ways students, office workers, and small-business owners in Malaysia can use Gemini Notebook right away.

1. Students & teachers: Summarize a textbook chapter and generate a practice quiz

Instead of passively re-reading lecture slides or textbook chapters, turn your study material into an active self-test backed by page references.

1. Create a new notebook and upload your textbook chapter PDF or lecture slides (pptx / Google Slides).
   • You should see: Your uploaded file listed in the left-hand Sources panel with a checkmark showing it has been indexed.
2. Copy and paste this prompt into the chat box:

Using ONLY the textbook chapter uploaded in this notebook, help me study in three parts:

1. Summarize the 5 core concepts in plain language, including the specific examples mentioned in the text.
2. List the key technical terms and their exact definitions according to this chapter (do not use outside definitions).
3. Create a 5-question multiple-choice quiz (A, B, C, D) to test my understanding. Put the answer key and a brief explanation with source citations at the very bottom.

• You should see: A structured study guide and a 5-question quiz where every point and answer includes numbered citation badges (like [1], [2]). Clicking any badge jumps straight to the exact paragraph in your uploaded chapter.

2. Office workers: Extract action items from a long circular or SOP with citations

When you receive a lengthy government circular (pekeliling), compliance manual, or internal Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), you need to extract deadlines and responsibilities without risking a misread.

1. Upload the circular or SOP PDF into a new notebook.
   • You should see: An automatic overview of the document appear in the main workspace once processing finishes.
2. Paste the following prompt:

Read this circular/SOP carefully. Do not add any assumptions outside the uploaded document.

Present the findings in a clear table covering:
1. Every mandatory action item required by this document.
2. Which role, department, or party is responsible for each action.
3. The effective date or deadline stated for each item.
4. Any required forms or supporting documents mentioned.

Include a source citation for every row so I can verify the exact page and clause before sharing this with my team.

• You should see: A clean action-item table with clickable citation numbers on every row, letting you double-check each clause against the original PDF page in one click.

3. Small-business owners: Compare two supplier quotations (PDF)

When you are comparing two or three PDF quotations from renovation contractors, packaging suppliers, or equipment vendors, hidden exclusions are easy to miss when each vendor uses a different layout.

1. Create a new notebook and upload both supplier quotation PDFs (for example, Quote-Supplier-A.pdf and Quote-Supplier-B.pdf). Make sure both files are ticked in the left Sources panel.
   • You should see: Both PDF files active in the Sources list.
2. Run this comparison prompt:

Compare the two supplier quotation PDFs in this notebook.

Give me:
1. A side-by-side comparison table covering: Total Price, Main Line Items, Delivery/Completion Lead Time, Warranty Period, and Payment Terms (deposit and milestones).
2. A list of items, fees, or scope included in one quotation that are MISSING or excluded from the other quotation.
3. 3 specific questions I should ask both suppliers to clarify hidden costs before paying a deposit.

Cite the exact source document for every price and term listed.

• You should see: A side-by-side breakdown highlighting price differences, missing scope items, and warranty gaps, with citations pointing directly to each supplier's PDF.

What Audio Overviews are (and how to make one)

Beyond text chat, Gemini Notebook can also generate Audio Overviews (as well as Video Overviews). An Audio Overview turns your uploaded sources into a spoken two-host AI discussion — similar to a podcast episode summarizing and debating the key points in your files.

How to generate one:

1. Open any notebook that already contains at least one source document.
   • You should see: The Audio Overview section inside your notebook workspace.
2. Go to the Studio tab and click Audio Overview. In the Customize Audio Overview window, pick a format (for example Brief for a short summary, or Deep Dive for a longer conversation), set Choose language to the language you want (it includes Melayu), and click Generate now.
   • You should see: A Generating Audio Overview message for a few minutes (in my test, a Brief was ready in about 3 minutes), followed by an audio player with a Play button so you can listen to the overview on your phone or computer.

Privacy rules: What NOT to upload

Even though Gemini Notebook keeps your sources organized per notebook, remember that uploaded files are processed on cloud servers.

Keep learning

Now you know how to use Gemini Notebook to analyze long documents, circulars, and quotations with verifiable citations. To explore more practical AI guides, visit the Belajar AI hub or start from the beginning with the 4 free Mula Sini starter recipes.