Gemini Notebook (formerly NotebookLM) is a Google tool that answers only from the sources you add: PDFs, Google Docs, websites, YouTube videos and audio. Every answer comes with inline citations that take you back to the original. From the same material you can create a study guide, a mind map, flashcards, a quiz and an Audio Overview, even in Georgian. The standard plan is free.
The two names confuse many people. On 16 July 2026, Google renamed NotebookLM to Gemini Notebook. According to Google’s blog, it is the same standalone product, now more closely connected to other Google services. The old address, notebooklm.google.com, now redirects to notebook.google.com, so searching for “notebooklm” or “gemini notebook” leads to the same tool.
For a map of other AI tools by task, see AI apps in 2026: which AI tool to use for what.
What is Gemini Notebook and how is it different from a regular chat?
A regular chat (ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude) builds its answer from what the model knows and from the web. Gemini Notebook works differently: you create a notebook for one topic, add sources, and every answer is grounded only in those sources. If the information is not in your material, Google’s help page says the tool may be unable to answer. For studying and work documents, that is the main advantage: fewer invented facts, and every claim checkable in one click.
Notebooks also appear in the Gemini app, but the two places do not work the same way:
| Gemini Notebook | A notebook in the Gemini app | |
|---|---|---|
| Where answers come from | Only your sources | Your sources, plus web search when needed |
| Audio and Video Overviews, infographics, slides | Yes, in the Studio panel | No |
| Syncing | Name, sources and instructions update in both | Same |
| Shared notebooks | Visible | Not visible |
With the rename, Google also added code execution, so Gemini Notebook can write and run code to analyse data in your sources. In July 2026 this went live for Google AI Ultra subscribers and is rolling out to Pro subscribers.
How to get started, age rules and NotebookLM in Georgian
- Open notebook.google.com and sign in with a Google account. For work or school accounts, an administrator must turn access on.
- Personal accounts must be above the age of consent in your country, verified in your Google Account. Users under 18 get stricter content rules and some features are for adults only. With Google Workspace for Education accounts, the tool is available to all ages.
- Georgia is on the list of supported countries.
- Set the language under Settings, then Output Language. By default it follows your Google Account language.
Georgian is among the 80+ supported languages: chat, study guides, Audio Overviews and the Explainer and Short Video Overview formats all work in Georgian. On our online course AI for Teachers, teachers make a Georgian Audio Overview with Gemini Notebook. One exception to remember: AI still writes Georgian letters badly inside images, so on the course we add that text in Canva.
How to add material: PDFs, Docs, websites and YouTube
What you can add, as of October 2026:
- Files: PDF, Word (.docx), PowerPoint (.pptx), CSV, text (.txt, .md), ePub, images and audio.
- Google files: Docs, Slides (up to 100 slides) and Sheets.
- Links: web pages and YouTube videos.
- Other: pasted text, your own notes and Gemini chats.
Each source can be up to 500,000 words or 200 MB. A YouTube video must be public and have captions (auto-generated ones work): only the transcript is imported, videos uploaded in the last 72 hours may not be available yet, and videos without speech are not supported.
You can also find sources inside the tool: type a topic in the Sources panel, choose Web or Drive and import the results you want. Deep Research goes further, but only users over 18 can use it.
How many notebooks and sources you get depends on the plan:
| Plan | Notebooks | Sources per notebook |
|---|---|---|
| Standard (free) | 100 | 50 |
| Google AI Plus | 200 | 100 |
| Google AI Pro | 500 | 300 |
| Google AI Ultra | 500 | 500–600 |
Paid plans also come with higher Gemini model usage limits and earlier access to new features.
Studio: Audio and Video Overviews, mind maps, flashcards and quizzes
The Studio panel turns your sources into other formats:
- Audio Overview. A podcast-style discussion of your material in four formats: Deep Dive (two hosts, the default), Brief (one speaker, under two minutes), Critique and Debate. Georgian is supported. Interactive mode, where you ask the hosts questions by voice, is English-only for now. You can download or share the audio.
- Video Overview. Three formats: Explainer, Short (about 60 seconds) and Cinematic. Georgian works for Explainer and Short; Cinematic is English-only and for users 18 and over.
- Mind Map. A tree of topics: click any node to ask about that topic in the chat.
- Flashcards and Quizzes. Choose easy, medium or hard and describe the topic and audience in a prompt.
- Reports, infographics and slides. Study guides, briefings and presentations from the same sources. Some features are limited to users over 18.
Course at TDSAI for Teachers4 weeks · 16 h · Starts 16 NovDetailsSharing a notebook with a class or a team
Use Share to invite people by email as Viewer (reads sources and notes) or Editor (adds and removes sources, can reshare). “Copy link to chat view” shows only the chat, but Google warns that it does not fully revoke access to the sources, so only put material in the notebook that everyone may see.
A personal Gmail account can share a notebook with up to 50 people, or make it public (viewers need a Google account to open it). Once a notebook is shared with at least four people and has had chat activity in the past week, analytics show users and questions per day.
Three worked examples: a student, a teacher and a small business
A student before an exam
- Create one notebook per subject and add the lecture PDFs, slides and a recorded lecture from YouTube.
- Ask for a study guide and a mind map: together they show the whole topic.
- Generate hard flashcards and a quiz, then ask about every mistake: “Explain why this answer is correct and show me where the source says so.”
- The evening before the exam, listen to a Brief Audio Overview in your language.
A teacher planning a unit
Add the relevant part of the national curriculum, a textbook chapter and your own notes to one notebook. In Studio, prepare a study guide, a mind map and a 10-question quiz, and ask the chat for the same text at three reading levels. Share with students only a notebook that holds no private notes. For ready prompts for lesson plans and worksheets, see lesson plans with AI in 15 minutes; for classroom activities, see 20 fun lesson ideas with AI. University lecturers, for whom accurate sources and literature matter most, have their own guide: AI for university lecturers.
A small business and its policies
Add your returns policy, delivery terms, price list and staff handbook. A new employee can ask “How long does a customer have to return an item?” and get an answer with a citation pointing to the exact clause. An Audio Overview made in Studio works as a short onboarding briefing. When a policy changes, delete the old source and add the new one, or an answer may rely on the old version.
One notebook, one topic. If you put every subject or every document into one notebook, the answers get vague. After every important answer, click the citation number and check that the source really says that.
Limits and privacy
- Mistakes still happen. Google itself warns that AI-generated Video Overviews may contain inaccuracies. Check key facts against the citation.
- A citation is not the truth. If a source is outdated or wrong, the answer will be too.
- Training on your data. Google says data from personal accounts is not used to train Gemini Notebook unless you send feedback, in which case the conversation may be reviewed. On Workspace and Workspace for Education accounts, data is not reviewed by humans and is not used to train AI models.
- Copyright. Do not share someone else’s book or course through a public link.
When your own files are not enough and you also need the web, the Gemini chat is the better fit: see the Google Gemini guide. For long documents, another option is Claude’s Projects, and for everyday chat, how to use ChatGPT in Georgia.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Gemini Notebook and NotebookLM?
There is none: it is the same product. Google renamed NotebookLM to Gemini Notebook on 16 July 2026 and redirected the old address to the new one. Notebooks also appear in the Gemini app, but Audio and Video Overviews are only in Gemini Notebook itself.
Is Gemini Notebook free?
Yes. The Standard plan is free with a Google account: up to 100 notebooks and 50 sources each. Google AI Plus, Pro and Ultra add more sources, higher limits and earlier access to new features.
Does NotebookLM work in Georgian?
Yes. Georgian is a supported language: chat, study materials, Audio Overviews and the Explainer and Short Video Overview formats work in Georgian. Set Output Language to Georgian in Settings. Interactive audio and Cinematic video are English-only for now.
How do I create a NotebookLM Audio Overview?
Add your sources, set the output language, open the Studio panel, choose Audio Overview and a format such as Deep Dive or Brief, then generate it. You can download the finished audio or share it with a link.
How many sources can one notebook hold?
Up to 50 on the free plan, 100 on Google AI Plus, 300 on Pro and 500–600 on Ultra. Each source can be up to 500,000 words or 200 MB.
Next step
Pick one topic you are working on now and build your first notebook with five sources. If you teach and want to prepare a whole unit with Gemini Notebook, Gemini, Canva and ElevenLabs (plan, worksheets, Georgian audio and video, a quiz), see the online course AI for Teachers, taught in Georgian. For questions, contact us for a free consultation.
Sources
- NotebookLM is now Gemini Notebook, Google Blog
- Learn about Gemini Notebook, Google Help
- Add or discover new sources for your notebook, Google Help
- Learn about Gemini Notebook’s plans, Google Help
- Generate Audio Overview in Gemini Notebook, Google Help
- Generate Video Overviews in Gemini Notebook, Google Help
- Change output language in Gemini Notebook, Google Help
- Create a notebook in Gemini Notebook, Google Help
- Notebooks in Gemini Apps, Google Help
