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How to Use NotebookLM to Study Smarter

Turn your notes, slides and readings into a source-grounded study assistant with quizzes, study guides and audio summaries.

By AI Resource Hub Editorial TeamUpdated 2 min read
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  1. Step 1: Create a notebook for each course
  2. Step 2: Start with an overview
  3. Step 3: Ask questions as you study
  4. Step 4: Create study materials
  5. Step 5: Test yourself
  6. Step 6: Listen to Audio Overviews
  7. Good habits
  8. Limitations
  9. Next steps

NotebookLM is a free Google tool that answers questions using only the sources you add. For studying, that's ideal: answers come from your course materials, with citations you can click to see the exact passage.

Step 1: Create a notebook for each course

  1. Go to notebooklm.google and sign in with a Google account.
  2. Create a new notebook, named after the course or module.
  3. Add sources: PDFs of lecture slides, your notes, readings, Google Docs, website links or YouTube videos.

Only add materials you have the right to use, and check whether your institution has rules about uploading course content.

Step 2: Start with an overview

Ask: "Summarise the main topics covered in these sources and how they connect." Then: "What are the 10 most important concepts I need to understand?"

Step 3: Ask questions as you study

When something in a lecture doesn't make sense, ask NotebookLM. Click the citation numbers to read the original passage – this checks the answer and reinforces your learning.

Step 4: Create study materials

NotebookLM can generate:

  • Study guides with key terms and short-answer questions.
  • FAQs and timelines for history or process topics.
  • Briefing documents summarising sources.
  • Mind maps of how concepts connect.

Review these against your notes: they're summaries, so they may leave things out.

Step 5: Test yourself

Ask: "Quiz me with 5 questions on week 3, one at a time, and tell me which source to reread if I get one wrong." Active recall is far more effective than rereading.

Step 6: Listen to Audio Overviews

Audio Overviews turn your sources into a podcast-style conversation. They're useful for revision on the bus or while walking. Treat them as an introduction: they can simplify or occasionally misstate details.

Good habits

  • Keep one notebook per course so answers stay focused.
  • Add your own notes, not just slides – they include what the lecturer emphasised.
  • Use it to understand, not to write assignments for you.

Limitations

  • It only knows what you upload; missing materials mean missing knowledge.
  • There are limits on sources per notebook and source size.
  • It can still misinterpret sources, so check citations.

Next steps

See how to use AI as a student and our study prompts.

Frequently asked questions

Is NotebookLM free?

Yes, it's free with a Google account. Paid Google AI plans offer higher limits.

Does NotebookLM use the internet to answer?

Its answers are based on the sources you add to the notebook, with citations to those sources.

AI Resource Hub Editorial Team

Our editors research AI tools using official documentation and reliable reporting, and update guides when products change. Read our editorial policy to see how we work. Editorial policy.

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