Gemini Notebook
Ask questions about your own documents
What I use it for
When I need to understand a long document: a contract, manual, study or set of notes. I upload it and ask questions. Gemini Notebook (formerly NotebookLM) answers only from those documents and shows the passage in the original for every statement.
Who it suits
Anyone who deals with paperwork: checking a tenancy agreement, searching a user manual, course notes for your studies, minutes for a club or association.
How to get started
- Sign in at notebook.google.com with your Google account and create a new notebook.
- Upload a file, for example a PDF. A YouTube link works too.
- Ask a specific question: “Are there any costs in this contract that I might overlook?” Then click the small numbers in the answer: they take you straight to the passage in the document.
Extra: with the audio summary, Gemini Notebook turns your documents into a short conversation you can listen to. Good for when you’re on the move.
Free or paid
Free. Higher limits come with the Google subscriptions. See the official page
What to watch out for
The answer is only as good as the documents. If the right file is missing, Gemini Notebook will usually say so honestly, but not always.
My verdict
The tool that surprises beginners most. My tip for your second tool.