Gemini Notebook

Google's AI research notebook

by Google

Overview

Gemini Notebook is Google's source-based research workspace, renamed from NotebookLM in July 2026 and still the same product, with existing notebooks reachable and both web and mobile available. Sources can be uploaded or found: PDF, Word, PowerPoint, CSV, text and Markdown, Google Docs, Slides and Sheets, images, audio, web pages and YouTube videos with captions are supported up to 500,000 words per source and 200MB per upload, alongside Deep Research and search across the web and Drive - so the practical limit is not what you can upload but whether the answers match the sources you selected. Outputs are cited answers plus Audio and Video Overviews, mind maps, flashcards, quizzes, reports and slide decks, and the audio is not always two hosts: single-presenter briefs and discussions are documented as well. Downloads are conditional rather than guaranteed: audio can be downloaded and slides export as PDF or PPTX, but a notebook built on Play Books sources can be blocked by the publisher, and revising a deck does not re-read the sources. Usage is metered in compute and depends on the model, the feature, the prompt complexity and the conversation length, refilling every five hours with a weekly cap on top; the page as read on 23 September 2026 dated that switch 2 September 2026, while the page read on 2 November 2026 states no start date for it. It is not sold on its own: it comes with eligible Google plans, and Google's published US list price is $7.99/month for Google AI Plus, with AI Pro renewing at $19.99/month.

On data use, Google states that notebook content is not used to directly train foundation models, that feedback you submit may be collected and kept for up to three years while being disconnected from your account, and that Workspace and Workspace for Education content is not reviewed by humans and not used for training. The retention period for notebook content itself is not given a number (Gemini Notebook help, read 12 October 2026).

The documented programmatic route is an Enterprise arrangement; consumer-plan coverage is not established here: Google's documentation places it under Gemini Notebook Enterprise, which requires an Enterprise licence obtained through a Google Cloud subscription with a minimum of 15 seats, and the API pages are marked Preview (pre-GA). Whether a consumer Google AI subscription covers API usage is not stated on the pages read, and the consumer help pages list plan upgrades without mentioning the API, so that part is not claimed here (Google Cloud Gemini Notebook Enterprise licensing documentation, read 12 October 2026).

The browser service is offered to users above the applicable age of consent in its supported countries and territories. Google publishes a browser territory list and warns that mobile-app availability may differ. Age verification may be required.

Editor's take

Worth using when the job is to read a defined set of sources and answer from them, and when you will check the answers against the material - it cites its sources rather than promising correctness. Two things to plan for: usage is metered in compute with a five-hour refresh and a weekly cap rather than the old fixed per-day counts, so the figure to trust is the one in your own Usage settings, and paid access comes bundled with eligible Google AI or Workspace plans rather than as a standalone Notebook subscription.

Our reading of who this suits, based on the sources above. Opinion, offered to help you decide - not a lab result.

Key Features

Uploaded and discovered sources: PDF, Office, CSV, text, images, audio, web pages, captioned YouTube
500,000 words per source and 200MB per upload, with a per-notebook source count that rises by plan
Cited answers, plus Deep Research and web and Drive source discovery
Audio and Video Overviews, with single-presenter as well as multi-speaker formats
Mind maps, flashcards, quizzes, reports and slide decks
Compute-based usage metering with five-hour refreshes and weekly limits

Use Cases

Reading a set of papers or documents and asking cited questions
Turning sources into a study set: mind map, flashcards, quiz
Producing an audio overview or a slide deck from the material
Gathering sources from Drive and the web before analysis

Pros

✓Answers carry citations back to the sources you chose
✓Sources can be found as well as uploaded, including through Deep Research
✓Slides export as PDF or PPTX and audio can be downloaded
✓Source capacity is stated per plan: 50 per notebook on the standard tier, up to 600 on the top one

Cons

✕YouTube import reads the transcript rather than the picture, and web capture takes body text only - embedded video, sub-pages and paywalled pages are not brought in
✕Export is conditional: Play Books sources can block downloads, and revising a deck does not re-read the sources
✕Usage is compute-based with a five-hour refresh and a weekly cap, while the older per-day tables are still published on the help pages
✕Paid allowance is bundled with eligible Google AI or Workspace plans, not sold as a Notebook-only plan
✕Public sharing of generated links is a consumer-account feature; Workspace Enterprise and Education do not offer the same route

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Gemini Notebook the same as NotebookLM?

Yes. NotebookLM was renamed Gemini Notebook in July 2026 and existing notebooks remain accessible; this site keeps the old address as a stable link and the old name as something to search for.

What are the limits on sources?

Documents, images, audio and text are supported up to 500,000 words per source and 200MB per upload, with slides limited to 100 pages and spreadsheets to 100k tokens. YouTube import uses captions rather than the video, and web capture takes body text only, without embedded video, sub-pages or paywalled pages.

How much can I use it?

Usage is metered in compute - it depends on the model, the feature, the prompt complexity and the conversation length - refilling every five hours with a weekly cap on top. The plan table gives Plus two times the standard allowance, Pro four times, and Ultra 5x or 20x higher than AI Pro depending on the subscription. The exact remaining amount is shown in Settings, under Usage; the older per-day tables still on the help pages are not the new rule. The page read on 2 November 2026 states no start date for this metering, so none is printed here.

What does it cost?

There is a free standard tier, and paid allowance comes with eligible Google AI or Workspace plans rather than as a separate Notebook subscription. Google published a US list price of $7.99 a month for Google AI Plus and a $19.99 monthly renewal for AI Pro. This site does not print an annual total, because we could not read a current price page confirming one.

Can I download what it makes?

Audio can be downloaded and slides export as PDF or PPTX, but not unconditionally: a notebook that includes Play Books sources may have downloads blocked by the publisher, and revising a slide deck does not re-read the sources, so the material still needs checking.

Task guides for this product

T8 · Compare ten PDFs in a Chinese evidence table

Key facts and where they come from

PriceNot established: The direct Notebook plans page exposed only an iframe. Official help confirms free, Google AI, qualifying Workspace and Cloud Enterprise upgrade routes, but a complete current purchasable quote with currency, account/channel and market conditions remains unestablished.Source: Google - AI Plus US availability and price · Google - student offer terms (AI Pro renewal price)
AvailabilityDocumented: The browser service is offered to users above the applicable age of consent in its supported countries and territories. Google publishes a browser territory list and warns that mobile-app availability may differ. Age verification may be required.Source: Google help — Gemini Notebook browser availability
Commercial useNot established: Gemini Notebook: permission and applicable conditions for the user to use outputs commercially were not established by the registered source statements. No contrary conclusion about the capability is inferred.
Training on your dataDocumented: Read on 12 October 2026. States that "The content in Gemini Notebook will not be used to directly train our foundational AI models, unless you choose to provide feedback", that reviewed feedback and related data are retained "for up to 3 years, disconnected from your Google Account", and that Workspace or Workspace for Education uploads, queries and responses "will not be reviewed by human reviewers" and "will not be used to train AI models". No numeric retention period is given for notebook content itself.Source: Gemini Notebook - data use and retention
API billingNot established: Enterprise API licensing is recorded, including at least 15 licences per subscription and Preview/Pre-GA scope; whether a consumer Google AI plan covers API use remains unestablished.Source: Gemini Notebook - plans and upgrade paths · Google Cloud - Gemini Notebook Enterprise licensing
Export formatsDocumented: Slide decks export as PDF or PPTX, and revising a deck does not re-read the sources; a notebook containing Play Books sources may have downloads blocked by the publisher.Source: Gemini Notebook - slide decks
Usage limitsDocumented: Supported sources include documents, images, audio, web pages and captioned YouTube, up to 500,000 words per source and 200MB per upload, with slides capped at 100 pages and sheets at 100k tokens; YouTube import uses captions, and web capture takes body text only. Gemini Notebook has compute-based usage limits that depend on prompt complexity, the models and features used, and the length of a chat; the quota refreshes every 5 hours until a weekly limit is reached, and an upgrade raises the ceiling. The plan table gives Plus two times the standard allowance, Pro four times, and Ultra 5x or 20x higher than AI Pro depending on the subscription. The page read here states no start date for this metering. Sources per notebook: 50 on the standard tier, 100 on Plus, 300 on Pro and up to 600 on Ultra; the paid tiers come with eligible Google plans rather than as a separate Notebook subscription.Source: Gemini Notebook - source rules · Gemini Notebook - usage limits · Gemini Notebook - plans and source capacity

Official sources

The vendor pages we read for the claims on this page, what each one states, and the day we read it.

Google - AI Plus US availability and price ↗
Google's 27 January 2026 announcement states the US price of Google AI Plus at $7.99 a month; that is the figure quoted on this site, and it describes Google AI Plus rather than a Notebook-only plan.
Read on September 23, 2026
Google - student offer terms (AI Pro renewal price) ↗
Google's 19 August 2026 student offer states the regular AI Pro renewal price as $19.99 a month in the US; the student eligibility itself is not a price available to every account and is not presented as one here.
Read on September 23, 2026
Gemini Notebook - what it is ↗
NotebookLM was renamed Gemini Notebook in July 2026 and existing notebooks remain accessible; it is a standalone web and mobile workspace rather than a Gemini chat model.
Read on September 23, 2026
Gemini Notebook - source rules ↗
Supported sources include documents, images, audio, web pages and captioned YouTube, up to 500,000 words per source and 200MB per upload, with slides capped at 100 pages and sheets at 100k tokens; YouTube import uses captions, and web capture takes body text only.
Read on September 23, 2026
Gemini Notebook - usage limits ↗
Gemini Notebook has compute-based usage limits that depend on prompt complexity, the models and features used, and the length of a chat; the quota refreshes every 5 hours until a weekly limit is reached, and an upgrade raises the ceiling. The plan table gives Plus two times the standard allowance, Pro four times, and Ultra 5x or 20x higher than AI Pro depending on the subscription. The page read here states no start date for this metering.
Read on November 2, 2026
Gemini Notebook - audio overviews ↗
Audio Overviews can be downloaded and are not limited to two hosts - single-presenter briefs and discussions are documented too; sharing a generated link requires the relevant notebook permissions, and public sharing is a consumer-account feature.
Read on September 23, 2026
Gemini Notebook - slide decks ↗
Slide decks export as PDF or PPTX, and revising a deck does not re-read the sources; a notebook containing Play Books sources may have downloads blocked by the publisher.
Read on September 23, 2026
Gemini Notebook - plans and source capacity ↗
Sources per notebook: 50 on the standard tier, 100 on Plus, 300 on Pro and up to 600 on Ultra; the paid tiers come with eligible Google plans rather than as a separate Notebook subscription.
Read on September 23, 2026
Gemini Notebook - data use and retention ↗
Read on 12 October 2026. States that "The content in Gemini Notebook will not be used to directly train our foundational AI models, unless you choose to provide feedback", that reviewed feedback and related data are retained "for up to 3 years, disconnected from your Google Account", and that Workspace or Workspace for Education uploads, queries and responses "will not be reviewed by human reviewers" and "will not be used to train AI models". No numeric retention period is given for notebook content itself.
Read on October 12, 2026
Gemini Notebook - plans and upgrade paths ↗
Read on 12 October 2026. Lists the upgrade paths as Google AI Plans, Google Cloud or a qualifying Google Workspace plan, and names the Standard, Plus, Pro and Ultra tiers; the page does not mention an API, so whether a consumer Google AI subscription covers API usage is left unestablished rather than denied.
Read on October 12, 2026
Google Cloud - Gemini Notebook Enterprise licensing ↗
Read on 12 October 2026. Places the programmatic API under Gemini Notebook Enterprise, which requires an Enterprise licence through a Google Cloud subscription with at least 15 licences per subscription; the named API pages sit under that Enterprise product and the notebooks API page carries a Preview / Pre-GA notice. It does not state whether consumer plans cover API usage.
Read on October 12, 2026
Google help — Gemini Notebook browser availability ↗
The browser service is offered to users above the applicable age of consent in its supported countries and territories. Google publishes a browser territory list and warns that mobile-app availability may differ. Age verification may be required.
Read on October 15, 2026

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