Facts checked Oct 18, 2026Price checked Oct 17, 2026 on support.google.com.
Explain it simply
You upload your own documents, such as an employee handbook or a supplier manual, and ask questions in plain English. It answers only from those files and shows where each answer came from, so staff can check it. It is free with a Google account.
Gemini Notebook, Google's new name for NotebookLM, takes PDFs, Docs, Slides, Sheets, web pages, YouTube videos and audio as sources and answers with citations to the exact passage. Custom chat instructions can be up to 10,000 characters. Paid Google AI plans raise notebook, source and usage limits.
Jamie's Farm, a granola business, uses NotebookLM to find answers in long, complicated store manuals before shipping. Google says it helps prevent costly shipping or labeling mistakes; no time or money figure is given.
Checking what a long PDF actually says before acting on it
Watch-outs
Know before you start
Google warns "Gemini Notebook can make mistakes"; check the cited passage
Answers are only as current as the sources you upload
Free AI usage refreshes every 5 hours up to a weekly limit, and Google says limits may change
Pricing and access
Free with a Google account: 100 notebooks and 50 sources per notebook, each source up to 500,000 words or 200MB. Google AI Plus, Pro and Ultra plans raise those limits, and Workspace Business Standard includes expanded access.
Price checked Oct 17, 2026 on support.google.com. Prices and plans change; check the official site before you buy.
Facts and sources
Google's help center lists 100 notebooks and 50 sources per notebook on the standard free tier, with sources of up to 500,000 words or 200MB.Google, Oct 17, 2026