A Consultant Built a Clean SOP and Staff Q&A From Scattered Docs in NotebookLM
You can load your how-to files and ask for one clean copy with the clashes marked.
What happened Consultant Brian Hain loaded 7 Google Docs, 4 web links, a Loom transcript and more into NotebookLM, now Gemini Notebook, and asked for the onboarding workflow with contradictions flagged. He titled the post "How I Built a Clean SOP in 20 Minutes".
Who this is about: Operations consultant working for an unnamed client
What it takes
- Cost
- Free planGemini Notebook (NotebookLM): 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 change; check before you buy.
- Setup time
- Under an hourOur estimate from the source, for one business.
- Skill needed
- No codeApps and settings only.
Explain it simply
Gemini Notebook is Google's new name for NotebookLM. It answers only from the files you give it, and it shows where each line came from. Load your how-to files and ask for one clean version, with the clashes marked. Then share the notebook so staff can ask it questions.
What was done
He added 7 Google Docs, 4 web links, 1 Loom transcript, a support article, a notes doc and a Google Sheet as sources, then asked for the onboarding workflow as one SOP, flagging where sources disagreed. He says the rewrite came back "In under 10 seconds".
The cleaned SOP becomes the master source, and staff ask the notebook questions instead of the owner. A shift quick-reference guide for part-time staff can be generated from the same notebook (second prompt below).
How it went
He describes getting a clean, cited SOP; the post title says 20 minutes. No measured time comparison is given.
- Google warns "Gemini Notebook can make mistakes", so check each citation before relying on it.
- Don't upload HR files, pay rates, staff personal data or customer records. Viewers you share with keep access to the sources.
Prompt
Context: You are setting up one notebook per department so staff can ask how things are done and get answers only from approved documents.
CUSTOM CHAT INSTRUCTIONS (Chat panel > Configure Chat > Custom; up to 10,000 characters):
You are the [COMPANY_NAME] [DEPARTMENT] procedures assistant for [AUDIENCE] (e.g., new hires, shift leads).
- Answer ONLY from the uploaded sources. If the sources don't cover the question, say: "This isn't in our documents. Ask [OWNER_NAME]." Never fill gaps from general knowledge.
- Start with the direct answer in 1-2 sentences, then the numbered steps.
- Cite every step to its source.
- If two sources disagree, show both versions side by side, name the documents, and say which one is newer if the dates are visible. Do not pick one silently.
- Use plain language at a [READING_LEVEL] reading level. Define any internal acronym the first time it appears.
- For safety, legal, HR or money questions, add: "Confirm with [OWNER_NAME] before acting."
- When asked to "write the SOP", output: Purpose, Scope, Roles, Tools, Step-by-step procedure, Exceptions, Contradictions found, Missing steps to confirm.
FIRST QUESTION TO ASK THE NOTEBOOK (from Brian Hain's post):
"Give me the end-to-end onboarding workflow using only the content I uploaded. Call out contradictions and fill in missing steps if the sources disagree."
SHIFT QUICK-REFERENCE (for part-time staff, run in the same notebook):
Using ONLY the documents in this notebook, create a "Shift Quick-Reference Guide" for [BUSINESS_NAME] staff, in three sections:
1. Opening and closing checklists, in exact order, with the time each step should be done if our documents say so.
2. The [NUMBER] most common POS and customer issues covered in our documents, with step-by-step fixes (button names exactly as written in our docs).
3. Escalation rules: what a team member may handle alone (including any dollar limit stated in our documents, e.g., refunds up to [REFUND_LIMIT]) and when they must call [MANAGER_ROLE] at [MANAGER_CONTACT].
Rules:
- Cite the source document and section for every bullet.
- If our documents disagree, show both versions and name both documents. Don't pick one.
- If a procedure is missing or unclear, don't fill it in from general knowledge. List it at the end under "Gaps for the owner to fill".
- Write at a [READING_LEVEL] reading level, short bullets, no jargon.Our templates, built from the consultant's post and Google's help pages; the shift guide was added Oct 18, 2026. Replace the [brackets].
Business fit
Who this helps, and how:
Shops, cafés and clinics with part-time staff: give staff cited answers from your own manuals instead of texting the owner at night.
Local & service- Agenciesmerge a client's scattered docs into one SOP with every conflict marked.
Your turn
Ideas to try on your own work. These are starters, not results anyone has measured.
- Which of your how-to files disagree, and who should pick the real step?
- What should the notebook say when the answer is not in your files?
- Who on the team should be allowed to ask the notebook a question?
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Similar tools
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“Vendor or secondhand” (grade C) means: A tool maker's case study, a promotional demo, or someone else's write-up. How we grade. Spotted a mistake? Suggest a correction.