Hey {{first name | there}}! 👋
This week we introduced NotebookLM — Google's free AI tool that reads your documents for you.
Today is your cheat sheet issue — the prompts, shortcuts, and tricks that take you from beginner to confident user. No experience needed. Just copy, paste, and watch it work. 🚀
Print this one out. Screenshot it. Save it. You'll come back to it. 😊
⚡ Quick Start Checklist
Before you dive in, make sure you've done these three things:
[ ] Go to notebooklm.google.com and sign in with Google
[ ] Click "New Notebook" and give it a name
[ ] Upload at least one document (PDF, Google Doc, YouTube link — anything!)
That's it. Now you're ready. Let's go. 👇
📋 The 10 Best Copy-Paste Prompts
These work for almost any document. Just upload your file and paste one of these into the chat:
🟢 For Quick Understanding
"Give me the 5 most important takeaways from this document in simple, plain English."
Best for: Long reports, articles, eBooks you don't have time to read fully
"Summarise this like I'm a complete beginner who knows nothing about this topic."
Best for: Technical or complex documents that feel overwhelming
"What are the 5 most important questions someone must be able to answer after reading this?"
Best for: Studying, preparing for meetings, or learning something new fast
🟡 For Deeper Learning
"Explain the most complex concept in this document using a simple everyday analogy."
Best for: Understanding tricky ideas without getting lost in jargon
"Create a step-by-step action plan based on the advice in this document."
Best for: Self-help books, how-to guides, strategy documents
"What does this document NOT cover that I should also know about?"
Best for: Research, making sure you're not missing important context
🔵 For Work & Productivity
"Turn this into a bullet-point briefing I can share with someone who hasn't read it."
Best for: Summarising meeting notes, reports, or long emails for a colleague
"Extract all the action items and deadlines mentioned in this document into a clean table."
Best for: Meeting transcripts, project documents, planning notes
"Rewrite the key points of this document as a FAQ — questions and answers format."
Best for: Training documents, onboarding materials, product guides
🔴 For Audio Overviews (The Podcast Feature)
Use this as your Audio Overview prompt:
"Explain the core concepts as if teaching a curious beginner. Use real-world analogies for every complex idea. Focus on why this matters in everyday life, not just what it is."
This makes the AI podcast hosts speak in plain, engaging language — perfect for beginners
1. Start with the Notebook Guide
Before asking anything, check the auto-generated Notebook Guide on the right side. It gives you a summary, key topics, and suggested questions before you even type a word. Always start here!
2. Click the Citation Chips
Every answer NotebookLM gives includes little citation chips. Click them and it jumps straight to the exact sentence in your document where it found that information. Great for fact-checking!
3. Save Answers as Notes
See a useful answer? Click "Save to Note" to keep it. Build up a collection of your best insights in the Notes section — it becomes your personal knowledge base.
4. Customise Your Audio Overview
Don't just click generate — customise it first! You can choose:
Format: Deep dive, brief, debate, or critique
Focus: Tell it exactly what angle to cover
Language: Available in 35+ languages
5. 🌐 Add a YouTube Video as a Source
Paste any YouTube video URL as a source and NotebookLM reads the transcript. Great for summarising long tutorials, lectures, or interviews instantly.
6. 🗺️ Use the Mind Map First
Before reading a long document, generate a Mind Map from the Studio panel. It shows you the big picture in seconds. Click any branch to dive deeper into that specific topic.
7. 📊 Use Google Docs as "Living Sources"
If you add a Google Doc as a source (instead of a PDF), NotebookLM automatically updates when your Doc changes. Perfect for ongoing projects and notes that evolve over time.
🎯 5 Real-Life Ways to Use It This Week
Situation | What to do |
|---|---|
📚 Long article you keep avoiding | Upload it → Ask for 5 key takeaways |
🎧 Learning something new | Upload a PDF → Generate an Audio Overview → Listen on your commute |
📝 Preparing for a meeting | Upload the agenda or report → Ask "What are the most important points I should know?" |
🎓 Studying for something | Upload your notes → Generate Flashcards from the Studio panel |
📧 Summarising for a colleague | Upload a long document → Use the briefing doc prompt above |
🚫 3 Common Mistakes to Avoid
1. Asking vague questions
❌ "Tell me about this" ✅ "What are the 3 most surprising facts in this document?" The more specific you are, the better the answer.
2. Forgetting to use the Studio panel
Most people only use the chat. The Studio panel on the right creates podcasts, videos, flashcards, and slides — in one click. Don't ignore it!
3. Uploading too little
NotebookLM gets smarter the more you give it. Upload multiple related documents to one notebook and ask it to find connections between them. That's where the real magic happens.
📱 Bonus: Use It on Your Phone!
NotebookLM has a free mobile app on both iOS and Android. You can listen to Audio Overviews on the go, add sources from your phone, and chat with your documents anywhere.
That's your NotebookLM cheat sheet! 🎉
Next week we're moving on to a brand new tool — stay tuned for Next week’s issue to find out what it is!
In the meantime — have you tried NotebookLM yet? Hit reply and let me know. I'd love to hear how it's going! 😊
Jatin Chawla
Founder, AI Made Simple