I'll be honest with you right from the start. NotebookLM has almost no internal setting items like ChatGPT or Gemini's "Memory On" feature. If you only look at the main settings screen, you'll be done in one minute.
"Oh, then I don't need this article."
——Wait. It's actually the opposite.
Tools with few setting items don't show much difference immediately after purchase, but a year later, a massive gap emerges based on the "human-side setup."
Just as a smartphone's initial setup is completed by installing apps, NotebookLM's initial setup is completed by "installing extensions and placing your first notebooks."
This article is a complete guide to that entire process—10 minutes for main settings, 5 minutes for extensions, and 15 minutes for the first four notebooks, totaling a 30-minute setup—guided by me, who has used it every day for a year.
If you're just starting with NotebookLM, following this order will get you to a "ready-to-use" state on day one. Even if you're already using it, you'll likely find things you didn't know in Parts 2 and 3.
Part 1: Main Body Initial Settings—Finish This in 10 Minutes
First is the main body setup. As I said, there aren't many items. That's why you must nail the few that exist. There are only six things to check.
① Account Confirmation—It's Fine to Start for Free
NotebookLM is free to use with a Google account. Just search for "NotebookLM" in your browser and log in. No credit card registration is required.
Let me clear up two major anxieties before you start.
First: "Will my data be used for AI training in the free version?"
——No. NotebookLM explicitly states that it does not use uploaded data for AI training, even in the free version. If you see information saying the free version is dangerous, it is inaccurate.
Note: Just because they say it's not used for training doesn't mean you should input sensitive personal information. Follow your company's generative AI manual.
Second: "Will the free version lack features?"
——Everything in this article can be done with the free version. If you hit limits on the number of notebooks or sources in the future, you can consider the paid version then.
One decision you need to make is which account to use. A personal account is fine for private learning. For work, check your company rules first (I'll detail this in Part 1, Section ⑤).
② Output Language Setting—Fix Responses to Your Language
NotebookLM occasionally responds in English if it gets caught up in English sources. This happens often when using overseas articles or papers. If you set the output language to Japanese (or your preferred language) in the settings menu, this inconsistency disappears.
This setting affects not just chat responses, but also audio overviews and various generation features. If you've decided to use it in a specific language, fixing it first is the right move.
It's a subtle setting, but you should do it on day one. The reason is that many people feel "this looks difficult" the moment an English response comes back and close the tool entirely. It's a waste to let a language barrier end your relationship with your new partner. Think of it as a setting to protect your first week's experience.
③ Chat Settings—Adjust Conversation Style and Response Length
NotebookLM's chat has a settings screen. Here, you can adjust the conversation style (the vibe of the response) and response length to your liking.
My recommended workflow is to leave it at default at first and only touch it when you feel dissatisfied. If you think "the responses are too long and tiring to read," shorten them. If you want more detailed explanations, change the style. Adjusting based on actual friction is more effective than preemptive tweaking. For now, just knowing where these adjustments are is enough.
④ Custom Instructions—Know That You Can Set a "Personality" for Notebooks
Within the same chat settings, there is a field I want you to check on day one: "Custom Instructions." By writing instructions here, you can fix the "personality" and "response format" of that specific notebook. For example, just by adding this sentence:
Always answer in the order of "Conclusion → Reason → Citation from Source," using language that a new employee can understand.
——That notebook will maintain this behavior no matter when you open it or how many times you chat with it.
There's no need to master this on day one. Just keep the fact that "NotebookLM can have a personality set for each notebook" in your head. When you grow NotebookLM into your "personal app" in the future, this field will be the entry point for everything.
⑤ Sharing Settings and Security—Do This Before Business Use
Notebooks can be shared with others via the share button in the top right. Permissions can be "Viewer" or "Editor," so as a rule, start with "Viewer." Only give editor permissions to someone you are co-developing sources with.
One more thing to remember before sharing: sharing a notebook shares the sources (documents inside) as well. Even if you think you're only showing the chat response, the other person can read the original source text. Get into the habit of checking "who is allowed to see the materials in this notebook" before hitting the share button.
And two absolute rules for business users:
1. Always check with your boss or company rules if you can put company documents into NotebookLM.
Regardless of whether data is used for training, companies have different policies about placing business data on external services.
2. Anonymize confidential or personal information before stocking it.
Change client names to "Company A" and individual names to "Person B." If you make this a habit on day one, you can accelerate later without worry. Security is a seatbelt, not a brake. Only those who buckle up can drive fast safely.
⑥ Gemini Integration—Experience the Connection Once
As the final touch of initial setup, try the integration between Gemini and NotebookLM once. The procedure is to open Gemini, select NotebookLM from the "+" in the input field, and connect a notebook.
Why is this part of the initial setup? NotebookLM's strength is "answering faithfully to stocked information," but Gemini is better at brainstorming from scratch or complex proposals. Connecting the two creates "a Gemini that knows all your information."
——This is the next level of NotebookLM utilization, and the "Company Notebook" we'll make in Part 3 truly shines with this integration. On day one, just connect one random notebook and ask it to "summarize the contents of this notebook." Get the experience of "it's connected" out of the way.
Part 2: Modding to "Pro Specs" with Two Chrome Extensions
Once the main body is set, it's time for equipment. There are divine Chrome extensions that supplement NotebookLM's official features. You should install two. Both are free, and installation takes 5 minutes total. Whether you do this or not makes the usability of NotebookLM literally a different beast.
⑦ Enhancer 4 Google—You're Losing Out Too Much Without This
The first one is essential. It's the Chrome extension "Enhancer 4 Google" developed by the teacher I respect, Kosuke (@GASsuke4u). it adds features to the standard NotebookLM screen that address common pain points.
What makes it so effective? As you use NotebookLM more, you will inevitably hit a wall:
The problem of having too many notebooks and not being able to find the one you want.
The standard home screen has no search function for notebooks, and by the time you've grown to dozens of books, you'll be scrolling through the list to find them. Enhancer 4 Google adds a notebook search function and category management.
You can organize them like folders—"Meeting Type," "Research Type"—and jump to them instantly with a search. It also includes features like visualization of generation counts, which power users love.
To those who think "I don't need it yet because I have few notebooks": it's the opposite. Don't install it after your notebooks increase; install it before they do.
In Part 3 of this article, you'll immediately make four notebooks. Whether you can start in an organized state from that point is decided by these 5 minutes on day one. Just search for "Enhancer 4 Google" in the Chrome Web Store and install it.
⑧ XMind Extension—Eliminate the Weakness of "Uneditable Mind Maps"
The second is Xmind's official free Chrome extension, "NotebookLM Mind Map Importer."
NotebookLM has a powerful "Mind Map" feature that turns source information into a single map with one click. However, its only weakness is that it cannot be edited.
The generated map could only be downloaded as a PNG image, meaning you couldn't "fix a branch name" or "add your own thoughts." This extension eliminates that weakness. It allows you to convert NotebookLM mind maps into editable Xmind format.
The steps are:
- Install the extension from the Chrome Web Store.
- Generate a mind map in NotebookLM on the Chrome browser.
- With the map displayed, click the "Edit in Xmind" button that appears in the top right (this button appears once you have the extension).
- Once converted, click "Edit online."
- In the Xmind editor, you can freely edit text and structure.
You can take the "Analysis Map" created by AI as a foundation and add your own thoughts to grow it into a "Thinking Map." Mind maps change from something you "look at" to something you "use." This will be useful for organizing meeting structures, brainstorming projects, and getting an overview of study notes—all of which we'll create in Part 3.
Part 3: The Real Initial Setup—Creating Your First "4 Notebooks"
Now, we come to the heart of this article. Just as a smartphone's initial setup is "installing apps," NotebookLM's initial setup is "creating your first four notebooks." This is because NotebookLM's value comes from the stock, not the settings. Preparing the vessels for what you will stock is the practical initial setup.
Create these four in order. Each takes only a few minutes to set up as a "vessel" and is designed to grow as you use it.
⑨ 1st Book: Meeting/Minutes Notebook—Just Change the Save Location
The first book is the easiest and the one where you'll feel the effect fastest. Create a new notebook, name it "Meeting/Minutes Notebook," and drag and drop your current meeting materials and minutes into it. That's it.
There's only one operational rule: From now on, change the storage location for minutes from a folder to this notebook. You aren't adding a new habit; you're just changing the location of an existing action, so there's no way to fail. Once they accumulate, try asking this:
List the things decided in last week's meetings and the tasks I am responsible for, including deadlines.
This is the birth of a "dedicated assistant who remembers every meeting." The time spent searching for materials and digging through memories will start to disappear from the first week.
The reason for making this the first book is that it works for everyone.
If you're a newcomer, you can ask past minutes to "explain the background of this project for a new employee" to catch up on the team's history without taking up your senior's time.
If you're a veteran, the more projects you handle, the more search time for "what happened with that case?" disappears. And by the time you've accumulated 1-2 weeks' worth, you'll experience the mental lightness of knowing that "even if I forget, the notebook remembers."
This feeling is the initial fuel that keeps you using NotebookLM.
⑩ 2nd Book: Guidebook Notebook—Let AI Create a Strategy Guide for Your Work
The second book is your go-to place when you're stuck at work. Create a new notebook and use the "Fast Research" feature to input your work themes (planning, sales, accounting, management, etc.) from three angles:
Collect articles that systematically explain the basic concepts and overall flow of [Theme] for beginners.
Collect articles that introduce practical techniques and tips for achieving results in [Theme], with specific examples.
Collect articles that introduce success and failure cases of [Theme], with analysis of the reasons.
Candidate information sources will appear in 10-20 seconds each, so just add the ones that look good. In 2-3 minutes, the first edition of "Your Work Strategy Guide," complete with basics, practice, and cases, is finished. From then on, when you have a problem at work, ask this notebook before wandering the internet. One hour of searching turns into seconds of questioning—this is likely the notebook where you'll first realize the power of NotebookLM.
⑪ 3rd Book: Self-Notebook—Just Talk to Your Phone for 10 Minutes
The third book is a bit different, but it's the one that will have the most long-term impact on your life. A "Self-Notebook" to stock your own information—strengths, weaknesses, experiences, values, and goals.
If you say "I can't write a self-analysis," you don't have to. Open a recording app on your phone and talk about yourself for 10 minutes.
What made you happy or frustrated in your past work? What are you good at or bad at? What do you really want to become? It's fine if it's messy.
NotebookLM can use audio files directly as sources, so just throw the recording in. If you usually use ChatGPT or Gemini, it's also powerful to ask them to "comprehensively analyze and output my experiences, thoughts, and values from past chat history" and add that output as a source.
Having this notebook changes the quality of AI consultation. An AI that doesn't know you can only give generalities, but an AI with a Self-Notebook will return "your answer."
Moreover, this thought file isn't just for NotebookLM. It's a lifelong self-introduction document you can give to ChatGPT, Gemini, or any AI that appears in the future. Tools change, but your verbalized data remains an asset. To grow it, just talk for a few minutes at the end of each week to reflect and add it. For the initial setup stage, one 10-minute recording is enough.
⑫ 4th Book: Company Notebook—Stock Your Entire Company
And the fourth book. This is the one many people don't make, but if you use it for business, you must set it up early. A "Company Notebook" that stocks your company itself.
Put in materials like these:
- Management philosophy, mission, and code of conduct
- New Year's greetings from the CEO or messages from internal newsletters
- Brand guidelines and company brochures
- Public documents like medium-term management plans
And if possible, things that show your boss's way of thinking—past approved proposals, notes on feedback received. The image is to collect "what makes our company unique" and "our company's judgment criteria" into one book.
Why is this an initial setup? Because all work output is ultimately evaluated within the "company context."
Does the plan align with the philosophy? Is the writing in the company's tone? Does the proposal meet the boss's criteria? ——If you create a state where you can check this in seconds at any time, the accuracy of all subsequent work will improve.
And this is where the Gemini integration you set up in Part 1, Section ⑥, shows its true worth. Connect the Company Notebook to Gemini and try brainstorming like this:
Based on the connected Company Notebook (management philosophy, code of conduct, past proposals), please brainstorm whether my current project plan is "typical of our company" and "where it should be fixed to be easily approved."
[Project Plan] (Paste project overview here)
A brainstorming partner who knows all the company context can be called upon at any time. For a new employee, company understanding accelerates by months; for a mid-career employee, the approval rate of proposals changes; and for a manager, consistency in explanations to subordinates emerges. Despite its plain appearance, this is the notebook with the widest "range of effect" among the four.
Part 4: The "What Not to Do" List for Day One
Finally, a contrarian part. The reason I'm writing "what not to do" in an initial setup guide is that the stumbling blocks for people who quit NotebookLM are remarkably common. Please make these three promises.
1. Don't try to use all the features.
NotebookLM has many attractive features—audio overviews, video explanations, reports, tests, slide generation. If you touch them all on day one, you'll just be left with the impression that "it seems like it can do a lot," and you'll have no reason to open it the next day. Learn features on the day you need them. On day one, just "input sources" and "ask in chat." In fact, the greatness of this tool is that it works with just those two.
2. Don't create too many notebooks.
If you enthusiastically make 10 or 20 books, you'll lose track of what's in which notebook, everything will grow halfway, and you'll stop opening any of them. The rule is "one notebook per theme," and start with just the four from Part 3. Wait until you've used those four for 1-2 weeks and feel "I want to make this theme independent" before making a fifth. Growing a notebook is stronger than increasing them.
3. Don't aim for perfect organization or perfect source collection.
"I'll start after I've gathered all the materials properly" is the catchphrase of people who never start. You can open for business with 2-3 sources. You can add missing pieces or biases as you use it. A NotebookLM notebook is not a place to make a finished product; it's a living thing intended to be grown. Someone who starts running at 60% will overtake someone preparing for 100% in a week.
Summary: In 30 Minutes, Your NotebookLM Will Be in a "Ready-to-Use" State
Let's summarize what to do one last time.
Main body setup (10 mins)—Account check, output language, chat settings, understanding custom instructions, sharing and security rules, Gemini integration trial.
Extensions (5 mins)—Install Enhancer 4 Google and XMind extension.
Real initial setup (15 mins)—Open the four notebooks: Meeting, Guidebook, Self, and Company.
Total 30 minutes. In less time than it takes to change your smartphone model, your NotebookLM will be in a state of "a growing partner you can ask anything at any time." Because it's a tool with few setting items, the difference between those who did these 30 minutes and those who didn't will be the difference one year later.
The world of AI evolves so fast. Rather than trying to keep up with the latest information alone, the surest and fastest way is to follow someone who practices and shares every day.
▼ Follow me on X (Twitter) here. On my account, I share know-how to accelerate work efficiency and time-saving with AI every day. I share the most detailed info on NotebookLM utilization, so if you want to master the latest AI, please follow me! @ai_jitan
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