Create Mind Maps in Notebook LM
Visual Walkthrough
See how to create and explore dynamic Mind Maps inside NotebookLM, step by step:
Creating Mind Maps in NotebookLM: This is the main NotebookLM workspace where you’ll manage all your sources and projects.
Example of a Generated Mind Map: Here’s what a mind map looks like after NotebookLM processes your selected sources.
Uploading Supported File Types: You can upload PDFs, text documents, audio files, and markdown directly from your computer.
Adding Files from Google Drive: If your Google Drive is connected, you can easily pull in content stored in your account.
Using the “Website” Upload Option: Paste in a website link by clicking the Website button — NotebookLM will extract usable information.
Adding an Entire Website as a Source: Insert a full website URL here to include it in your research.
Uploading YouTube Video Content: NotebookLM also allows you to add YouTube video links as sources.
Source Limits Based on Your Account Tier: Your account level determines how many sources you can use — advanced accounts allow up to 300.
Pasting in Raw Text: You can manually paste any written content directly into your notebook.
Text Pasted into Source Field: This shows a pasted text block ready to be used for content generation or mapping.
Discovering New Sources via Search: Click “Discover Sources” to have NotebookLM search the web based on your input.
Typing Keywords or Topics: Enter topics or themes you'd like NotebookLM to find additional sources for.
Review the Query: Double-check the keywords you've entered before submitting.
Submit the Search Query: Click “Submit” and NotebookLM will begin gathering related content online.
Preview the Search Results: Here’s how the returned sources appear — select the ones you want to use.
Importing Selected Sources: After reviewing, click to import the content into your notebook.
Clicking the “Mind Map” Button: Once your sources are in place, click this button to generate your visual map.
Mind Map Generation in Progress: NotebookLM is now building the visual structure based on your content.
Mind Map Generation Complete: The processing finishes after a few seconds and displays your full mind map.
Open the Full Mind Map View: Click on the visual to open and explore the map interactively.
View of the Complete Mind Map: Here’s the structured layout of all the ideas and sources connected visually.
Clicking a Map Element: Select any node to drill into a
specific topic or source.
Content Generated for Selected Topic: NotebookLM creates additional written content based on the clicked mind map element.
Explore and Review Content: Scroll through the generated content for further insight and organization.
Download Your Mind Map: Click the download option to save the
mind map as a PNG file.
Downloaded File Note: The PNG version is static and not interactive, but perfect for saving or sharing.
A Comprehensive Guide to Using NotebookLM
NotebookLM is a sophisticated tool designed to convert complex information into a mind map format, facilitating better understanding and organization of data. Users initiate the process by uploading a variety of source materials, which can include PDFs, text files, markdown files, and audio files, through the Upload Sources area. The platform also supports integration with Google Drive, allowing users to access files stored in their Google Drive account, provided that it is linked to the same NotebookLM account. Furthermore, users can include entire websites by simply entering the URL in the designated input area, as well as specific YouTube videos, broadening the scope of information that can be utilized.
The capacity for source utilization within a notebook is determined by the user's account level. A standard account permits the use of up to 50 sources, while an advanced account expands this limit to 300 sources. In addition to uploading files, users have the option to input text directly into the platform, which aids in the mind mapping process.
To enhance the discovery of new sources, users can utilize the "Discover sources" feature. By clicking on this link, users can enter their areas of interest, prompting NotebookLM to search the web for relevant materials. After the search, users are presented with a selection of suggested sources, which they can choose to import into their notebook. In the demonstration provided, all selected sources are successfully imported into NotebookLM.
Once the sources are uploaded, NotebookLM conducts an analysis to identify a central theme and automatically assigns a title to the notebook based on this theme. Among the various functionalities available, users can select the "Mind Map" option to generate a mind map from the uploaded sources. This generation process is relatively quick, although it is not instantaneous.
After the mind map is created, users can interact with it by clicking on different elements within the map. This interaction updates the mind map display and generates corresponding content based on the selected element, allowing for a dynamic exploration of the information. Users can easily switch back to the mind map view at any time during their session. Additionally, there is an option to download the entire mind map to the user's hard drive; however, it is important to note that the downloaded version will not retain interactivity.
The tutorial concludes with an encouragement for users to explore further videos that provide additional insights and functionalities available within NotebookLM, promoting a deeper understanding of the tool's capabilities.