NotebookLM remains one of my favorites AI research tools by relying on your own sources. But even though I use the tool for many things, I’m always intrigued by the ingenious ways people use it.
when you come across it Reports feature, I assumed it was just a way to create a summary of your sources. However, when I finally explored what reports can do, I realized that I had greatly underestimated how versatile they can be.
What are NotebookLM reports?
A useful feature that is more versatile than it seems
Reports in NotebookLM is one of the most appreciated features of the tool. They allow you to create different content types and summaries based on your sources.
In this way, the title of “reports” is somewhat misleading. When I first heard about the feature, I didn’t realize how versatile it was. Standard formats include a briefing paper, a study guide (with a quiz, suggested essay questions, and a glossary of key terms), and a blog post. So, in addition to audio and video overviews, reports are actually one of the best ways to turn complex notes and sources into digestible posts and documents.
I especially like this feature because it’s not just aimed at students. For example, while the textbooks are useful for students and teachers, the glossary created in these reports is great for anyone trying to learn more about any topic.
Meanwhile, the briefing paper is incredibly useful for anyone who needs to catch others on a topic. However, it is also useful for professionals who need to brief clients.
To access the function in the notebook, simply use the right panel and select Reports choice. This will open a popup with static report options as well as suggested report options that NotebookLM generates based on your sources.
NotebookLM reports adapt to your sources
Each notebook offers different offers
Not only does NotebookLM stick to the standard formats it creates for reports, it also creates suggestions that depend on your sources. This means that you will get different types of report formats for different laptops.
For example, for my fibromyalgia notebook, NotebookLM had additional formats for a clinical practice document, a therapeutic strategy report, an educational program, and an introductory health booklet. When I chose the health book format, it created a guide to managing chronic fatigue in fibromyalgia.
Meanwhile for me Dungeons and Dragons notebook, I was able to create a beginner’s primer that introduces new players to the basic concepts of D&D gameplay. For my garden care notebook, he suggested reports such as landscape design specifications, soil management strategies, and botanical characterization summaries.
Custom reports feel like NotebookLM’s superpower
The only limit is your imagination
If NotebookLM doesn’t offer the format you want, you can create a format from scratch using Create your own choice. This allows you to use your own command to generate reports.
For example, I created a custom garden maintenance guide in my garden notebook. This guide includes a summary of the plants in my garden, their watering rules, and sections on potential problems I might encounter.
I read a lot of sites about plants in my garden, but I often struggle to keep everything. By having my own custom report, I have a guide where I can quickly find the most important information. The report revealed information that I had forgotten from primary sources.
You can also make NotebookLM follow a very specific format using a custom report feature. For example, using a template I downloaded as a resource, I used it to create a first-person account of what it feels like to live with fibromyalgia.
This template was very simple, including formatted lines for “First topic title” and specifications for how long each section should be. This template can be applied to any notebook due to its wide scope. Using the prompt, I noted what topics should be covered, as well as the tone the chatbot should use.
It was able to create a report that fit my document format, down to the number of sentences and paragraphs per section. Sometimes it extended the scope when I wasn’t specific enough with my instructions, but this could easily be fine-tuned with more targeted instructions.
In this regard, I was surprised by the adaptation of NotebookLM. Since you can use your own chatbot template, you can apply its generative abilities to an infinite variety of tasks.
I underestimated what NotebookLM reports could do
As far as I’m concerned NotebookLM may lose what makes it specialThe reporting feature is a great addition to the tool. Unfortunately, the name does not emphasize how much this feature can do.
If you’re ignoring it because you think they’re just document summaries, I suggest you take a look at what kind of reports it can generate for your sources. You will find something incredibly useful in its offerings.
