Talk to your sources instead of searching through them

Define the question's scope

Chat answers from your own sources

You don't need to ask every file in the notebook every time. Select one Source, a group of Sources, or an entire Label.

If your first lecture consists of a recording, PDF, and booklet, selecting its Label saves you choosing each file separately and keeps the answer within the content you mean.

The key feature here is the use of Citations. When an answer uses information from a source, you can see where it came from and return to that exact location.

Imagine you took a course a year ago and remember hearing something but can't remember which lecture it was in. Ask the notebook instead of retaking the course. If the answer is enough, great. If you need the original explanation, open the reference shown with the answer.

Sources aren't just books

Any recording can become a source

I upload my own lectures too. Once a recording becomes a transcript, it opens up many uses: making a booklet, reorganizing the explanation, preparing a version for a different audience, or reviewing my delivery.

I can ask: What was repeated? Which point needs an example? Where could the order have been clearer?

The same applies to meetings. If taking notes distracts you from the conversation, a recording, with participants' consent and respect for privacy, becomes a reference you can turn to after the meeting to ask:

What decisions were made?
What do I need to do before the next meeting?
Who's responsible for each step?
Which points were repeated or still need a decision?

The recording becomes more than a closed archive. It's something you can revisit and use again.

Useful for learning

Share the notebook, not just the lecture

When students have the lecture recording and written file in a Notebook, they can ask about a point they got stuck on, request a simpler explanation or another example, or turn the same content into a review that suits them.

This matters: one source is no longer tied to one way of explaining it.

In Settings, choose the Output Language. The source can be in English and the explanation in Arabic, or the other way around.

For a specific prompt, you can also define the level and length: a quick summary, detailed explanation, practical steps, or an explanation for a beginner.

Adjust the conversation style

Have the notebook respond your way

Configure Chat gives you several approaches:

Default: Suits general questions.
Learning Guide: More like a teacher who guides you step by step and checks that you understand.
Custom: Gives you room to write the role and explanation style that suit the notebook.

For example, say the notebook is the learning assistant for the Smarter With AI Diploma, using the sources and explaining in clear Egyptian Arabic. If it's for a subject taught in English, specify that explanations should be in Arabic, with scientific terms kept naturally in English within the text.

You can also choose answer length so a Notebook for quick review doesn't act like one built for detailed learning.

In Customize Notebook, change the title, add a Logo, and write a Summary explaining what's in the space and how a first-time visitor can use it.

Give sources clear names. Random file names become difficult to manage as their number grows.

Small settings that make a difference

Settings worth knowing

Notifications: Alerts you when a long output is ready so you don't have to keep the page open.
Usage Limits: Track the limits available on your plan.
Remove Watermark: For outputs that support watermark removal, depending on your plan and availability.
Delete Chat History: Clear conversation history when you need a fresh start.
Light and Dark: Choose the interface appearance that's comfortable for you.

Google keeps updating the interface and options. A setting may move, or a feature may become available on a different plan. Focus on what the setting does, as well as where the button is.

Chat is part of the work

Turn your best answer into a new source

Chat isn't just for questions and answers. You can use it to prepare the output before opening Studio.

Instead of asking for a Presentation from ten sources at once, first request the slide structure and content. Review and edit it, then use the final version as the basis for design.

If you like an answer, use Save to Note. The advantage is that the Note keeps the Citations associated with the answer. If you copy the text manually into Add Note, the text remains, but its connection to references won't work the same way.

After reviewing the Note, turn it into a new Source and create a Podcast, Mind Map, or Infographic from it.

Select sources related to the question.
Ask it to extract or explain the part you need.
Review the answer and open important Citations.
Save the useful version with Save to Note.
Turn the Note into a Source when it's ready.
Use the new source for the right output.

If the result is very long, ask for a Markdown file instead of a huge message in Chat. The deliverable format is part of the prompt, especially for transcripts and long reports.

Lecture practice