If you use NotebookLM for research, you know how quickly sources pile up. Managing them manually, especially in notebooks with ten or more entries, has been one of the tool’s most frustrating pain points, but Google just fixed that.
NotebookLM, the AI-powered research assistant built on Gemini, is rolling out automatic source labeling and categorization. The feature activates once you have five or more sources in a notebook, and it automatically assigns labels for you.
How does NotebookLM’s auto-label and source categorization feature work?
When your notebook crosses the five-source threshold, NotebookLM reads the content of each source and automatically groups the ones that are related. It then assigns labels to those groups based on what they cover. If a single source spans multiple topics, NotebookLM can assign it more than one label, keeping your organization flexible and accurate.
The feature is designed to cut down the time you spend scrolling through an unorganized pile of material to find what you actually need. You still have full control over the results. Labels can be renamed, reorganized, and even personalized with emojis. If you disagree with how NotebookLM has categorized something, you can override it and assign your own label instead.
Google is also considering expanding this feature to improve how outputs are organized, though that enhancement has not been confirmed yet.
What other new features are coming to NotebookLM?
Notebook sharing is also getting a useful update. Previously, sharing a notebook with a group meant entering each email address individually, which was tedious for large teams.
You can now paste an entire list of email addresses at once, and NotebookLM will automatically parse and identify the recipients. Both features are rolling out now and should reach all NotebookLM users shortly.
As Google continues to deepen the NotebookLM and Gemini relationship, the tool recently arrived inside Gemini Notebooks, and Notebook projects are now free for all Gemini users on the web, giving more people a reason to make it part of their daily workflow.
