Gemini Notebook now works as a source right inside Google Docs

What happened: On September 25, 2026, Google connected Gemini Notebook (formerly NotebookLM) directly to Gemini in Google Docs. In the side panel or the writing box, you just type the “@” character, pick an existing Notebook with your material (uploaded documents, transcripts, notes) and give an instruction like “draft a proposal” or “summarize the outline of the technical spec.” Gemini then builds the draft only from the material in that Notebook and adds citations pointing to the specific source — instead of filling gaps from general knowledge. The feature rolls out to organizations with the Gemini for Google Workspace add-on, on both the Rapid Release and Scheduled Release tracks, so it will reach most business accounts automatically within a few days, with nothing to turn on manually. It builds on an older capability where Gemini in Docs could only pull context from the open file or a linked Drive item; a standalone, manually curated Notebook is now added as its own source of truth.

What it means for you: The previous workflow — open Gemini Notebook, get a summary or draft made there, then manually move it into a Doc — now fits into a single window:

• Proposals and reports from sources — with client material or internal data uploaded to a Notebook, you can have Gemini in the Doc draft text that refers directly back to it
• Research → article or study material — a Notebook full of gathered sources turns into a first draft with citations showing where each sentence came from
• Lower risk of made-up facts — Gemini draws only on what you uploaded to the Notebook yourself, not the whole internet

In practice, that means less tab-switching and copy-pasting between tools — research and writing happen in one place. It's especially useful where AI used to risk weaving in something generally true but wrong for your specific case — now it has a clearly bounded set of sources it's allowed to draw from.

How to start today:

1. Make sure your organization has the Gemini for Google Workspace add-on turned on (that's an admin decision).
2. In an existing or new Gemini Notebook, upload the sources the text should be based on.
3. Open a Google Doc, and in the side panel or the writing box type the “@” character and pick the relevant Notebook.
4. Give an instruction, for example “write an introduction based on these sources” — Gemini generates text with links back to the specific source in the Notebook.

Watch out for: The citations show which source the AI drew on — before you send a draft onward, go through at least the key links and verify that the cited text actually says what Gemini claims. The “AI proposes, the human approves” principle applies here too: the draft is a good starting point for writing, not a finished text to send without a check. And before you upload client material or internal company documents to a Notebook, make sure you have your company's approval to do so — anonymize personal data and sensitive information first.