Google expands NotebookLM with Deep Research tool and broader file support

Google expands NotebookLM with Deep Research tool and broader file support

Key Points

  • Google adds Deep Research, an AI‑driven tool that automates complex web research.
  • Deep Research creates a research plan, browses sources, and delivers a source‑grounded report.
  • A Fast Research mode offers quicker, lighter‑weight searches.
  • NotebookLM now accepts Google Sheets, Drive URLs, PDFs, and Microsoft Word files.
  • New file support enables spreadsheet summaries and bulk URL insertion.
  • Recent features include Video Overviews, Audio Overviews, and mobile apps.
  • The updates will be available to all users within a week.

Google’s NotebookLM adds ‘Deep Research’ tool, support for more file types
Content image from Google’s NotebookLM adds ‘Deep Research’ tool, support for more file types

Introducing Deep Research

Google announced that NotebookLM will soon offer a tool called Deep Research. The feature acts like a dedicated researcher, taking a user’s question, creating a research plan, browsing the web on the user’s behalf, and delivering a detailed, source‑grounded report that can be inserted directly into a notebook. While Deep Research runs in the background, users can continue adding other sources, making it possible to build a deep, organized knowledge base without leaving the notebook environment.

Fast Research option

In addition to Deep Research, users can choose a Fast Research mode for quicker, less‑in‑depth searches. Both options are accessed by starting a search in the source panel, selecting “Web” as the source, and then picking the desired research style.

Expanded file‑type support

Alongside the new research tool, NotebookLM now supports a broader set of file formats. Users can upload Google Sheets, provide Google Drive file URLs, add PDFs stored in Drive, and include Microsoft Word documents. This expansion enables functions such as generating summaries from spreadsheets and copying multiple Drive files as URLs in a single step.

Recent enhancements to NotebookLM

Since its launch in late 2023, NotebookLM has received several upgrades. Earlier this year Google added Video Overviews, allowing dense multimedia like raw notes, PDFs, and images to be turned into visual presentations. The platform also offers Audio Overviews, which generate AI‑powered podcasts from shared documents such as course readings or legal briefs. In May, Google released NotebookLM apps for Android and iOS, extending the service beyond desktop browsers.

Availability

Google says the Deep Research tool and new file‑type support will roll out to all users within a week of the announcement.

Source: techcrunch.com