NotebookLM adds Deep Research and support for more file types

NotebookLM can now research the web for you and work with more file types. Google is adding Deep Research, an agent that creates a search plan, checks hundreds of websites, and produces an organized report with the sources it used.

The feature starts with a question and adjusts the search as it finds relevant information. Within minutes, it generates a source-backed report that you can review and import directly into your NotebookLM notebook.

That is one of its main differences: the report is not the final destination. You can add its sources to your workspace, include your own documents while the research continues in the background, and later use features such as audio or video overviews to better understand the topic.

Two ways to research

From the sources panel, select the Web option to start a search. NotebookLM offers different modes depending on how much time and depth you need:

• Fast Research runs a quick search and shows sources you can review and import immediately.
• Deep Research creates a plan, expands the search, and prepares a more detailed report based on multiple websites.

You can also direct the agent to specific parts of the internet. This is useful if you want to research only academic publications, official websites, or particular specialized sites instead of letting it search the entire web without restrictions.

More formats for your sources

The update also expands the files NotebookLM can analyze. The tool now supports:

• Google Sheets, for checking statistics, finding relevant information, or requesting spreadsheet summaries.
• Google Drive files via URL, which you can add by pasting one or more links.
• Images, such as photos of handwritten notes, brochures, or visual documents.
• PDFs stored in Google Drive, without having to download and upload them again.
• Microsoft Word documents in .docx format, including drafts, notes, and other text files.

In practice, this cuts down on steps when your information is spread across a spreadsheet, a PDF report, handwritten notes, and work documents. Instead of converting or gathering everything manually, you can add it to the same notebook and ask questions about the entire collection.

Google says these features will reach all users during the week following the November 13, 2025 announcement. Image uploads will be enabled over the following weeks, so availability may vary by feature and account.

The important change is that NotebookLM is no longer just a tool for chatting with documents you already have. With Deep Research, it can also help you gather new information and turn it into an organized working base. Its reports still need to be reviewed, though: a tool finding and citing sources does not by itself guarantee that all of them are correct or sufficient.