Google’s AI research notebook, NotebookLM, just got a lot more collaborative. You can now share any notebook publicly with a simple link—no sign-in or permissions required.
Key Points:
- NotebookLM now supports public sharing via link
- Viewers can interact with AI-generated content like FAQs and overviews
- No editing access for viewers, but full access to explore
- Makes it easier to distribute study guides, project briefs, and more
NotebookLM started as an experimental tool inside Google Labs—part note-taking app, part AI research assistant. It quietly built a small but dedicated user base among students, researchers, and writers who loved its ability to synthesize long documents and generate summaries, FAQs, or even custom briefing docs from them. But until now, sharing your work was clunky. You could invite people individually, but it wasn’t built for scale.
That changes today. Google is rolling out Public Notebooks, a feature that lets you share any NotebookLM notebook with a link—just like a Google Doc. Hit the “Share” button, switch the setting to “Anyone with the link,” and boom: your AI-powered research pack is available to the world.
Viewers can ask questions in chat and explore any AI-generated studio artifacts like audio summaries or key takeaways. They just can’t edit your original sources. It’s a balance between preserving ownership and enabling discovery.
For anyone building study guides, team knowledge bases, or explainer kits, this removes a big friction point. Teachers can now share their curated curriculum summaries. Startups can send product manuals to customers. Nonprofits can publish donor briefing docs without building a website.
This is a smart move for Google, especially as it tries to show how generative AI can plug into everyday productivity workflows. NotebookLM doesn’t get the same hype as Gemini or ChatGPT, but in many ways it’s more grounded. It’s not just generating text—it’s helping people make sense of complex material. And now, you can finally share that sense-making with others.