You can add Google Drive files to Gemini Notebook by opening or creating a notebook, choosing Add sources, searching Drive, and selecting one or more files. You need view access or higher to import them, according to Google Help.

Google renamed NotebookLM to Gemini Notebook in July 2026, according to its product page.

Add Drive files as notebook sources

Use Google’s documented file-selection flow:

  1. Open an existing notebook or create one. This is where the Drive files will become sources.
  2. Choose “Add sources.” This opens the source-adding flow.
  3. Search Google Drive. Find the file you want to use.
  4. Select one or more files you can view. They become sources for the notebook.

When Drive sources refresh

Google Help says imported Drive sources sync every few minutes and reflect changes when you open the notebook. If a source has changed since you last viewed it, Google says a “Click to sync with Google Drive” option appears in the Sources panel. That manual refresh is conditional, not a control you can use at any time.

Google’s May 26, 2026 Workspace announcement names Google Docs, Google Sheets, and Google Slides for automatic Drive syncing. The announcement also says there is no end-user setting or administrator control for the feature. Google Workspace Updates

Access and source limits

If your Drive access to a file is revoked, Google Help says its notebook source becomes inaccessible. Inaccessible sources can still count toward source limits.

Google lists these limits in its Help documentation:

  • Free accounts: up to 50 sources per notebook.
  • Sources: up to 500,000 words per source.
  • Uploaded files: up to 200 MB.
  • Google Sheets: up to 100,000 tokens.
  • Google Slides: up to 100 slides.

Google’s statement on model training

Google says Workspace data is not used to train its models. For individual users, Google says content is not used for training unless the user submits feedback. Google also says notebook sources remain private unless the notebook is shared. These are separate statements about training and sharing, not a blanket privacy guarantee. Google’s Gemini Notebook page