Data Tables takes all your messy notes and turns them into clean, organized tables that you can read and use right away. This guide will show you everything you need to know about Data Tables in NotebookLM. You will learn what it is, how it works, and how you can use it to save time and make better decisions for your business.
Have you ever felt like you are drowning in notes, documents, and information? You have meeting notes here, customer feedback there, and research articles scattered everywhere. It can be hard to find what you need when you need it. Google has created a tool called NotebookLM that acts like an intelligent assistant for all your information. And now, it has a brand new feature called Data Tables that makes organizing your information easier than ever before.
Key Takeaway
Data Tables in Google NotebookLM is a new feature that automatically organizes scattered information from your documents, notes, and research into clean, structured tables.
Instead of spending hours reading through meeting notes, competitor research, or customer feedback, you can now ask NotebookLM to create a table that shows you exactly what you need to know. The tables can be exported to Google Sheets, making it easy to share with your team or use in your business planning. This tool is perfect for entrepreneurs, small business owners, and marketing professionals who want to save time and make smarter decisions based on their information.
What is Google NotebookLM?
Before we talk about Data Tables, let’s start with the basics. Google NotebookLM is an artificial intelligence tool that helps you understand and organize your information. Think of it like a super-smart notebook that can read everything you put into it and then answer your questions about it. [1]
Here is what makes NotebookLM special. You can upload many different types of files into it. You can add PDFs, Google Docs, Google Slides, websites, YouTube videos, and even audio files. Once you upload these files, NotebookLM reads them all and learns what they say. Then, you can ask it questions, and it will give you answers based only on the information you uploaded. [1]
This is different from other artificial intelligence tools that search the entire internet. NotebookLM only uses your own documents and notes. This means the answers you get are based on your specific information, not random facts from the internet. It also means your private information stays private and is not used to train the artificial intelligence. [1]
NotebookLM is powered by Gemini, which is Google’s most advanced artificial intelligence. This means it can understand text, images, audio, and even graphs. It can work in more than eighty languages, so people all over the world can use it. [1]
What are Data Tables in NotebookLM?
Data Tables is the newest feature in NotebookLM, and it was announced in December 2025. This feature solves a problem that many people have. Valuable information is rarely neat and organized. Instead, it is usually scattered across many different documents, emails, and notes. Going through all of this information by hand takes a lot of time and effort. [2]
Data Tables does this work for you automatically. It looks through all the sources you have uploaded to NotebookLM and pulls out the important information. Then, it organizes this information into a clean table with rows and columns. The table is easy to read and understand. You can look at it right away, or you can export it to Google Sheets if you want to work with it more or share it with your team. [2]
Think of Data Tables like having a personal assistant who reads through all your notes and creates a summary table for you. Instead of spending hours reading and organizing information yourself, you can have a finished table in just a few minutes.
How Data Tables Work
Understanding how Data Tables work will help you use them better. Here is the process:
First, you create a notebook in NotebookLM. A notebook is like a folder where you keep all the information about a specific topic or project. For example, you might have one notebook for a marketing campaign, another notebook for competitor research, and another notebook for customer feedback. [3]
Next, you upload your sources to the notebook. You can upload up to fifty different sources, and each source can have up to twenty-five million words. That is a lot of information! Your sources can be PDFs, documents, websites, videos, or audio files. [3]
Once your sources are uploaded, NotebookLM reads them and understands what they say. This happens automatically in the background. You do not need to do anything special.
Now comes the exciting part. You ask NotebookLM to create a Data Table. You can do this by typing a request in natural language. For example, you might type, “Create a table of all the action items from my meeting notes” or “Make a comparison table of my top three competitors.” [4]
NotebookLM then looks through all your sources and finds the information you asked for. It organizes this information into a table with appropriate columns and rows. The whole process usually takes just a few minutes. [4]
Finally, you can review the table, make any changes you want, and export it to Google Sheets if you need to. The export feature makes it easy to share the table with your team or use it in other tools. [4]
Step-by-Step Guide to Creating Your First Data Table
Let’s walk through the exact steps to create your first Data Table. This guide will help you get started even if you have never used NotebookLM before.
Step 1: Go to NotebookLM
Open your web browser and go to notebooklm.google.com. You will need to sign in with your Google Account. If you do not have a Google Account, you can create one for free. [1]
Step 2: Create a New Notebook
Once you are signed in, you will see a button that says “Create new notebook.” Click on this button. A new notebook will open up, ready for you to add your sources. [3]
Step 3: Upload Your Sources
Now it is time to add your information. Click on the button that says “Upload a source.” You will see options to upload different types of files. You can upload a PDF from your computer, paste a link to a website, add a Google Doc, or even add a YouTube video. [3]
For your first Data Table, try uploading at least two or three sources that are related to the same topic. For example, if you want to compare competitors, you might upload three articles about different companies in your industry.
Step 4: Wait for NotebookLM to Process Your Sources
After you upload each source, NotebookLM needs a little time to read and understand it. You will see a loading message while this happens. For most documents, this only takes a minute or two. [3]
Step 5: Open the Notebook Guide
Once your sources are uploaded, look for a section called “Notebook Guide” on the right side of your screen. This is where you can create different types of outputs from your sources, including Data Tables. [5]
Step 6: Select Data Table
In the Notebook Guide, you will see several options like “Study Guide,” “Audio Overview,” and “Data Table.” Click on “Data Table.” [2]
Step 7: Customize Your Data Table
A box will pop up asking you what kind of table you want to create. This is where you tell NotebookLM what information you want in your table. Be specific! For example, you might type:
- “Create a table comparing the pricing plans of the three companies in my sources.”
- “Make a table of all action items from the meeting transcript, including who is responsible and the due date.”
- “Build a table showing the key features of each product mentioned in my source.s”
The more specific you are, the better your table will be. [4]
Step 8: Generate the Table
After you type your request, click the button to generate the table. NotebookLM will work on creating your table. This usually takes a few minutes, depending on how much information you have uploaded. [4]
Step 9: Review Your Table
Once the table is ready, it will appear on your screen. Look through it carefully. Does it have the information you wanted? Are the columns organized in a way that makes sense? NotebookLM does a good job, but you might want to make some small changes. [4]
Step 10: Export to Google Sheets
If you like your table and want to use it somewhere else, click the export button. This will save your table as a Google Sheet. You can then share it with your team, add more information to it, or create charts and graphs from it. [4]
Real-World Examples of Using Data Tables
Let’s look at some specific examples of how entrepreneurs, small business owners, and marketing professionals can use Data Tables in their daily work.
Example 1: Organizing Meeting Action Items
Sarah runs a small marketing agency. Every week, she has a team meeting where they discuss projects, assign tasks, and set deadlines. She records the meeting and uploads the transcript to NotebookLM.
After the meeting, Sarah asks NotebookLM to “Create a table of all action items from today’s meeting, including the person responsible, the task description, and the due date.”
In just a few minutes, NotebookLM creates a clean table with three columns: Team Member, Task, and Due Date. Sarah exports this to Google Sheets and shares it with her team. Now everyone can see exactly what they need to do and when it is due. This saves Sarah at least an hour of work every week.
Example 2: Competitor Analysis
Marcus owns a small software company. He wants to understand how his product compares to his competitors. He finds articles and websites about five different competing products and uploads them all to a NotebookLM notebook.
Then he asks NotebookLM to “Create a comparison table of all five products, showing their pricing, main features, target customers, and any weaknesses mentioned.”
NotebookLM creates a detailed comparison table with five rows (one for each competitor) and four columns (pricing, features, target customers, weaknesses). Marcus can now see at a glance how his product stacks up. This helps him make better decisions about his pricing and which features to build next.
Example 3: Customer Feedback Analysis
Jennifer runs an online store that sells handmade jewelry. She gets customer feedback through email, social media comments, and review sites. All of this feedback is scattered in different places.
Jennifer copies all the feedback into Google Docs and uploads them to NotebookLM. Then she asks it to “Create a table showing the main themes in customer feedback, with examples of each theme and how many times it was mentioned.”
NotebookLM analyzes all the feedback and creates a table with columns for Theme, Example Comments, and Frequency. Jennifer discovers that many customers love her designs but wish shipping was faster. This gives her a clear action item to work on.
Example 4: Content Planning for Marketing
David is a marketing consultant who needs to create content for his clients. He uploads several research articles about a topic his client wants to write about. He also uploads his client’s previous blog posts and their competitors’ content.
He asks NotebookLM to “Create a table of content ideas based on these sources, including the topic, target audience, key points to cover, and suggested format (blog post, video, or social media).”
NotebookLM creates a detailed content calendar table that David can use to plan the next three months of content for his client. This saves him hours of brainstorming time.
Example 5: Research Synthesis for Business Planning
Amanda is writing a business plan for a new restaurant. She has uploaded market research reports, demographic data, competitor menus, and articles about food trends. All of this information is important, but it is overwhelming.
She asks NotebookLM to “Create a table summarizing the key market insights from my sources, including the insight, the source it came from, and why it matters for my business.”
The resulting table helps Amanda see the big picture and makes it much easier to write the market analysis section of her business plan.
Tips and Best Practices for Using Data Tables
Here are some expert tips to help you get the most out of Data Tables in NotebookLM.
Be Specific with Your Requests
The more specific you are when you ask for a table, the better your results will be. Instead of saying “make a table,” try to explain precisely what columns you want and what information should be in each column. For example, instead of “create a table about competitors,” say “create a table comparing competitors with columns for company name, pricing, main features, and target market.” [4]
Upload Related Sources
Data Tables work best when all your sources are related to the same topic. If you upload sources about many different topics, the table might be confusing. Create separate notebooks for various topics or projects. [5]
Use Different Types of Sources
Do not be afraid to mix different types of sources in the same notebook. You can combine PDFs, websites, videos, and audio files. NotebookLM is smart enough to find connections between all of them. [5]
Start Simple and Build Up
If you are new to Data Tables, start with a simple request and a small number of sources. Once you see how it works, you can try more complex tables with more sources. [5]
Review and Refine
The first table NotebookLM creates might not be perfect. That is okay! You can ask it to create a new version with different columns or different information. You can also export the table to Google Sheets and make changes there. [4]
Save Your Chat History
When you ask NotebookLM to create a table, the conversation is saved in your notebook. You can go back and look at it later. You can also ask NotebookLM to summarize your conversation and save it as a note. This helps you remember what you asked for and why. [5]
Combine Data Tables with Other Features
Data Tables is just one of many features in NotebookLM. You can also create study guides, audio overviews, mind maps, and more. Try using different features together. For example, you might create a Data Table to organize information and then create an Audio Overview to hear a discussion about the same information. [5]
Who Can Use Data Tables?
Data Tables was first released to users who have NotebookLM Pro or Ultra subscriptions. These are paid versions of NotebookLM with extra features. However, Google announced that Data Tables will be available to all users for free in the coming weeks. [2]
NotebookLM is available in more than one hundred and eighty countries and supports more than eighty languages. You need to be above the age of consent in your country to use it. If you use a work or school Google Account, your administrator might need to turn on access to NotebookLM. [1]
Frequently Asked Questions
What types of files can I upload to NotebookLM?
You can upload PDFs, Google Docs, Google Slides, websites (by pasting the URL), YouTube videos, and audio files. You can upload up to fifty sources per notebook, with up to twenty-five million words total. [1] [3]
Is my information private?
Yes. Your information is protected and is not used to train NotebookLM unless you provide feedback. If you use a Google Workspace or Google Workspace for Education account, your uploads and queries will not be reviewed by human reviewers and will not be used to train artificial intelligence models. [1]
Can I edit the tables after they are created?
Yes. Once you export a Data Table to Google Sheets, you can edit it just like any other spreadsheet. You can add rows, delete columns, change the formatting, and more. [4]
How long does it take to create a Data Table?
It usually takes a few minutes, depending on how many sources you have uploaded and how complex your request is. Simple tables with a few sources might be ready in under a minute. More complex tables might take five minutes or more. [4]
Can I share my Data Tables with my team?
Yes. Once you export a Data Table to Google Sheets, you can share it with anyone using Google’s normal sharing features. You can give people permission to view, comment, or edit the sheet. [4]
What if NotebookLM cannot answer my question?
There are a few reasons why NotebookLM might not be able to create the table you want. The information might not be in your sources, your question might not be clear enough, or the content might trigger a safety flag. If this happens, try rephrasing your question or adding more sources. [1]
Can I use Data Tables for personal projects?
Absolutely! While this guide focuses on business uses, you can use Data Tables for anything. People have used it to plan vacations, organize research for school projects, compare products before buying, and even organize information for creative writing projects like novels. [5]
Do I need to know how to code or use spreadsheets?
No. Data Tables is designed to be easy for anyone to use. You just type what you want in normal language, and NotebookLM does the technical work. If you want to do advanced things with the exported Google Sheet, knowing how to use spreadsheets can help, but it is not required. [4]
Can I create multiple Data Tables in the same notebook?
Yes. You can create as many Data Tables as you want from the same sources. You might create one table to look at pricing and another table to look at features, all from the same uploaded documents. [4]
What is the difference between Data Tables and just asking questions in the chat?
When you ask questions in the NotebookLM chat, you get text answers. Data Tables organizes information into a structured format with rows and columns that you can export and use in other tools. Data tables are better when you need to compare multiple items or organize information in a specific way. [4]
The Future of Data Tables
Data Tables is a brand new feature, and Google is likely to add more capabilities over time. As more people use it and provide feedback, the feature will get better and better. Some possible future improvements might include:
- More customization options for how tables look
- The ability to automatically update tables when you add new sources
- Integration with other Google tools like Google Docs and Google Slides
- More types of table formats and templates
Even in its current form, Data Tables is a powerful tool that can save you hours of work every week.
Final Thoughts
Data Tables in Google NotebookLM is a game-changing tool for anyone who works with information. Whether you are an entrepreneur trying to understand your market, a small business owner organizing your team’s work, or a marketing professional planning your next campaign, Data Tables can help you work faster and smarter.
The key benefits of Data Tables are clear. It saves you time by automatically organizing scattered information. It helps you make better decisions by presenting information in an easy-to-understand format. It makes collaboration easier by allowing you to export and share tables with your team. And it is simple to use, even if you are not technical.
If you have not tried NotebookLM yet, now is the perfect time to start. Create your first notebook, upload some sources, and ask for a Data Table. You might be surprised at how much time you save and how much clearer your information becomes. In today’s fast-paced business world, tools like Data Tables give you an edge by helping you understand and use your information more effectively.
References
[1] Google. (2025). Learn about NotebookLM. Google Help. Retrieved from https://support.google.com/notebooklm/answer/16164461?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DDesktop
[2] Google. (2025). Organize your insights with Data Tables in NotebookLM. The Keyword. Retrieved from https://blog.google/technology/google-labs/notebooklm-data-tables/
[3] ITmatters. (2025). How to Organize Insights with Data Tables in NotebookLM? ITmatterss.in. Retrieved from https://itmatterss.in/global/how-to-organize-insights-data-tables-notebooklm/
[4] Payne, R. (2025). NotebookLM can now turn your messy research into structured Data Tables. Chrome Unboxed. Retrieved from https://chromeunboxed.com/notebooklm-can-now-turn-your-messy-research-into-structured-data-tables/
[5] Johnson, S. (2024). 8 expert tips for getting started with NotebookLM. The Keyword. Retrieved from https://blog.google/technology/ai/notebooklm-beginner-tips/
