The Evolution of NotebookLM: A Personal Journey
I've been a long-time user of NotebookLM, an AI tool that has consistently impressed me with its ability to stay focused and narrow. However, recent updates have introduced a new behavior that has been a bit of a letdown. NotebookLM now offers to search the web, compare information, and spin up reports, even when it's not necessary. This has led to a loss of the tool's original appeal, which was its narrow and focused approach.
To address this issue, I've found that a simple sentence added to the end of my prompts has been incredibly effective. Here's the sentence that works for me:
"Answer only from sources that support this, name them, flag which ones don't cover it, and don't offer to do anything else."
This sentence has three key benefits. Firstly, it keeps NotebookLM strictly within the documents I've provided, avoiding unnecessary web searches. Secondly, it provides a detailed source audit, showing which sources were used and which were not. Lastly, it prevents NotebookLM from volunteering additional tasks or offers, ensuring it stays focused on the task at hand.
It took some experimentation to get the perfect wording. I ran through several versions, testing them on different tasks and sources. The initial test involved asking about XDA, a term not mentioned in my sources. Without the added sentence, NotebookLM immediately offered to search the web, which was frustrating. With the sentence, it stayed within the sources and provided the correct answer.
The second test was more challenging, as I asked a question that my sources could answer. I added the sentence, focusing on grounding and attribution. NotebookLM impressed me by answering from the relevant sources, naming them, and explaining why other sources didn't apply. However, it still offered to draft a report, which led me to refine the sentence further.
The final version of the sentence combines the two key elements: grounding and attribution, and shutting down the upsell. It's a powerful tool that has helped me regain the focused and reliable NotebookLM I originally loved. This simple sentence has made a significant difference in my experience with the tool, and I believe it can help others who are struggling with the same issue.
