Since NotebookLM launched, many users, including myself, have noticed that it lacks solid organizational features. The only way to keep track of your work in NotebookLM is by creating notebooks, and let’s be honest—this can lead to a confusing setup. For instance, if you want to ask a quick question about a document or generate an Audio Overview or Mind Map, you have to create a new notebook every time. This makes it easy for your workspace to become cluttered, with notebooks piling up and no clear way to categorize them.

Realizing that NotebookLM lacks a proper organization structure, I decided to come up with my own simple system. Here’s how I organized my NotebookLM workspace to keep everything tidy and straightforward.

Using Naming Conventions to Organize Notebooks

No Folders? No Problem!

When you create a notebook in NotebookLM, it automatically gives it a title based on the content of the documents you upload. For example, I often use NotebookLM to learn new programming languages. One of my notebooks is about a Java tutorial from Codecademy, and NotebookLM titled it “Codecademy’s Learn Java Programming Tutorial Overview.”

Unfortunately, since there are no folders or advanced search options in NotebookLM, finding the right notebook can be frustrating. That’s where a consistent naming system comes in handy. You can always rename your notebooks, so I devised a straightforward prefix system to categorize my notebooks quickly.

For example, I categorize my notebooks into three main groups:

• Work (e.g., XDA for my job-related notebooks)
• College (notebooks for my courses)
• Learn (for personal projects)

For my Java Programming notebook, which is relevant to my studies, I labeled it as [College] Java Programming Tutorial Overview. This method allows me to find specific notebooks without endlessly scrolling. Additionally, I use a term like “Random” as a prefix for any other miscellaneous notebooks, so I know their category at a glance.

Keeping Notebook Icons Consistent

Using Icons as Visual Labels

NotebookLM allows you to customize notebook icons, which can be quite helpful. When a notebook is created, it assigns an emoji based on the first document added. However, I found that customizing the emojis myself makes my system much more organized and visually appealing.

I started “emoji-coding” my notebooks for quick identification. For college-related notebooks, I use a notebook emoji. This way, when I scroll through my collection, I can instantly spot the relevant ones just by recognizing the emoji.

For example, if I see the notebook emoji in a color that I associate with a specific course, I can quickly find what I need without even reading the title. This visual cue simplifies the process of locating the correct notebook in my ever-growing collection.

Regularly Reviewing and Cleaning Notebooks

Weekly Notebook Check

I made a significant mistake early on in my NotebookLM journey by not cleaning up my notebooks regularly. The only structure in NotebookLM is the notebooks themselves, meaning many users create unnecessary duplicates or simply forget about certain notebooks over time.

To avoid this, I now spend some time each week reviewing my notebooks. I delete any that I no longer need and unify the naming conventions and emojis for consistency. This helps keep clutter at bay and ensures that all my notebooks follow the same naming and emoji system.

Looking Forward to More Features

Eager for Organizational Enhancements

Google has been continuously releasing new features for NotebookLM. There’s been buzz about the potential introduction of folders, which many users, including myself, are eagerly anticipating. Having proper organizational tools would significantly improve the experience and help everyone manage their notebooks efficiently.

In conclusion, by using a clear naming system, visual labeling through icons, and regularly cleaning my notebooks, I’ve managed to create a better organization system compared to the default setup in NotebookLM. It’s made my work and study experience much more manageable.

If you’re looking to optimize your NotebookLM usage, consider using these tips to create a more organized workspace.

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Original Text – https://www.xda-developers.com/i-made-better-organization-system-than-notebooklm/