# Background tasks: track imports and generation

Source: https://nlmexporter.com/guides/features/background-tasks  
Section: Features  
Last verified: November 2026  
Plan: Free

Imports, Studio generation and workflows in NotebookLM Ultra Exporter run as background tasks. They continue when you switch pages or close the panel, and a tasks view shows what was submitted, what is ready and what failed, with a retry for failures.

## Quick facts

| Item | Detail |
| --- | --- |
| Where | Tasks view in the workspace, and the activity bar |
| Plan | Free |
| Free | Included. |
| Pro | Included. |

## Steps

1. Install [NotebookLM Ultra Exporter](https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/notebooklm-ultra-exporter/afchokljnhhggkhedfbmkcmdagjmjchj) in desktop Chrome, then refresh any open NotebookLM (Gemini Notebook) tab.
2. Find it here: Tasks view in the workspace, and the activity bar.
3. Use it on one item first and check the result before running it on many.

## What it does

- Shows each item as waiting, submitted, ready or failed.
- Retries only failed items.
- Keeps a record of completed runs.

## Limits to know

- Submitted means Google accepted the item; Ready means processing was confirmed.
- If a step is interrupted before confirmation, check the notebook before running it again to avoid duplicates.
- Stop affects only items not yet submitted.

## Frequently asked questions

### Do I need Pro for background tasks?

No. It is part of the free extension and needs no account.

### Why is an item stuck at Submitted?

NotebookLM is still processing it, or did not confirm. Open the notebook to see the source state before retrying.

## Related guides

- [Import center: bulk import sources into NotebookLM](https://nlmexporter.com/guides/features/import-center)
- [Quick capture: save the current page to NotebookLM](https://nlmexporter.com/guides/features/quick-capture)
- [Right-click menu: add pages, links and selections](https://nlmexporter.com/guides/features/right-click-menu)
- [Side panel: your NotebookLM library beside every tab](https://nlmexporter.com/guides/features/side-panel)
- [Import recipes and scheduled checks](https://nlmexporter.com/guides/features/import-recipes)
- [Source tools: search, filter, bulk download and delete](https://nlmexporter.com/guides/features/source-tools)