# NotebookLM prompt: explain a paper in plain language

Source: https://nlmexporter.com/guides/prompts/explain-a-paper-in-plain-language-prompt  
Section: Prompts  
Last verified: November 2026  
Plan: Free

Use it to brief a colleague or to check your own understanding of a dense paper. Paste the prompt below into the NotebookLM (Gemini Notebook) chat and replace the parts in square brackets. It tells NotebookLM to answer only from your sources, cite them and flag what they do not cover.

## Quick facts

| Item | Detail |
| --- | --- |
| Works in | NotebookLM / Gemini Notebook chat, and the customise box of Studio items |
| Sources needed | One paper, selected as the only active source. |
| Cost | Free to copy. Saving it in the extension is free for up to 10 plain prompts. |

## The prompt

```text
Explain this paper to an intelligent reader outside the field in 200 words.
Cover: the question, what the authors did, what they found, and how sure they are.
Then list three terms a newcomer needs, each defined in one sentence as the paper uses it.
Keep the qualifications the authors make. Do not turn "suggests" into "proves".

Use only the sources in this notebook. Cite the source for every claim. If the sources do not cover something, say "not covered in the sources" instead of filling the gap.
```

## How to use it

1. Open the notebook and tick only the sources this question is about.
2. Paste the prompt into the chat and replace every part in [SQUARE BRACKETS].
3. Open two or three citations in the answer to confirm they say what the answer claims.
4. Save the answer as a note, then keep it: [Export to PDF](https://nlmexporter.com/guides/export/notes-to-pdf).

## Adapt it

- Change the reader: a manager, a first-year student, a journalist.
- Ask for an analogy, labelled as an analogy.

> NotebookLM can misread or over-generalise a source. A prompt reduces that; it does not remove it. Check cited passages before you rely on an answer.

## Frequently asked questions

### What should be in the notebook before I use the explain a paper in plain language prompt?

One paper, selected as the only active source.

### Why does the prompt ask NotebookLM to say what is not covered?

Because a grounded tool is most useful when it shows the edges of your sources. An explicit instruction to flag gaps reduces confident answers that the sources do not support.

### Does this prompt work in Gemini Notebook?

Yes. Gemini Notebook is the new name of NotebookLM since July 16, 2026. The chat works the same way: it answers from the sources you select.

## Related guides

- [Export NotebookLM notes to PDF](https://nlmexporter.com/guides/export/notes-to-pdf)
- [NotebookLM prompt: literature review outline](https://nlmexporter.com/guides/prompts/literature-review-outline-prompt)
- [NotebookLM prompt: research evidence matrix](https://nlmexporter.com/guides/prompts/research-evidence-matrix-prompt)
- [NotebookLM prompt: find research gaps in your sources](https://nlmexporter.com/guides/prompts/research-gap-finder-prompt)
- [NotebookLM prompt: audit a claim against the evidence](https://nlmexporter.com/guides/prompts/claim-and-evidence-audit-prompt)
- [NotebookLM prompt: compare methods across papers](https://nlmexporter.com/guides/prompts/compare-methods-across-papers-prompt)