EXPORT · WHOLE NOTEBOOKS
Back up a whole NotebookLM notebook as a ZIP archive
Short answer
Yes. To back up a whole NotebookLM notebook, open it, click the archive button that Ultra Exporter adds at the top of the Studio panel, and choose ZIP. The basic version is free in NotebookLM Ultra Exporter; the downloadable and repeatable options need Pro. You get one ZIP with folders for sources, notes, reports, chats and Studio files, a README.md index and a manifest.json that lists every item and its status.
Quick facts
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Content | A whole-notebook archive collects the sources, notes, reports, chats and Studio outputs of one notebook into an indexed folder. |
| Output | a ZIP archive (.zip) |
| Plan | Free + Pro |
| Where | Archive button at the top of the Studio panel, or the workspace |
| Processing | Converted in your browser. Nothing is uploaded to export. |
Steps
- Install NotebookLM Ultra Exporter in desktop Chrome, then refresh any open NotebookLM (Gemini Notebook) tab.
- Open the notebook and click the archive button at the top of the Studio panel, or choose the notebook in the workspace Export and archive view.
- Choose a ZIP archive in the list of outputs and set any options shown for it.
- Open the downloaded file and check it before you rely on it or share it.
What you get
You get one ZIP with folders for sources, notes, reports, chats and Studio files, a README.md index and a manifest.json that lists every item and its status.
Free includes 1 successful single-notebook archive in total, not one per day. Pro archives repeatedly and several notebooks at once.
Limits to know before you export
- An archive can contain failed or skipped items. Check the results and the manifest.json before you rely on it.
- Content that is unreachable, not yet generated or not downloadable is not guaranteed to be saved.
- Restoring is not a server snapshot: audio, video and slide images do not come back as native Studio outputs.
Can NotebookLM export a whole notebook on its own?
Gemini Notebook has no one-click backup or export of a whole notebook. Google changes these menus often. The item's own menu in your notebook shows what is built in today.
Other outputs for a whole notebook
| Output | Plan | Guide |
|---|---|---|
| a local folder (folder) | Pro | Sync a NotebookLM notebook to a local folder |
| an Obsidian vault (.md, YAML) | Free + Pro | Export a whole NotebookLM notebook to an Obsidian vault |
Free or Pro?
The basics are free; the advanced options listed on this page need Ultra Exporter Pro. Pro covers the extension only; it does not include a Google subscription or raise NotebookLM's own limits. Current prices are on the pricing page.
Frequently asked questions
Is it free to back up a whole NotebookLM notebook as a ZIP archive?
Partly. A limited version is free, and the full feature needs Ultra Exporter Pro. The limits are listed in the quick facts on this page.
Does the ZIP contain everything in the notebook?
It contains everything that could be read at the time. Items that are unreachable, not generated or not downloadable are listed as failed or skipped in the results and manifest.
Can I restore a NotebookLM archive into a new notebook?
Yes, with Pro. Restore creates a new notebook, re-adds sources from their original links or as text, restores notes as notes, and can import reports and chats as text sources. Media is not restored as native Studio output.
Can I back up several notebooks at once?
Free includes 1 successful single-notebook archive in total. Pro archives repeatedly and several notebooks at once.
Related guides
Notebook archive packs every note, report, chat, Studio item and source text of a NotebookLM notebook into one indexed ZIP file.
NotebookLM has no backup or full export, so the only copy of your notes, chats and Studio outputs is in your Google account.
Sync a NotebookLM notebook to a local folder. You get a folder on your disk that mirrors the archive.
How to export a whole NotebookLM notebook to an Obsidian vault. You get Markdown files with YAML frontmatter and a wiki-link index, organized by sources.
How to export NotebookLM notes to Word. You get an editable .docx with real headings, lists and tables.
How to export NotebookLM notes to PDF. You get a print-ready PDF of the note with its headings, tables and citation references.
How to export NotebookLM notes to Markdown. You get a .md file with headings, lists, tables and links intact, ready for Obsidian, Notion or a Git repository.
How to export NotebookLM notes to LaTeX. You get a .tex file with the note's structure and its equations as LaTeX source.