# NotebookLM mind maps: a navigation tool, not a poster > NotebookLM mind maps are interactive, not decorative: click nodes to scope the chat, spot gaps in your sources, and export the map as a PNG. Full how-to. (NotebookLM is now called Gemini Notebook.) _Markdown version of https://gemini-notebook-hub.online/guides/notebooklm-mind-maps โ€” for AI and LLM crawlers. Content is identical to the web page._ --- _6 min read ยท updated 17 Jul 2026_ Most people generate a mind map, look at it for ten seconds and move on. That misses the point: every node is a clickable entry into your sources, and the shape of the map tells you what your notebook is missing. --- **NotebookLM was renamed Gemini Notebook** in July 2026. This guide covers the same product under its new name โ€” everything below still applies whether you know it as NotebookLM or Gemini Notebook. > **Quick answer** > Click **Mind Map** in the Studio panel. NotebookLM builds a branching diagram of the concepts across your selected sources. Zoom and collapse branches, **click any node to open a chat scoped to that topic**, and use the download button to export the current view as a PNG. ![A NotebookLM mind map with a root node and branches for causes, key events, factions and aftermath](/blog/notebooklm-mind-maps-1.svg) _The map is built from your sources only. Branches mirror what your notebook actually covers._ ## Clicking nodes is the actual feature Click a node and NotebookLM opens a chat question scoped to that branch. This changes how you explore a big notebook: instead of inventing questions from a blank input box, you browse the map, find the branch you care about, and drill in. For a fifty-source notebook it is the closest thing to a table of contents that spans everything. ## Read the map as a gap report The map is generated from your sources, so its shape is diagnostic. A branch with one thin twig where you expected a canopy means your notebook barely covers that topic. Students use this to find the lecture they skipped; researchers use it to decide what to source next; writers run it on their own drafts to see which subplot is underdeveloped. The weak branches are your to-do list. ## Getting a better map - **Rename sources first.** Source titles feed the map. Descriptive names produce meaningfully better branch structure than `document(3).pdf`. - **Scope with checkboxes.** A map of two selected sources is tighter and deeper than a map of all fifty. Generate several scoped maps rather than one mega-map. - **Collapse aggressively.** Fold away the branches you know. What remains is the part of the material you have not internalized yet. ## Exporting and sharing The download button exports a PNG of the map as currently expanded, so collapse the noise before exporting. Anyone you [share the notebook with](/guides/notebooklm-sharing-collaboration) can open the interactive map themselves. For a document version of the same structure, generate a study guide or briefing doc from the same sources and [export that to PDF](/guides/export-notebooklm-study-guide); map plus document covers both ways people like to review. ## Limitations worth knowing - There is no in-place regeneration. If sources changed, delete the map and generate a new one. - Mind maps are not available in the mobile app; this is a desktop feature. - Free accounts can generate 10 mind maps per day, Pro 100. Scoped regeneration burns through that faster than you would expect. ## FAQ ### How do I create a mind map in NotebookLM? Open your notebook and click the Mind Map tile in the Studio panel. The map generates from the sources currently selected in the Sources panel. ### Can I edit a NotebookLM mind map? You can expand and collapse branches, but not add or edit nodes. To change the content, change the source selection and regenerate. ### How do I export a mind map? The download button saves the current view as a PNG. Collapse irrelevant branches first, since the export reflects the expanded state. ### Is NotebookLM the same as Gemini Notebook? Yes. Google renamed NotebookLM to Gemini Notebook in July 2026 โ€” it's the same product, same features, just a new name.