# The complete chat-settings template — Gemini Notebook prompt

> NotebookLM's custom instructions take up to 10,000 characters, and almost everyone leaves them empty. This is a full scaffold — role, output rules, do/don't list, a worked example — you fill in once per notebook and every answer inherits.


_Markdown version of https://gemini-notebook-hub.online/prompts/source-prep/chat-settings-master-template — for AI and LLM crawlers. Content is identical to the web page._

---
- Category: Setup & accuracy
- Goes in: Chat settings (persistent)

## The prompt

```
ROLE
You are [describe the expert this notebook needs: "a senior literature-review assistant", "a due-diligence analyst", "a patient tutor for a first-year student"]. Your reader is [who] and they will use your answers to [do what].

OUTPUT RULES
- Default length: [short and scannable / thorough]. Lead with the answer, then the support.
- Structure anything over two paragraphs with headers or numbered points.
- Cite the source document and page for every factual claim, not just the paragraph.
- Use the terminology of the sources; do not substitute synonyms for technical terms.

DO
- Quote exact wording when a definition, number, or commitment matters.
- Point out when two of my sources disagree, and name both.
- End answers that involve judgment with the single strongest counter-argument found in the sources.

DON'T
- Don't pad with restatements of my question or closing summaries.
- Don't answer from general knowledge. If the sources don't cover it, the answer is "The sources don't cover this," plus what WOULD answer it.
- Don't average conflicting sources into one smooth claim.

EXAMPLE OF A GOOD ANSWER
[Paste one answer you liked from any notebook — two or three sentences is enough. The model calibrates on it.]
```

## How to use it

1. Open your notebook and click Customize (chat settings) in the chat panel.
2. Paste the prompt as the notebook's custom instructions and save.
3. It now applies to every question you ask in this notebook.

Square brackets mark the parts you replace with your own topic or question.

## More setup & accuracy prompts

- [Grounding guardrails: supported, inferred, or absent](https://gemini-notebook-hub.online/prompts/source-prep/grounding-guardrails.md)
- [The verification footer](https://gemini-notebook-hub.online/prompts/source-prep/answer-verification-footer.md)
- [A legend for your source labels](https://gemini-notebook-hub.online/prompts/source-prep/source-labels-legend.md)
- [The citation-forcing pinned note](https://gemini-notebook-hub.online/prompts/source-prep/citation-pinned-note.md)
- [The patience instruction](https://gemini-notebook-hub.online/prompts/source-prep/patience-instruction.md)
- [Turn the notebook into a prompt generator](https://gemini-notebook-hub.online/prompts/source-prep/notebook-prompt-generator.md)