Have you ever used Google NotebookLM to automatically create slides or an audio summary from your materials, only to think, “I just want to fix this one part, but I can't edit it!”?

With the February 2026 update, NotebookLM slides can now be revised with prompts, and you can also download them in PowerPoint format (.pptx). For Audio Overviews, there's also a feature that lets you give customization instructions before generating the audio.

In this article, we'll explain how to fine-tune content generated in NotebookLM, based on the latest information available as of March 2026.

What is NotebookLM? A quick refresher on what it can do

Google NotebookLM is an AI-powered note tool from Google. Upload materials like PDFs, Google Docs, websites, or YouTube videos, and the AI can read them, summarize them, answer questions, create slides, generate audio summaries, and more.

In simple terms, it's a smart notebook where you drop in your materials and let AI understand what's inside. You can use it for free with a Google account, though some features have limits.

Here are the main things it can do.

  • Ask questions in chat — Ask the AI about the content of the materials you uploaded
  • Generate slides automatically — Create presentation slides based on your sources
  • Audio Overview — Generate a podcast-style audio summary with two hosts
  • Create notes — Automatically make summaries and briefing documents

What was the “can't edit” problem? What changed in the February 2026 update?

NotebookLM's slide generation feature has been popular for a while, but it had one major weakness. The generated slides were basically read-only, like a PDF, so you couldn't edit even a single character.

If a deck was 80% good but you only wanted to tweak one slide, or if you just wanted to change the title, there wasn't much you could do. If you didn't like it, you had to generate the whole thing again from scratch.

That problem was significantly improved with the February 17, 2026 update. According to a report from gihyo.jp, the two main changes were:

  1. Prompt-based slide revisions — You can now ask the AI to revise slides with instructions like “make these bullet points shorter” or “add a concrete example to slide 3”
  2. PowerPoint (.pptx) export — You can download generated slides as a PowerPoint file and edit them locally

In other words, you now have two options: ask the AI to revise the slides, or export them to PowerPoint and edit them yourself.

How to revise slides with prompts

First, let's look at how to revise slides inside NotebookLM by giving instructions to the AI.

Step 1: Generate your slides

Upload your source material, such as a PDF or document, to NotebookLM. Then open the “Studio” panel on the right and select “Slides” to generate a deck.

Step 2: Enter your revision instructions

After the slides are generated, you'll see a prompt box below them. Type what you want to change there.

For example, you can use instructions like these:

  • “Limit the bullet points to three or fewer.”
  • “Add an explanation of the graph to the second slide.”
  • “Make the overall wording more casual.”
  • “Change the subtitle on the title slide.”

Step 3: Check the regenerated version

When you submit your instruction, the AI revises the slides and displays the updated version. If you're not happy with it, you can keep sending new instructions.

One thing to note: Prompt-based revisions behave more like regenerating the whole slide deck, so they may not always be great at changing one exact slide with pinpoint precision. If you need very detailed edits, PPTX export is usually the safer choice.

How to export to PPTX and edit directly in PowerPoint

If you want to edit every word yourself, exporting to PowerPoint format is the best option.

Step 1: Click the export button

Click the “︙” three-dot menu in the upper-right corner of the generated slides, then choose “Download as PowerPoint.”

Step 2: Open and edit in PowerPoint

Open the downloaded .pptx file in Microsoft PowerPoint or Google Slides, and you can adjust the text, layout, and design freely.

Important notes to know

As of March 2026, there have been reports that each slide may be embedded as an image in the exported PPTX file. If that happens, you won't be able to edit the text directly.

Here are a few ways to deal with that:

  • Finish prompt-based revisions first — Before exporting to PPTX, use NotebookLM's AI revision feature to get the content as close as possible
  • Copy the text into new slides — Manually move the content from image-based slides into fresh editable slides
  • Wait for direct Google Slides export — Google has said Google Slides export is planned for the future, so this may improve later

Tips for customizing Audio Overviews

Another popular NotebookLM feature is “Audio Overview.” It automatically creates a podcast-style explanation of your source material, usually with two hosts discussing the content.

This audio can't be edited after it's generated. However, you can control the content by setting customization instructions, also called steering prompts, before generation.

How to customize it

  1. Select “Audio Overview” in the “Studio” panel on the right
  2. Click the “Customize” button
  3. Enter instructions of up to 500 characters, such as “explain this for beginners” or “focus on the security section”
  4. Click “Generate” (it may take a few minutes)

Examples of effective customization prompts

  • “Avoid technical jargon and explain it so a middle school student could understand.”
  • “Focus only on Chapter 3 and summarize it in about five minutes.”
  • “Cover both the pros and cons in a balanced way.”
  • “Focus on practical cautions for using this at work.”

According to Google's official help page, Audio Overviews support more than 50 languages, including Japanese, and you can change the output language in settings.

What's different between the free and paid versions?

NotebookLM is free to use, but there are usage limits. As of March 2026, the main limits are as follows.

ItemFree versionPro version (paid)
Number of notebooks100500
Sources per notebook50300
Chat queries per day50500
Audio generations per day320
Prompt-based slide revisionsSupported (rolling out gradually)Supported
PPTX exportSupported (rolling out gradually)Supported

As of February 2026, prompt-based slide revisions and PPTX export were first made available to paid users on Google AI Ultra/Pro plans, with a gradual rollout to free users planned over the following weeks. If you don't see the feature in the free version yet, wait a bit and check again.

FAQ

Can I export NotebookLM slides directly to Google Slides?

As of March 2026, direct export to Google Slides isn't supported. Google has announced that support is planned for the future, but no specific timing has been given. For now, you can download the slides as a PPTX file and import it into Google Slides.

Can I edit part of an Audio Overview after generating it?

No, there's no feature for partially editing generated audio after the fact. If you want to change the content, you'll need to adjust the customization instructions, or steering prompt, and generate it again. The key is to set your instructions carefully before generation.

Can other people see the materials I upload to NotebookLM?

Materials you upload to NotebookLM aren't visible to other people unless you share the notebook. That said, if you're handling confidential work information, Google Workspace editions such as Plus or Enterprise are recommended.

Why can't I use prompt-based slide revisions in the free version?

With the February 2026 update, the feature was first released to paid plan users on Google AI Ultra/Pro, with a gradual rollout to free users planned over the following weeks. Wait a little and try again later.

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