How to export NotebookLM to Markdown

Markdown is the format you want when the notebook needs to live somewhere other than NotebookLM. It is plain text, so it opens in any editor, never locks you into one app, and reads fine even with no styling at all. You can drop it into a notes app, commit it to a repo, or hand it to a teammate without anyone needing the original tool.

Why export to Markdown

• It is portable plain text. One .md file works the same on a Mac, a Linux box or a phone, with no proprietary format to wrestle.
• It is version-controllable. Commit your notes to Git and you get a clean diff every time you change something — perfect for tracking how your research evolves.
• It pastes everywhere. Obsidian, Notion and GitHub all read Markdown natively, so your headings and lists render the moment you drop the file in.

How to export a NotebookLM notebook to Markdown, step by step

1. Install the extension. Add NotebookLM to PDF from the Chrome Web Store. It is free, needs no account, and stays idle until you open NotebookLM.
2. Open your notebook. Go to notebooklm.google.com and open the chat, note or report you want to keep.
3. Click Export, then Markdown. Use the export button the extension adds, choose Markdown, and optionally pick which chats or notes to include.
4. Save the file. The .md file is built in your browser and lands in your downloads in a second or two — ready to open, edit or commit.

What the Markdown keeps

The export is real Markdown, not a flattened text dump. You keep:

• Headings become # headings, so the document structure survives.
• Lists stay lists — bullets and numbered steps come through as Markdown lists.
• Code stays in fenced blocks wrapped in triple backticks, so it renders correctly on GitHub and in any editor.
• Links are kept as standard Markdown links.
• Citations come through as text references or footnotes you can keep, so each claim still points back to its source.

A short slice of an exported file looks like this:

# Research notes: solar storage

## Key findings

- Lithium-iron-phosphate cells dominate residential installs [1]
- Round-trip efficiency averages 90 percent [2]

```python
def usable_kwh(rated, depth_of_discharge):
    return rated * depth_of_discharge
```

See the [efficiency report](https://example.com/report) for the full data.

[1]: Source — Battery Market Review, 2025
[2]: Source — Grid Storage Handbook

Real workflows

Markdown is the bridge between NotebookLM and the tools you actually keep your knowledge in:

• An Obsidian research vault. Drop the .md file into your vault and it becomes a linkable note instantly — backlinks, tags and search all work on it like any other note.
• A Notion import. Paste the Markdown into a Notion page, or import the file, and your headings and lists render as native Notion blocks.
• A GitHub repo or wiki. Commit the file to a repo or a wiki and GitHub renders the headings, lists and fenced code right in the browser — handy for a shared research log or project docs.

Is it private?

Yes. NotebookLM to PDF builds the Markdown in your browser. There is no account to create and no server to send your research to — the extension reads the notebook you are already viewing, writes the file on your own machine, and hands it to you. Nothing is uploaded.

FAQ

Does code stay in fenced code blocks?

Yes. Code comes through wrapped in triple-backtick fenced blocks, so it stays formatted and readable in any Markdown editor and on GitHub.

Can I import the Markdown into Obsidian or Notion?

Yes. It is standard Markdown. Drop the .md file into an Obsidian vault, or paste or import it into Notion, and your headings, lists and links render straight away.

What happens to NotebookLM citations in Markdown?

They come through as text references you can keep, so each claim still points to its source even though Markdown is plain text. Nothing is silently dropped.