Sources FAQ: which inputs are real today
Honest FAQ on YouTube, PDF, web, podcast, and meeting sources — no ready badges on unbuilt ingest.
NoteLM Workspace — turn YouTube and docs into a compounding notebook you approve.
Sources FAQ — YouTube Today, Other Types Next
sources · sources
which sources work today: Which sources can NoteLM actually use today?
Which sources can NoteLM actually use today? Today: public YouTube videos that have captions, plus public comments and public channel stats on those tools.
sources · sources
What does a YouTube source need before tools work?
What does a YouTube source need before tools work? A public URL and, for transcripts or summaries, captions or auto-captions.
sources · sources
Can I upload a PDF as a Workspace source today? (sources/pdf-source-today)
Can I upload a PDF as a Workspace source today? No.
sources · sources
sources FAQ — Can NoteLM clip a web page into Workspace?
Can NoteLM clip a web page into Workspace? No web clipper is shipped.
sources · sources
podcast source youtube: Do podcasts work as a NoteLM source?
Do podcasts work as a NoteLM source? If the episode is uploaded to YouTube with captions, it works like any other YouTube video today.
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Can I record a live meeting into Workspace?
Can I record a live meeting into Workspace? Live Zoom or Meet capture is not shipped.
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Is a YouTube playlist a single source? (sources/playlist-as-source)
Is a YouTube playlist a single source? No.
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sources FAQ — Do YouTube Shorts work as a source?
Do YouTube Shorts work as a source? If a Short has captions and a public URL, the transcript or subtitle tools may return text.
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live stream source: Can I source a live YouTube stream while it is live?
Can I source a live YouTube stream while it is live? Live captions are unreliable and often incomplete.
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Can I use a members-only YouTube video as a source?
Can I use a members-only YouTube video as a source? If the tools cannot see captions without a membership login, they will fail.
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Which caption language should I pick as the source? (sources/multi-language-captions)
Which caption language should I pick as the source? Pick the language you will verify.
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sources FAQ — Are YouTube comments a valid NoteLM source?
Are YouTube comments a valid NoteLM source? Yes, as public text you extract and then judge.
sources · sources
channel stats as source: Are channel analytics a source for a notebook?
Are channel analytics a source for a notebook? Public channel stats can feed a research brief.
sources · sources
Is a thumbnail a source I should put in Workspace?
Is a thumbnail a source I should put in Workspace? A thumbnail is a reference image, not a transcript.
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How should I cite a YouTube source in a NoteLM note? (sources/source-citation-format)
How should I cite a YouTube source in a NoteLM note? Write video title, URL, and timestamp (or comment context, or the public stat label).
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sources FAQ — What if the YouTube source URL fails in a tool?
What if the YouTube source URL fails in a tool? Check the URL, public status, and captions.
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source quality bar: How do I know a source is good enough to enter Workspace?
How do I know a source is good enough to enter Workspace? If you can point to where the line came from and you would send it to someone else, it is good enough.
sources · sources
Can one note mix YouTube and a PDF I already have?
Can one note mix YouTube and a PDF I already have? Yes, as a page you write.
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Does NoteLM keep a copy of every source I paste? (sources/source-retention)
Does NoteLM keep a copy of every source I paste? You paste a URL into a tool to run a job.
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sources FAQ — Can I keep copyrighted YouTube speech in Workspace?
Can I keep copyrighted YouTube speech in Workspace? You are responsible for how you reuse someone else’s words.
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source paywalled web: Can I use a paywalled article as a source?
Can I use a paywalled article as a source? We have no clipper and no paywall unlock tricks.
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The speaker used slides — can those slides be a source?
The speaker used slides — can those slides be a source? If the slides are only on screen, pause and type what you need, or find a posted PDF the speaker shared.
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Do music videos work as transcript sources? (sources/source-music-videos)
Do music videos work as transcript sources? Only if captions exist.
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sources FAQ — Can a non-English YouTube video be a source?
Can a non-English YouTube video be a source? Yes, if captions exist in a language you can verify or you accept unverified status.
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source age restricted: Why does an age-restricted video fail as a source?
Why does an age-restricted video fail as a source? If YouTube will not serve captions without a logged-in age check, our public tools may not see a track.
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The video is only embedded on a school site — can I source it?
The video is only embedded on a school site — can I source it? If you can get a normal YouTube URL and captions exist, use that URL.
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What if YouTube changes captions after I take notes? (sources/source-transcript-changes)
What if YouTube changes captions after I take notes? Captions can be edited.
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sources FAQ — Can I ingest my private watch-later playlist?
Can I ingest my private watch-later playlist? No.
sources · sources
source docs in oneliner: The one-liner says “YouTube and docs” — which docs?
The one-liner says “YouTube and docs” — which docs? “Docs” is the compounding-notebook intent: notes you approve, including text you type from PDFs or pages.
sources · sources
Where do source-type words like ingest and approve live?
Where do source-type words like ingest and approve live? Use the /sources hub and the type pages (youtube, pdf, web, podcast, meetings) plus this methods FAQ.
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Can I use a second-channel reupload as the source? (sources/source-second-channel-talk)
Can I use a second-channel reupload as the source? You can run tools on any public URL that has captions.
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sources FAQ — Will NoteLM ingest lecture PDFs next to YouTube automatically later?
Will NoteLM ingest lecture PDFs next to YouTube automatically later? Maybe as a later product step — labeled next, not ready.
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source notes without url: Can I keep a note that has no URL?
Can I keep a note that has no URL? Yes, if you are the source — class, a call, your thought.
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Two URLs are the same talk — which is the source?
Two URLs are the same talk — which is the source? Pick one canonical URL — usually the original channel — and stick to it in the note.
Before you pick a page
Why is the answer in the first paragraph?
GEO habit: 40–60 words that stand alone. Steps follow if you will do the job.
Is this the same as /faq tool pages?
No. Those URLs are /faq/{tool}/{topic} for ranking tools. These are /faq/workspace|sources|methods/{slug}.
Do you claim to beat NotebookLM?
No. Different products, different jobs. NoteLM is a method.
Do I need an account?
Not for tools. Workspace is optional. Google and email only.
YouTube → Notes · YouTube → Notebook · Doorways · Workspace FAQ · Sources · Workspace
NoteLM Workspace — turn YouTube and docs into a compounding notebook you approve.