If you've played around with NotebookLM even a bit before, you've likely already realized how powerful the AI tool is. It's filled with the kind of practical features you look for in an AI productivity tool, like AI-generated podcasts called Audio Overviews, Khan Academy-like videos called Video Overviews, and one of my personal favorite features: Mind Maps.
In case you haven't used NotebookLM's Mind Map feature, it essentially lets you convert any source (or multiple sources) into an interactive branching diagram, similar to Obsidian's Graph View. NotebookLM supports a range of file types like PDFs, Google Docs, webpages, and even YouTube URLs! Other than using NotebookLM on its own, something I've been doing a lot lately is pairing it with other productivity tools I use often like Perplexity, Slack, Excel, Gemini, Google Calendar, and more.
A couple of days ago, I realized that none of the tools I pair NotebookLM with really help me get the most out of its Mind Maps feature. So I started looking for something that would. That's when I stumbled across a Chrome extension built specifically for NotebookLM's Mind Maps. Once I paired it with a mind-mapping software called XMind, I finally had a setup that let me use Mind Maps to their full potential.
So, why do I need this setup anyway?
Trust me, there's a valid reason
Before I dive into how I actually implement my workflow, I thought it'd make sense to explain why I felt the need to have a setup like this in the first place. Whether you've only used NotebookLM's Mind Map feature a handful of times or your workflow is similar to mine, and you're used to generating one in every notebook you create, it doesn't take too long to realize where the feature falls short.
I've closely followed NotebookLM's updates, and though most features like Audio Overviews and even newer ones like Video Overviews have gotten updates, Mind Maps is one that's stayed practically unchanged since it first launched.
For starters, you have absolutely no control over the mind map's output. What I like most about NotebookLM's Audio Overviews is the fact that there's a "Customize" option, which gives you at least some control over things like tone, style, or focus areas.
With Mind Maps, though, you don't get any of that. You're stuck with whatever the AI generates -- both content-wise and style-wise. So, after months of relying on NotebookLM's Mind Maps as-is, I realized I needed more flexibility and eventually started looking for tools that could fill in the gaps.
The NotebookLM mind map extractor extension is what makes this setup work
The backbone of this operation
When I usually pair NotebookLM with other tools, I don't really need to turn to additional extensions. Sure, I can use them to speed up my workflow and the process of pairing a tool with NotebookLM. However, it's not essential. For instance, when I paired NotebookLM with YouTube to create a "Watch Later" queue, using a Chrome extension wasn't necessary. But since I didn't want to manually add a hundred videos to my notebook, I chose to use one anyway to automate the process.
However, with the combination I'm talking about here, the extension is a necessity. Without it, the setup simply won't work. The Chrome extension I'm referring to is called the NotebookLM Mind Map Extractor, and like its name suggests, it lets you export mind maps generated in NotebookLM so you can use them elsewhere. When you click on the extension icon while viewing a mind map you generated within NotebookLM, a Detect Mind Map button instantly appears. Once you click it, the extension processes the map in seconds, and you can then export it in three file types: FreeMind, XML, and OPML.
NotebookLM only lets you export mind maps in PNG format, which isn't really helpful since you can't edit or repurpose them in other tools. This is exactly what this Chrome extension helps with. Once you've converted it to one of the file formats above, you can freely edit, reorganize, or integrate the mind map into any workflow without being limited by a static image.
XMind turns the mind map into a fully editable diagram
Where it all comes together
The Chrome extension I mentioned above just helps with getting the mind map out of NotebookLM in a fully editable format. What's really game-changing in this workflow is what you can do with the mind map from this point onward. You can import the diagram into any mind-mapping software of your choice. Though there are a bunch of mind-mapping software options, both online and offline, I personally found XMind to be the most flexible and intuitive for restructuring and expanding my maps.
Though there's a web app available, I personally prefer the desktop app, which is available on macOS, Windows, and Linux. XMind also has mobile apps, but I've not tried them yet. Once you install the app, all you need to do is import the Mind Map you just downloaded into XMind. For instance, on macOS, you can do so by clicking File in the menu bar, then clicking Import and selecting the format of the mind map you exported from NotebookLM. Next, select the relevant file, and the mind map will load into XMind in sections.
Now, the mind map that opens up in XMind might initially scare you a little, given that it's bright and displayed in a different format than what you're used to seeing in NotebookLM. But don't worry, pretty much everything is customizable in XMind. Within the tool, you can change the color of nodes, adjust the relationships between branches, collapse or expand sections, and even change the layout or style of branches to make the map better suited to your workflow.
My personal favorite, though, is the ability to add and remove nodes. I primarily use NotebookLM for studying, and since I tend to study from various sources simultaneously, I often need to merge ideas from multiple sources, trim redundant information, and reorganize concepts so that everything flows logically. Before this combination, I'd manually recreate my own version of the Mind Map by sketching it out using my Apple Pencil on my iPad.
Though that did the trick, it wasn't very efficient, and I was spending nearly double the time trying to replicate and organize everything by hand compared to what I can accomplish now with this workflow. The Mind Maps in XMind are fully interactive too, just like NotebookLM's.
You might wonder at this point -- why even use NotebookLM if I still have to move the mind map into another tool? The answer is simple: NotebookLM does the heavy lifting of summarizing, organizing, and connecting information from multiple sources automatically. The AI tool has helped surface connections that I'd never have noticed even after going through my sources hundreds of times. All I'm doing with XMind is refining and customizing the output!
This combination takes NotebookLM mind maps to the next level
If you're a fan of NotebookLM's Mind Maps, trust me when I say this: this is a combination you need to try right away. It's free to use (unless you want to subscribe to XMind's premium tier), takes seconds to set up, and instantly makes your mind maps far more flexible and useful.
