Andy Walker / Android Authority
TL;DR
- NotebookLM recently received an update that introduced a bevy of new learning tools.
- Users are starting to notice that the update also quietly removed the FAQ and Timeline Report formats.
- Google says that users can still create the formats through the “Create Your Own” option in Reports.
Update: September 10, 2025 (4:40 PM ET): As mentioned in this article, you can create the missing FAQ and Timeline formats by using the Create Your Own option. If you don’t know what prompt to use to create these Report formats, Google has now shared prompts you can copy and paste.
For FAQ, you can use the following prompt:
“Create a comprehensive FAQ with detailed and thorough answers that best captures the main themes and ideas in the sources. It should have a helpful tone designed to address reader inquiries.”
For Timeline, use this prompt:
“Create a detailed timeline of the main events covered in these sources, followed by a cast of characters listing the principle people mentioned in the sources, with brief bios for each.”
For those of you who are missing Timelines and FAQs, you’re in luck (bookmark this thread!)
To start creating or customizing FAQs and Timelines, tap “Create Your Own Report” and enter these prompts (or upgrade them with your own twists):
Original article: September 10, 2025 (12:45 PM ET): NotebookLM, the note-taking and research app powered by Gemini, received a big update this week. That update brought a bevy of new learning tools, such as flashcards, quizzes, more Audio Overview formats, and so on. While there’s a lot for NotebookLM users to be excited about, it’s not all good news. Users are starting to notice that the update has quietly removed two commonly used features.
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This week’s update introduced a variety of changes to NotebookLM, but arguably the biggest change was to the Reports feature. As a refresher, Reports lets you upload sources to NotebookLM and turns those sources into structured documents, like study guides or briefing docs. Reports was revamped in this update, adding a new Blog Post format and the ability for Reports to “dynamically” suggest options based on the theme, topic, or industry. Google also gave the feature a new “Create Your Own” option, which allows you to create a custom Report format.
However, it appears that the addition of Create Your Own came at the cost of two popular Report formats: FAQ and Timeline. Just as you would expect, FAQ sorts your information into a question-and-answer format. Meanwhile, Timeline separates events or concepts in chronological order. Spotted by some users on Reddit (via XDA), these formats no longer appear in your suggestions.
If you often use these formats, don’t get too disappointed. The formats aren’t gone for good, just the one-click suggestions. A Google spokesperson tells Android Authority that you’ll now need to create these formats through the Create Your Own option:
While the one-click suggestions for FAQ and Timeline have been updated, users can still easily create both of these formats using the “Create your own” option in Reports. This allows users to generate a Timeline, an FAQ, or any other custom format they need.
In short, you can still access the FAQ and Timeline formats. However, it’s now a little less convenient as you’ll need to create them instead of simply clicking on the option.
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