How to Add YouTube Videos to NotebookLM Without Switching Tabs

TL;DR: Adding a YouTube video to NotebookLM normally means switching tabs, finding your notebook, pasting the URL, then switching back — and your video resets every time. Kaptex - a NotebookLM extension - puts a one-click button on the YouTube page itself, and a side panel that keeps your notebook selected across all your tabs.

Why adding YouTube videos to NotebookLM breaks your focus

You're watching a YouTube video and want to add it to your NotebookLM notebook. So you switch to NotebookLM, find the right notebook, paste the URL as a new source, then switch back — and your video has reset to the beginning. Now do that ten times across videos from different creators.

If you're using a popup-based extension, the problem is worse: every time you switch tabs, the popup closes and your notebook selection resets. You're re-picking your notebook on every single save. The friction isn't adding the URL — it's all the context switching that surrounds it.

How to add YouTube videos to NotebookLM

Kaptex displays a one-click "Add to notebook" button on every YouTube page. The side panel stays open across all tabs, so your notebook stays selected no matter how many videos you save.

Step 1: Install Kaptex and select your notebook

Install Kaptex from the Chrome Web Store and open the side panel. Select the notebook you're building.

Unlike popup-based extensions, the Kaptex side panel keeps your notebook selected as you move between tabs - you set it once and it stays.

Step 2: Navigate to any YouTube video

Go to the video you want to save. The "Add to notebook" button appears on the page automatically — you don't need to copy the URL or touch the address bar.

Step 3: Click "Add to notebook"

One click. Kaptex sends the video to your notebook as a source. NotebookLM processes the transcript on its end — you don't need to do anything else.

Step 4: Check your notebook

The video appears as a source in NotebookLM — title, channel, and full transcript available to query. If you're adding multiple videos in a session, each one ends up in the same notebook without switching tabs between saves.

Wrap-up

When you're pulling together research from YouTube — talks, interviews, tutorials — staying in the video and hitting one button each time is the whole workflow. The side panel keeps your notebook in context whether you're saving one video or twenty. If you have a list of videos to add all at once, Kaptex also supports bulk import — paste multiple YouTube URLs and send them to your notebook in a single action.

You can try it free at kaptex.io — 10 saves per day on the free plan.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does NotebookLM support YouTube videos natively?

Yes — NotebookLM can process YouTube videos when you add them as sources. Kaptex doesn't change how NotebookLM handles videos; it just removes the tab-switching required to add them.

Does Kaptex add the transcript or just the URL?

Kaptex sends the YouTube URL to NotebookLM. NotebookLM then fetches and processes the transcript on its own — the same as if you pasted the URL manually, just without the manual steps.

What if a video doesn't have a transcript?

NotebookLM needs a transcript to process a YouTube video. If a video has no captions, NotebookLM won't be able to use it as a source. This is a NotebookLM limitation — Kaptex sends the video just fine, but NotebookLM can't do anything with it if there's no transcript available.

Can I add multiple YouTube videos at once?

Yes. The bulk import feature lets you paste a list of YouTube URLs and send them all to your notebook in one action — useful at the end of a research session when you've collected several videos to save.

Why does my video reset when I switch to NotebookLM?

Switching tabs pauses and sometimes reloads the current page. Kaptex avoids this entirely — since you never leave the YouTube tab, the video keeps playing while the save happens in the side panel.