# The Kortex Bar on NotebookLM Notebooks


When you open a notebook in Gemini Notebook (formerly NotebookLM), Kortex adds one thin bar under the title. It holds the Kortex tools for that notebook: Collections, Chat, Sources, Studio and Prompts.

<img src="/docs/img/docs/shot-whats-new-notebook-bar.webp" alt="The Kortex bar across the top of a notebook, with Collections, Chat, Sources, Studio and Prompts" width="720" />

## Why use the Kortex bar?

Think of the bar as a tool belt. Instead of hunting through menus, you reach for the tool you need. Each group of tools sits next to the part of the page it works on.

## What is in the bar

The bar has five groups, from left to right. Each group has a small label so you can tell them apart.

- **Collections**: the groups this notebook belongs to, shown as little tags. Click **Add** to put the notebook in another one. See [Collections on Gemini Notebook](/docs/notebooklm-collections).
- **Chat**: **Copy** and **Export** for the conversation. See [Export chat](/docs/export-chat).
- **Sources**: four small icon buttons. In order, they download your sources ([Download sources](/docs/download-all-sources-button)), sync your Google Docs ([Sync Google Docs](/docs/sync-all-gdocs-button)), open your saved filters ([Source views](/docs/source-views-dropdown)) and delete sources ([Delete sources](/docs/delete-sources-button)). Rest your mouse on an icon to see its name.
- **Studio**: a count of what you have made (audio, notes, mind maps) and an **Export** button. See [Export Studio outputs](/docs/studio-panel-export).
- **Prompts**: the button at the far right. It opens your saved prompts. See [Prompts button](/docs/prompt-holder-button).

Two more things are not in the bar but belong with it. A search box and filter buttons sit above your source list ([Source search](/docs/source-search-bar)). A small checkbox sits under every answer in the chat, for picking answers.

<img src="/docs/img/docs/shot-ai-sites-notebooklm-notebook.webp" alt="A notebook with the Kortex bar under the title, a source search box and a checkbox under each answer" width="720" />

## The first visit

The first time you open Gemini Notebook after installing Kortex, a small window says **Welcome to Kortex!** It asks you to open any notebook to see everything Kortex adds. Click **Got it!** to close it.

<img src="/docs/img/docs/shot-ai-sites-first-visit-popup.webp" alt="The welcome window on the Gemini Notebook home page" width="560" />

## The guided tour

The first time you open a notebook, a short tour starts. It has five steps. Click **Next** to move on, or **Skip Tour** to stop at any time.

1. **Welcome to Kortex!** It points you to the Kortex button in the browser's toolbar. That is where your account, your usage and your settings are.
1. **Prompt Holder.** It points at the **Prompts** button.
1. **Your notebook toolbar.** It points at the bar and lists what it holds.
1. **Kortex Works Everywhere.** It lists the other sites where Kortex adds its buttons.
1. **Pin Kortex for Quick Access.** It shows how to pin Kortex to the browser's toolbar: click the puzzle-piece icon, find Kortex, then click the pin.

<img src="/docs/img/docs/shot-ai-sites-tour-welcome.webp" alt="The first step of the tour on a notebook" width="560" />

<img src="/docs/img/docs/shot-ai-sites-tour-toolbar.webp" alt="The tour pointing at the Kortex bar" width="560" />

:::tip Good to know

- The bar follows Gemini Notebook into dark mode.
- You can hide most buttons you do not use in the side panel's **Manage features**. Only **Delete sources** always stays.
- If the page has no title area to sit under, the bar sits at the bottom of the window.

:::

<img src="/docs/img/docs/shot-ai-sites-notebooklm-dark.webp" alt="The Kortex bar in dark mode" width="560" />

## What if something goes wrong?

If you do not see the bar, reload the page. Check that Kortex is on in **chrome://extensions**.