Notebook Nest v17.5: Tasks, granular source controls, Zen Mode, and a larger index for NotebookLM power users

What happened

A community-built Chrome extension called Notebook Nest (GitHub: https://github.com/benju66/Notebook-Nest) just shipped a substantial v17.5 release for NotebookLM users. The update adds a Project Dashboard, an integrated task manager, more granular source controls in the tree view, a distraction-free Zen Mode, local storage for instant saves, and an increased deep-search index (2MB → 5MB). The project also moved to a GPLv3 license.

Key features

1. Project Dashboard and Task Manager
   • Per-notebook to-do lists, priority flags (Red/Yellow/Blue), sorting and due dates. This turns NotebookLM into more of a lightweight PM tool for each notebook.
2. Advanced Source Control
   • “Select all” master toggle and folder hover toggles to check or uncheck all documents inside a folder. This addresses a major UX friction in long source lists.
3. Zen (Focus) Mode
   • Hides chat and sidebars for distraction-free reading and writing.
4. Performance & Storage
   • Local extension storage for instant saves and reduced network latency. Deep-search index raised from 2MB to 5MB (about 2.5× capacity).
5. Licensing
   • Re-licensed under GPLv3 to preserve the project as free and open-source software.

Why it matters

• Usability at scale: The source control toggles and “select all” are small UI affordances that matter when you have dozens or hundreds of source documents.
• Local-first speed and privacy: Storing extension metadata locally reduces latency and surface area for possible telemetry, which appeals to power users and privacy-conscious professionals.
• OSS longevity: GPLv3 protects the project from being closed off, so community contributions and forks remain possible if the original author steps away.

Context and caveats

The author is transparent: they are a construction project manager who built the tool for their own daily use and shipped the update without extensive battle-testing. That is both a strength (practical user-driven features) and a risk, potential bugs or update-related config loss. Several commenters asked about handling large content sets, for example thousands of pages for medical school. The author doubts the built-in index will handle extreme scale, the 5MB limit helps, but it is not a substitute for an external vector store or a dedicated document pipeline.

Risks and recommended precautions

• Backup first: This release is described as “works on my machine.” Back up your NotebookLM config and exported notebooks before upgrading.
• Browser compatibility: Users asked about Firefox support; the author currently has no plans for it.
• Upstream changes: Google could change NotebookLM internals in future updates, which may break extension behavior; file issues on GitHub and watch for upstream changes.

My takeaways

1. If you use NotebookLM frequently and manage many sources, this extension materially improves workflow through task management and source toggles.
2. Treat v17.5 as a powerful but experimental community tool: install in developer mode, back up configs, and monitor updates and issue reports on GitHub.
3. For truly large-scale indexing, consider a hybrid approach: use Notebook Nest for UI and organization and a separate vector database or retrieval pipeline for heavy-duty search.

Where to go next

• GitHub: https://github.com/benju66/Notebook-Nest
• Reddit thread (original announcement): https://www.reddit.com/r/notebooklm/comments/1pj6z4h/notebooklm_pro_tree_notebook_nest_v175_is_here/

Practical, user-driven features can fast-track productivity, but community extensions require cautious adoption and active maintenance. If you try it, consider opening issues or PRs on GitHub to help the project mature.