Tested and updated October 30, 2026

NotebookLM and Obsidian: which to use, and both together

They do different jobs: Obsidian keeps the notes you write, and Gemini Notebook answers questions about documents you add. Gemini Notebook has no Obsidian connection, but it reads Markdown, so you can upload vault notes as sources. In our test links stayed as plain text, images didn't come in, and private comments did. KastorFlow connects the two through Obsidian's Local REST API plugin, in both directions.

Gemini Notebook is NotebookLM's new name. Everything here works the same in both.

NotebookLM vs Obsidian

	Gemini Notebook (NotebookLM)	Obsidian
What it is	An AI notebook that answers from the sources you add	A note-taking app for your own linked notes
Where your notes live	In your Google account	On your device, as plain Markdown files
AI	Built in: answers with citations, Audio Overviews, flashcards, reports	None built in; community plugins with your own model
Links between notes	Plain text in a source	The heart of the app: backlinks and a graph
Price	Free; more with a Google AI plan	Free, for personal and commercial use; Sync $4 a month billed yearly ($5 monthly), Publish $8 ($10 monthly)
Best for	Understanding a set of documents fast	Notes you write and keep for years

Most people who ask "NotebookLM or Obsidian?" end up using both: Obsidian for what you write, Gemini Notebook for asking questions of what you read. Choose Obsidian alone if you want your notes on your own device. Choose Gemini Notebook alone if you only need to understand some documents.

Obsidian's facts from its pricing page, home page and core plugins list, read October 25, 2026.

What happens to Obsidian notes in NotebookLM

On October 30, 2026 we built a small test vault of three linked notes, uploaded the .md files to a new notebook, then read each source and questioned the chat.

In the note	In the notebook
Headings and tables	Kept. Tables display as tables.
Properties (frontmatter)	Plain text at the top of the source, and the chat can read it
`[[Wiki links]]`	Plain text, not clickable, and the linked note isn't added. The chat can still read them: it told us which note linked to which.
`![[Embedded image]]`	Just that text. The image doesn't come in.
Callouts and checkboxes	The words stay, as plain text
#tags	Plain text
A Dataview block	It doesn't run. The chat described what the query would return, working from the notes it could see.
`%% Private comment %%`	Imported. The chat quoted a code word we had hidden in one.

Three Obsidian notes uploaded to Gemini Notebook as Markdown sources, with the chat explaining which note links to which and what a Dataview block would return

Check for private comments before you upload. A comment between %% marks is hidden in Obsidian's reading view, but it's still in the file. If it holds something private, remove it first or leave that note out.

By hand

In the notebook, click Sources, then Upload files.
Pick the .md files from your vault folder. You can pick several at once, and each becomes one source.
Add linked notes yourself. A link in a note doesn't bring the other note with it.
Copy answers you want to keep, and paste them into Obsidian.

Two limits matter. Uploaded notes don't update when you edit them, so upload again after big changes. And each note fills a source slot: 50 on the free plan. For a larger vault, combine related notes into one file first.

Markdown is among the file types in Google's help page Add or discover new sources for your notebook, read October 30, 2026.

Connect your vault, with KastorFlow

You need Obsidian's desktop app running, and its Local REST API community plugin turned on with the non-encrypted (HTTP) server enabled on port 27123.

In Obsidian: Settings, Community plugins, Browse, find Local REST API, install and enable it. In its settings, turn on the non-encrypted (HTTP) server and copy the API key.
In KastorFlow: Connections → Obsidian, paste the key, then save and test. Allow access when Chrome asks.

Vault notes into a notebook

In Connections → Obsidian, under Linked notebooks, choose Add link.
Pick a notebook, then a vault folder or specific notes.
Choose how notes become sources: Auto, Precision or Bundle, which puts several notes in one source to save room. Then Sync.

Answers and artifacts back to the vault

Download artifacts as an Obsidian-ready ZIP, which needs no plugin, or push them straight into a vault folder when the plugin is connected.
Export a chat answer as a Markdown note from KastorFlow's panel in the notebook.

The Obsidian connection is on Pro+, with Readwise, Slack and Discord. Exports go to a KastorFlow folder in your vault unless you choose another.

Your vault and your notebooks, connected both ways. Free to install, no account needed to start.

Add to Chrome

Questions

Can NotebookLM connect to Obsidian?

Not by itself. Gemini Notebook, NotebookLM's new name, reads Markdown files you upload. KastorFlow, a Chrome extension, connects through Obsidian's Local REST API plugin to sync vault notes in and send answers and artifacts back.

Is NotebookLM better than Obsidian?

They do different jobs. Gemini Notebook, NotebookLM's new name, answers questions from documents you add, with citations. Obsidian keeps notes you write as Markdown files on your device and has no built-in AI. Many people use both. Side by side

Does NotebookLM read Markdown files?

Yes. Upload .md files in Add sources and each becomes a source. In our test tables displayed as tables, and the rest stayed as text.

Does NotebookLM understand Obsidian links?

Partly. A link stays as plain text, so you can't click it and the linked note isn't added. The chat can still read the text: it told us which note linked to which.

Does NotebookLM see Obsidian's private comments?

Yes. A comment between %% marks stays hidden in Obsidian's reading view but came through in the upload, and the chat quoted it. Remove anything private before you upload.

Do I need an Obsidian plugin?

For syncing notes in and pushing to the vault, yes: Local REST API, with Obsidian's desktop app running. An Obsidian-ready ZIP download works without it.