Getting Started

1. Why would I want to use Google Notebook?

   With Google Notebook, you can browse, clip, and organize information from across the web in a single online location that's accessible from any computer. Planning a trip? Researching a product? Just add clippings to your notebook. You won't ever have to leave your browser window.

2. How do I get started?

   Simple. Just sign in to the Google Notebook homepage with your Google Accounts username and password, then download the Google Notebook browser extension (if you haven't already). As soon as you restart your browser, you'll see a Google Notebook icon in the bottom-right corner of your browser window. Click on this icon to open your mini Google Notebook, where you can save all the clips of content you want.

3. Can I view my Google Notebook in a bigger window?

   Absolutely. While the mini Google Notebook allows you to save clips of information without leaving the webpage you're on, you can organize and review your notebooks most easily in the full-page view. To access the full-page view, just click on the Open in full page link in your mini Google Notebook, or log in directly at www.google.com/notebook. If you are using the Firefox browser, you can also pop out the mini notebook, using the arrow icon in the titlebar. This enables you to view and edit your notebooks in a movable and re-sizable window, without having to go to the full-page view.

4. What can I do in the full-page view?

   In the full-page view, you can organize your web clippings and bookmarks, add your own notes and comments, and search over all your notebook content. You can also share your notebooks with others by inviting them to collaborate with you or by publishing your notebooks to the web.

5. Why do I need to download a browser extension?

   Downloading a browser extension enables you to use the mini Google Notebook. The mini Google Notebook allows you to clip information from the web without ever leaving the page you're on. You'll never again need to toggle between windows, or copy and paste info from your browser window to another application.

6. What browsers does the Google Notebook extension support?

   To take advantage of Google Notebook's full functionality, you'll need one of these up-to-date browsers:

   • Internet Explorer 6 (download: Windows)
   • Firefox 1.5+ (download: Windows Linux Mac)

   Internet Explorer 7, Safari and Opera extensions aren't available at this time, though they may become available in the future.

Editing and organizing your notebooks

7. How do I add clippings to a notebook?

   To add clippings to your Google Notebook, just right-click on the text, image or link you want and click Note this (Google Notebook) from the menu. You can also highlight text or images on any webpage, and click on the star button in your mini notebook.

   You can also quickly clip Google search results by clicking on the Note this link at the bottom of any search result.

8. How can I create a bookmark?

   Bookmarks are created using the Google Toolbar. You can view bookmarks, add comments to them, and move them into notebooks, just like any other note in Google Notebook.

9. Can I add my own comments to clippings?

   Yes. Just click the Comment link below the note you want to add a comment to. You can then add your own comments, which will follow the note wherever it goes. In the mini Google Notebook, click on the note first to show the comment region and the Comment link.

10. How do I create a text note?

    You can create a new text note by clicking between any two notes. This opens up a new note area in which you can begin typing. In the full-page view, you can also click on the New note button to open a new note area.

11. How can I organize my notes?

    You can organize your notes quickly and easily from the full-page view. Add section headings within a notebook by clicking the New note button and then on the add section link, or rearrange your notes by dragging and dropping them from one section to another (or even from one notebook to another).

12. How do I add a label to a note?

    To add a label to a note or bookmark, just click on the Add labels link below the note you want to add a label to and then type in a label name. In the mini Google Notebook, click on the note first to show the Add labels link.

13. How do I rename a notebook?

    In the full-page view, just click on the Tools button, then select Rename notebook.

14. How do I delete notes and sections?

    To delete a note or section, select the Delete option from the drop-down menu that appears in the upper-right corner of that note or section. When deleting sections, you can choose to just delete the section header or the section header in addition to all the notes it contains.

15. How do I delete an entire notebook?

    You can delete an entire Google Notebook using the full-page view. Simply click on the title of the notebook you'd like to delete in the left menu, and select Delete notebook from the Tools drop-down menu. Confirm your request, and you're done.

16. How can I view all my notebooks?

    From the mini Google Notebook, click the small triangle along the left side of the notebook window. Google Notebook will display a list of all your notebooks with their respective sections. Also, at any time, you can visit the full-page view to access all your notebooks.

17. Can I access my notebooks from multiple computers?

    Yes. That's one of the best parts about Google Notebook. You can access your notebooks from any computer at any time. Simply log in to your Google Notebook account from www.google.com/notebook. This will give you access to the full-page view of your notebooks. And if the notebook extension/add-on is installed on the computer you're using, you can use the features of the mini Google Notebook, too.

18. Can I export my notebooks?

    Yes, you can export any notebook to Google Docs. There, you can edit your notebook as a document, collaborate with others, or publish it to the world. The Export to Google Docs command can be found in the Tools drop-down menu in the full-page view.

19. What is the Unfiled notebook?

    The Unfiled notebook allows you to collect webpages without having to pick a specific notebook to put them in first. We've also integrated with Google Bookmarks, so that all of your bookmarks show up as Unfiled notes. If you bookmark new pages, they'll automatically be added to the Unfiled notebook. If you move a link from another notebook into Unfiled, it will show up in your Google Bookmarks.

20. If I move or delete a link from my Unfiled notebook, what happens to it?

    If you move a link from your Unfiled notebook to another notebook or delete a link, it will no longer appear as a bookmark in the Google Toolbar, iGoogle, Web History, or search result pages. You can move them back into the Unfiled notebook or restore them from the Trash to make them appear as a bookmark again.

Sharing your notebooks

21. How can I share my notebook with others?

    Just click on Sharing options in the top-right corner, then you can:

    • Invite collaborators. Let others add and delete content in your Google Notebook by inviting them to edit. If you invite someone who doesn't have a Google account, we'll help them set one up.
    • Create a public webpage. Publish your notebook to the web, allowing the public to view your notebook's content. We'll include your notebook in Google's search results -- and you can send your notebook's web address to your friends.

22. How can I share my bookmarks with others?

    Move the bookmarks that you want to share into a notebook and then share that notebook.

23. How can I revoke access to a shared notebook?

    You can revoke a collaborator's access by removing them from your list. If you've created a webpage for your notebook, you can click on the No radio button, which will unpublish your notebook and remove it from Google's search results.

24. If I decide to unpublish my notebook, can others still see it?

    If you unpublish a notebook, we'll remove it from our search results within a few days.

25. If someone shares a notebook with me, can I remove it from my notebook list?

    Absolutely. Just click on Sharing options in the top-right corner of your notebook, then click on Remove this notebook. To regain access to this notebook, you can reuse the link provided in the invitation email.

Google Notebook for mobile

26. How do I access Google Notebook from my mobile device?

    Just enter www.google.com/notebook/m in your phone's web browser to log in to your account.

27. What are the minimum requirements for Google Notebook for mobile?

    You should be able to access Google Notebook from your mobile browser if it meets the following requirements:

    • Your web browser needs to be XHTML compliant. To determine whether your browser is compatible, please point it to www.google.com/xhtml and perform a search. If it doesn't work, your browser may not be XHTML compliant.
    • Your phone's browser should have cookies enabled and your mobile network should also allow cookies. The setting for cookies is usually located in your phone's browser settings. Contact your mobile service provider to determine if they allow cookies on their network.
    • Your mobile phone network should allow secure SSL traffic. Contact your mobile provider to check this too.

28. Can I create a notebook from my mobile device?

    No, you can't create a new notebook from your mobile device, but you can add a note to your Mobile notes notebook or to an existing notebook.

Learn More

29. Are my notebooks private?

    Rest assured that your notebooks will remain private unless you publish them to the Web or invite collaborators. To learn more about how we protect your privacy, check out our Privacy Policy at http://www.google.com/googlenotebook/privacy.html

30. Why do some public Google Notebook results take me to a 404-error page?

    This will happen when the owner of a public Google Notebook has chosen to make it private again.

31. How do I uninstall the Google Notebook extension from my computer?

    You can uninstall the Google Notebook extension from your browser at any time.

    If you're using Firefox:

    1. Click on Tools in the menu toolbar and select Extensions (or Add-ons in Firefox 2.0).
    2. Select Google Notebook in the list of extensions.
    3. Click on the Uninstall button.
    4. Restart the browser.

    If you're using Internet Explorer:

    1. Go to Control Panel.
    2. Click on Add or Remove Programs.
    3. Select Google Notebook from the list of programs and click on the Remove button.
    4. Restart the browser.

32. How can I change the language settings for Google Notebook?

    You can change your Google Notebook language settings by following these steps:

    1. Go to http://www.google.com/preferences?hl=en
    2. Select your preferred language in the Interface Language section.
    3. Click on Save Preferences.

    Please note that this setting affects other Google pages as well.

33. Is there a size limit when creating a new note?

    Currently, new notes are limited to 64KB or less.

34. Where can I send my feedback?

    We'd love to hear what you think. Please write to us from here.

35. Where can I discuss Google Notebook with other users?

    You can ask questions and share your expertise with others in our Google Notebook discussion group. Please note that Google doesn't moderate this forum.