Combining Google NotebookLM’s Slide Deck with Google Slides and Google Vids: A Fast, Powerful New Workflow for Genealogists

Combining Google NotebookLM’s Slide Deck with Google Slides and Google Vids: A Fast, Powerful New Workflow for Genealogists

Every once in a while, a new tech discovery comes along that changes the way we share our family history—instantly, unexpectedly, and in the best way possible. The day the Slide Deck feature came out was one of those days.

Google NotebookLM quietly rolled out two new features: Infographic and Slide Deck. After spending most of that morning testing them (using my 2nd great-grandfather, Samuel Steinman, as my official “AI ancestor tester”), I was already impressed with what they could produce. Then, something even more exciting happened: I discovered a simple workflow that turns those auto-generated Slide Decks into fully narrated videos within minutes—and all for free.

This combination of tools opens a brand-new door for genealogists who want to share family histories creatively, quickly, and beautifully. Here’s how it works.

Step 1: Generate a Slide Deck in Google NotebookLM

The new Slide Deck option in NotebookLM creates a clean, nicely structured presentation directly from your notebook content. In my test case, I used a notebook full of research notes and analysis on my 2nd great-grandfather, Samuel Steinman, and the resulting deck provided:

• Sectioned slides
• Summaries of key points
• Biographical snapshots
• Quick visuals and layouts

The only limitation? NotebookLM currently only allows a PDF download of the slides.

NotebookLM to Instant Videos with Vids, Example 1

Step 2: Save Each Slide's PNG for Flexibility

To make the slides editable and usable across multiple platforms, I saved each slide of the slide deck's PNG images (you can also save each slide of the PDF as an individual PNG image). This only takes a moment, and once done, you’re free to:

• Edit them
• Reorder them
• Add branding
• Insert additional images
• Prepare them for use in other media

This small step unlocks everything that comes next.

NotebookLM to Instant Videos with Vids- PDF or PNGs

Download the PDF of the slide deck and convert them to images, or expand the slide deck and save each PNG image from the slide deck itself, as seen above and below.

NotebookLM to Instant Videos with Vids- Expanded Slide Deck View

Step 3: Import the PNG Slides into Google Slides

Once the images were ready, I uploaded them into a blank Google Slides presentation—one image per slide. This creates a clean, ready-to-use slide show version of your NotebookLM Slide Deck.
This step is fast, and it sets up the real magic that follows.

NotebookLM to Instant Videos with Vids- Importing NLM Slide Decks to Google Slides

Step 4: Pull Your Google Slides into Google Vids

This is the part that surprised me.
Google Vids now allows you to import your Google Slides directly—and once you do, it automatically builds a complete narrated video from your slides in a matter of seconds.
The results include:

• Auto-generated narration
• Transitions
• Timing
• Background music (optional)
• A ready-to-download video file

And best of all? It’s completely free.
In under a minute, my Slide Deck on Samuel Steinman transformed into a polished ancestor video—without any editing, recording, or design work on my end.

NotebookLM to Instant Videos with Vids- Coverting NLM Slide Decks in Google Vids

NotebookLM to Instant Videos with Vids- Outcome of Google Vids Automatically Coverting Google Slides

NotebookLM to Instant Videos with Vids- Final Video Product

Why This Workflow Is a Game-Changer for Genealogy

This simple chain--NotebookLM Slide Deck → PNG Slides → Google Slides → Google Vids—opens a fast, low-effort way to produce beautiful, engaging family history content.
Genealogists can now create:

• Mini-biographies
• Quick client summaries
• Family history “trailers”
• Social media videos
• Narrative-style research updates
• Memorial or celebration videos
• Storytelling pieces for relatives

All within minutes.
For professionals, it can add a polished, optional supplement to project deliverables (with a note about citation limitations, of course). For hobbyists, it makes sharing family stories with relatives easier and more exciting than ever.

Final Thoughts

That day of discovery felt like stumbling into an entire new genealogy storytelling toolset. The automation, speed, and quality make this workflow truly stand out—and I can already see endless uses for it in family history work.
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If you haven’t explored these new features yet, I highly recommend giving them a try. The possibilities are incredible, and you may find, like I did, that a simple test becomes an entirely new way of bringing your ancestors to life.

Try NotebookLM

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​More AI Videos

See more AI video testers and examples on my YouTube channel. 

​More AI and Genealogy

Learn about more AI in Genealogy updates, tips, and resources, along with other family history and genealogy resources under the AI in Genealogy and  Genealogy Resources categories and on my dedicated Genealogy Resources page.

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