I have a library on Google Drive with 90 PDFs in total. Each PDF has 10 pages, for a total of 900 pages. How do I use Gemini to catalog them, share them, and make a front-end table of contents so people can view the PDFs by viewing them through a front-end UI that's available to me?
To manage a library of 90 PDFs (900 pages) and create a functional front-end interface, the most efficient workflow uses Gemini in Google Drive for the cataloging phase and Google AppSheet or Google Sites for the front-end UI.
Here is the step-by-step guide to building your library.
Instead of opening 90 files manually, you can use the Gemini side panel in Google Drive to ingest the entire folder.
Organize your files: Place all 90 PDFs into a single folder in Google Drive (e.g., "Project Library").
Open Gemini: At the top right of your Drive interface, click the Ask Gemini icon (sparkle logo).
Reference the Folder: In the prompt box, type @ followed by the name of your folder.
The Catalog Prompt: Use a prompt like:
"Summarize all PDFs in the @Project Library folder. Create a table with the following columns: File Name, Document Topic, 2-Sentence Summary, and Key Stakeholders. Then, export this table to a Google Sheet."
Export: Once Gemini generates the table, click the Export to Sheets button at the bottom of the response. This Sheet becomes your "database."
For people to view the PDFs through your UI, they must have permission to see the source files.
Folder-level sharing: Right-click your "Project Library" folder in Drive.
Set Access: Select Share and set it to "Anyone with the link" (Viewer) or specific emails.
Link consistency: Ensure the "File Link" column in your Google Sheet points to the shared URL of each PDF. If Gemini didn't include the links, you can quickly generate them in the Sheet using a simple Apps Script or by copying the folder's shared link structure.
You have two main options depending on how "app-like" you want the interface to be:
This is the best way to create a searchable, mobile-friendly library.
In your Google Sheet, go to Extensions > AppSheet > Create an app.
AppSheet will automatically turn your rows into a "Gallery" or "Deck" view.
Customize: Use the AppSheet editor to ensure the "File Link" column is set to the File or URL type. This allows users to click a document and open it directly in their browser.
This is better for a traditional "Table of Contents" website.
Go to sites.google.com and create a new site.
Embed the Sheet: Use the Insert panel to add your Google Sheet. You can set it to a "List" view so it acts as a searchable table.
Drive Folder Widget: Alternatively, use the Drive icon in the Insert panel to embed the entire folder. This creates a visual file browser where people can see thumbnails and double-click to view.
If your goal is for people to ask questions across all 900 pages rather than just viewing them, NotebookLM is superior.
Setup: Go to notebooklm.google.com and create a new notebook.
Upload: Select the PDFs from your Drive. Note: NotebookLM currently has a limit of 50 sources per notebook, so you would need to split your library into two notebooks (45 PDFs each).
UI: NotebookLM provides a "Guide" view that automatically creates a table of contents, summaries, and a "Deep Dive" audio overview for the entire collection.
Share: Click the Share button at the top right to give others access to the entire interactive library.
Would you like a specific prompt to help Gemini generate more detailed metadata for the cataloging phase?