diff --git a/gtsam/inference/doc/Symbol.ipynb b/gtsam/inference/doc/Symbol.ipynb
index 20d9fd7e2..c9de75957 100644
--- a/gtsam/inference/doc/Symbol.ipynb
+++ b/gtsam/inference/doc/Symbol.ipynb
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@
     },
     {
       "cell_type": "code",
-      "execution_count": 1,
+      "execution_count": 6,
       "metadata": {
         "id": "symbol_import_code"
       },
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@
     },
     {
       "cell_type": "code",
-      "execution_count": 2,
+      "execution_count": 7,
       "metadata": {
         "colab": {
           "base_uri": "https://localhost:8080/"
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@
     },
     {
       "cell_type": "code",
-      "execution_count": 3,
+      "execution_count": 8,
       "metadata": {
         "colab": {
           "base_uri": "https://localhost:8080/"
@@ -151,12 +151,12 @@
       "source": [
         "## Shorthand Functions\n",
         "\n",
-        "GTSAM provides convenient shorthand functions `gtsam.symbol_shorthand.X(j)`, `gtsam.symbol_shorthand.L(j)`, etc., which are equivalent to `gtsam.Symbol('x', j)`, `gtsam.Symbol('l', j)`."
+        "GTSAM provides convenient shorthand functions `X(j)`, `L(j)`, etc., which are equivalent to `gtsam.Symbol('x', j)`, `gtsam.Symbol('l', j)`. To use these, first import with `from gtsam import symbol_shorthand`, then set up the variables you want to use with statements like `X = symbol_shorthand.X`."
       ]
     },
     {
       "cell_type": "code",
-      "execution_count": 4,
+      "execution_count": 9,
       "metadata": {
         "colab": {
           "base_uri": "https://localhost:8080/"
@@ -169,19 +169,19 @@
           "name": "stdout",
           "output_type": "stream",
           "text": [
-            "Symbol('x', 0).key() == gtsam.symbol_shorthand.X(0): True\n",
-            "Symbol('l', 1).key() == gtsam.symbol_shorthand.L(1): True\n"
+            "Symbol('x', 0).key() == X(0): True\n",
+            "Symbol('l', 1).key() == L(1): True\n"
           ]
         }
       ],
       "source": [
         "from gtsam import symbol_shorthand\n",
         "\n",
-        "x0_key = symbol_shorthand.X(0)\n",
-        "l1_key = symbol_shorthand.L(1)\n",
+        "X = symbol_shorthand.X\n",
+        "L = symbol_shorthand.L\n",
         "\n",
-        "print(f\"Symbol('x', 0).key() == gtsam.symbol_shorthand.X(0): {Symbol('x', 0).key() == x0_key}\")\n",
-        "print(f\"Symbol('l', 1).key() == gtsam.symbol_shorthand.L(1): {Symbol('l', 1).key() == l1_key}\")"
+        "print(f\"Symbol('x', 0).key() == X(0): {Symbol('x', 0).key() == X(0)}\")\n",
+        "print(f\"Symbol('l', 1).key() == L(1): {Symbol('l', 1).key() == L(1)}\")"
       ]
     }
   ],