src/notebooklm_tools/data/SKILL.md
Expert guide for the NotebookLM CLI (`nlm`) and MCP server - interfaces for Google NotebookLM. Use this skill when users want to interact with NotebookLM programmatically, including: creating/managing notebooks, adding sources (URLs, YouTube, text, Google Drive), generating content (podcasts, reports, quizzes, flashcards, mind maps, slides, infographics, videos, data tables), conducting research, chatting with sources, or automating NotebookLM workflows. Triggers on mentions of "nlm", "notebooklm", "notebook lm", "podcast generation", "audio overview", or any NotebookLM-related automation task.
npx skillsauth add jacob-bd/notebooklm-mcp-cli nlm-skillInstall this skill globally with one command. Works with Claude Code, Cursor, and Windsurf.
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This skill provides comprehensive guidance for using NotebookLM via both the nlm CLI and MCP tools.
ALWAYS check which tools are available before proceeding:
mcp__notebooklm-mcp__* or mcp_notebooklm_*nlm CLI commands via BashDecision Logic:
has_mcp_tools = check_available_tools() # Look for mcp__notebooklm-mcp__* or mcp_notebooklm_*
has_cli = check_bash_available() # Can run nlm commands
if has_mcp_tools and has_cli:
# ASK USER: "I can use either MCP tools or the nlm CLI. Which do you prefer?"
user_preference = ask_user()
else if has_mcp_tools:
# Use MCP tools directly
mcp__notebooklm-mcp__notebook_list()
else:
# Use CLI via Bash
bash("nlm notebook list")
This skill documents BOTH approaches. Choose the appropriate one based on tool availability and user preference.
Run nlm --ai to get comprehensive AI-optimized documentation - this provides a complete view of all CLI capabilities.
nlm --help # List all commands
nlm <command> --help # Help for specific command
nlm --ai # Full AI-optimized documentation (RECOMMENDED)
nlm --version # Check installed version
nlm login before any operationsnlm login if commands start failing--confirm is REQUIRED: All generation and delete commands need --confirm or -y (CLI) or confirm=True (MCP)--notebook-id: The flag is mandatory, not positionalnlm alias set <name> <uuid>nlm alias list before creating a new alias to avoid conflicts with existing names.nlm chat start - it opens an interactive REPL that AI tools cannot control. Use nlm notebook query for one-shot Q&A instead.--quiet to capture IDs for piping. Only use --json when you need to parse specific fields programmatically.--help when unsure: Run nlm <command> --help to see available options and flags for any command.Use this to determine the right sequence of commands:
User wants to...
│
├─► Work with NotebookLM for the first time
│ └─► nlm login → nlm notebook create "Title"
│
├─► Add content to a notebook
│ ├─► From a URL/webpage → nlm source add <nb-id> --url "https://..."
│ ├─► From YouTube → nlm source add <nb-id> --url "https://youtube.com/..."
│ ├─► From pasted text → nlm source add <nb-id> --text "content" --title "Title"
│ ├─► From Google Drive → nlm source add <nb-id> --drive <doc-id> --type doc
│ └─► Discover new sources → nlm research start "query" --notebook-id <nb-id>
│
├─► Generate content from sources
│ ├─► Podcast/Audio → nlm audio create <nb-id> --confirm
│ ├─► Written summary → nlm report create <nb-id> --confirm
│ ├─► Study materials → nlm quiz/flashcards create <nb-id> --confirm
│ ├─► Visual content → nlm mindmap/slides/infographic create <nb-id> --confirm
│ ├─► Video → nlm video create <nb-id> --confirm
│ └─► Extract data → nlm data-table create <nb-id> "description" --confirm
│
├─► Ask questions about sources
│ └─► nlm notebook query <nb-id> "question"
│ (Use --conversation-id for follow-ups)
│ ⚠️ Do NOT use `nlm chat start` - it's a REPL for humans only
│
├─► Check generation status
│ └─► nlm studio status <nb-id>
│
└─► Manage/cleanup
├─► List notebooks → nlm notebook list
├─► List sources → nlm source list <nb-id>
├─► Delete source → nlm source delete <source-id> --confirm
└─► Delete notebook → nlm notebook delete <nb-id> --confirm
If using MCP tools and encountering authentication errors:
# Run the CLI authentication (works for both CLI and MCP)
nlm login
# Then reload tokens in MCP
mcp__notebooklm-mcp__refresh_auth()
Or manually save cookies via MCP (fallback):
# Extract cookies from Chrome DevTools and save
mcp__notebooklm-mcp__save_auth_tokens(cookies="<cookie_header>")
#### CLI Authentication
```bash
nlm login # Launch browser, extract cookies (primary method)
nlm login --check # Validate current session
nlm login --profile work # Use named profile for multiple accounts
nlm login --provider openclaw --cdp-url http://127.0.0.1:18800 # External CDP provider
nlm login switch <profile> # Switch the default profile
nlm login profile list # List all profiles with email addresses
nlm login profile delete <name> # Delete a profile
nlm login profile rename <old> <new> # Rename a profile
Multi-Profile Support: Each profile gets its own isolated browser session (supports Chrome, Arc, Brave, Edge, Chromium, and more), so you can be logged into multiple Google accounts simultaneously.
Session lifetime: ~20 minutes. Re-authenticate when commands fail with auth errors.
Switching MCP Accounts: The MCP server always uses the active default profile. If you need to switch which Google account the MCP server is communicating with, you MUST use the CLI: run nlm login switch <name>. Your next MCP tool call will instantly use the new account.
Note: Both MCP and CLI share the same authentication backend, so authenticating with one works for both.
Use tools: notebook_list, notebook_create, notebook_get, notebook_describe, notebook_query, notebook_rename, notebook_delete. All accept notebook_id parameter. Delete requires confirm=True.
nlm notebook list # List all notebooks
nlm notebook list --json # JSON output for parsing
nlm notebook list --quiet # IDs only (for scripting)
nlm notebook create "Title" # Create notebook, returns ID
nlm notebook get <id> # Get notebook details
nlm notebook describe <id> # AI-generated summary + suggested topics
nlm notebook query <id> "question" # One-shot Q&A with sources
nlm notebook rename <id> "New Title" # Rename notebook
nlm notebook delete <id> --confirm # PERMANENT deletion
Use source_add with these source_type values:
url - Web page or YouTube URL (url param)text - Pasted content (text + title params)file - Local file upload (file_path param). Supported extensions: PDF, TXT, MD, DOCX, CSV, EPUB, MP3, M4A, WAV, AAC, OGG, OPUS, MP4, JPG, JPEG, PNG, GIF, WEBP. Note: Image-bearing sources (PDF / JPG / PNG / etc.) feed Studio video generation's visual-crop pipeline — charts, photos, and diagrams may be extracted as on-screen aids in Video Overviews.drive - Google Drive doc (document_id + doc_type params)Other tools: source_list_drive, source_describe, source_get_content, source_rename, source_sync_drive (requires confirm=True), source_delete (requires confirm=True).
# Adding sources
nlm source add <nb-id> --url "https://..." # Web page
nlm source add <nb-id> --url "https://youtube.com/..." # YouTube video
nlm source add <nb-id> --text "content" --title "X" # Pasted text
nlm source add <nb-id> --drive <doc-id> # Drive doc (auto-detect type)
nlm source add <nb-id> --drive <doc-id> --type slides # Explicit type
nlm source add <nb-id> --file "/path/to/diagram.png" --wait # Local file upload (images, PDFs, documents, audio, video)
# Listing and viewing
nlm source list <nb-id> # Table of sources
nlm source list <nb-id> --drive # Show Drive sources with freshness
nlm source list <nb-id> --drive -S # Skip freshness checks (faster)
nlm source get <source-id> # Source metadata
nlm source describe <source-id> # AI summary + keywords
nlm source content <source-id> # Raw text content
nlm source content <source-id> -o file.txt # Export to file
# Drive sync (for stale sources)
nlm source stale <nb-id> # List outdated Drive sources
nlm source sync <nb-id> --confirm # Sync all stale sources
nlm source sync <nb-id> --source-ids <ids> --confirm # Sync specific
# Rename
nlm source rename <source-id> "New Title" --notebook <nb-id>
nlm rename source <source-id> "New Title" --notebook <nb-id> # verb-first
# Deletion
nlm source delete <source-id> --confirm
Drive types: doc, slides, sheets, pdf
Research finds NEW sources from the web or Google Drive.
Use research_start with:
source: web or drivemode: fast (~30s) or deep (~5min, web only)Workflow: research_start → poll research_status → research_import
# Start research (--notebook-id is REQUIRED)
nlm research start "query" --notebook-id <id> # Fast web (~30s)
nlm research start "query" --notebook-id <id> --mode deep # Deep web (~5min)
nlm research start "query" --notebook-id <id> --source drive # Drive search
# Check progress
nlm research status <nb-id> # Poll until done (5min max)
nlm research status <nb-id> --max-wait 0 # Single check, no waiting
nlm research status <nb-id> --task-id <tid> # Check specific task
nlm research status <nb-id> --full # Full details
# Import discovered sources
nlm research import <nb-id> <task-id> # Import all
nlm research import <nb-id> <task-id> --indices 0,2,5 # Import specific
nlm research import <nb-id> <task-id> --cited-only # Import cited sources
nlm research import <nb-id> <task-id> --timeout 600 # Custom timeout (default: 300s)
Modes: fast (~30s, ~10 sources) | deep (~5min, ~40+ sources, web only)
Use studio_create with artifact_type and type-specific options. All require confirm=True.
| artifact_type | Key Options |
|--------------|-------------|
| audio | audio_format: deep_dive/brief/critique/debate, audio_length: short/default/long |
| video | video_format: explainer/brief, visual_style: auto_select/classic/whiteboard/kawaii/anime/watercolor/retro_print/heritage/paper_craft |
| report | report_format: Briefing Doc/Study Guide/Blog Post/Create Your Own, custom_prompt |
| quiz | question_count, difficulty: easy/medium/hard |
| flashcards | difficulty: easy/medium/hard |
| mind_map | title |
| slide_deck | slide_format: detailed_deck/presenter_slides, slide_length: short/default |
| infographic | orientation: landscape/portrait/square, detail_level: concise/standard/detailed, infographic_style: auto_select/sketch_note/professional/bento_grid/editorial/instructional/bricks/clay/anime/kawaii/scientific |
| data_table | description (REQUIRED) |
Common options: source_ids, language (BCP-47 code), focus_prompt
Revise Slides: Use studio_revise to revise individual slides in an existing slide deck.
artifact_id (from studio_status) and slide_instructionsstudio_status after calling to check when the new deck is readyAll generation commands share these flags:
--confirm or -y: REQUIRED to execute--source-ids <id1,id2>: Limit to specific sources--language <code>: BCP-47 code (en, es, fr, de, ja)# Audio (Podcast)
nlm audio create <id> --confirm
nlm audio create <id> --format deep_dive --length default --confirm
nlm audio create <id> --format brief --focus "key topic" --confirm
# Formats: deep_dive, brief, critique, debate
# Lengths: short, default, long
# Report
nlm report create <id> --confirm
nlm report create <id> --format "Study Guide" --confirm
nlm report create <id> --format "Create Your Own" --prompt "Custom..." --confirm
# Formats: "Briefing Doc", "Study Guide", "Blog Post", "Create Your Own"
# Quiz
nlm quiz create <id> --confirm
nlm quiz create <id> --count 5 --difficulty 3 --confirm
nlm quiz create <id> --count 10 --difficulty 3 --focus "Focus on key concepts" --confirm
# Count: number of questions (default: 2)
# Difficulty: 1-5 (1=easy, 5=hard)
# Focus: optional text to guide quiz generation
# Flashcards
nlm flashcards create <id> --confirm
nlm flashcards create <id> --difficulty hard --confirm
nlm flashcards create <id> --difficulty medium --focus "Focus on definitions" --confirm
# Difficulty: easy, medium, hard
# Focus: optional text to guide flashcard generation
# Mind Map
nlm mindmap create <id> --confirm
nlm mindmap create <id> --title "Topic Overview" --confirm
nlm mindmap list <id> # List existing mind maps
# Slides
nlm slides create <id> --confirm
nlm slides create <id> --format presenter --length short --confirm
# Formats: detailed, presenter | Lengths: short, default
nlm slides revise <artifact-id> --slide '1 Make the title larger' --confirm
# Each --slide value must be: '<slide-number> <instruction>'
# Creates a NEW deck with revisions. Original unchanged.
# Infographic
nlm infographic create <id> --confirm
nlm infographic create <id> --orientation portrait --detail detailed --style professional --confirm
# Orientations: landscape, portrait, square
# Detail: concise, standard, detailed
# Styles: auto_select, sketch_note, professional, bento_grid, editorial, instructional, bricks, clay, anime, kawaii, scientific
# Video
nlm video create <id> --confirm
nlm video create <id> --format brief --style whiteboard --confirm
# Formats: explainer, brief
# Styles: auto_select, classic, whiteboard, kawaii, anime, watercolor, retro_print, heritage, paper_craft
# Data Table
nlm data-table create <id> "Extract all dates and events" --confirm
# DESCRIPTION is required as second argument
Use studio_status to check progress (or rename with action="rename"). Use download_artifact with artifact_type and output_path. Use export_artifact with export_type: docs/sheets. Delete with studio_delete (requires confirm=True).
# Check status
nlm studio status <nb-id> # List all artifacts
nlm studio status <nb-id> --full # Show full details (including custom prompts)
nlm studio status <nb-id> --json # JSON output
# Download artifacts
nlm download audio <nb-id> --output podcast.mp3
nlm download video <nb-id> --output video.mp4
nlm download report <nb-id> --output report.md
nlm download slide-deck <nb-id> --output slides.pdf # PDF (default)
nlm download slide-deck <nb-id> --output slides.pptx --format pptx # PPTX
nlm download quiz <nb-id> --output quiz.json --format json
# Export to Google Docs/Sheets
nlm export sheets <nb-id> <artifact-id> --title "My Data Table"
nlm export docs <nb-id> <artifact-id> --title "My Report"
# Delete artifact
nlm studio delete <nb-id> <artifact-id> --confirm
Status values: completed (✓), in_progress (●), failed (✗)
Prompt Extraction: The studio_status tool returns a custom_instructions field for each artifact. This contains the original focus prompt or custom instructions used to generate that artifact (e.g., the prompt for a "Create Your Own" report, or the focus topic for an Audio Overview). This is useful for retrieving the exact prompt that generated a successful artifact.
MCP Tool: source_rename(notebook_id, source_id, new_title)
CLI:
nlm source rename <source-id> "New Title" --notebook <notebook-id>
nlm rename source <source-id> "New Title" --notebook <notebook-id> # verb-first
Use studio_status with action="rename", artifact_id, and new_title.
nlm studio rename <artifact-id> "New Title"
nlm rename studio <artifact-id> "New Title" # verb-first alternative
Use server_info to get version and check for updates:
mcp__notebooklm-mcp__server_info()
# Returns: version, latest_version, update_available, update_command
nlm --version # Shows version and update availability
Use chat_configure with goal: default/learning_guide/custom. Use note with action: create/list/update/delete. Delete requires confirm=True.
⚠️ AI TOOLS: DO NOT USE
nlm chat start- It launches an interactive REPL that cannot be controlled programmatically. Usenlm notebook queryfor one-shot Q&A instead.
For human users at a terminal:
nlm chat start <nb-id> # Launch interactive REPL
REPL Commands:
/sources - List available sources/clear - Reset conversation context/help - Show commands/exit - Exit REPLConfigure chat behavior (works for both REPL and query):
nlm chat configure <id> --goal default
nlm chat configure <id> --goal learning_guide
nlm chat configure <id> --goal custom --prompt "Act as a tutor..."
nlm chat configure <id> --response-length longer # longer, default, shorter
Notes management:
nlm note create <nb-id> "Content" --title "Title"
nlm note list <nb-id>
nlm note update <nb-id> <note-id> --content "New content"
nlm note delete <nb-id> <note-id> --confirm
Use notebook_share_status to check, notebook_share_public to enable/disable public link, notebook_share_invite with email and role: viewer/editor.
# Check sharing status
nlm share status <nb-id>
# Enable/disable public link
nlm share public <nb-id> # Enable
nlm share public <nb-id> --off # Disable
# Invite collaborator
nlm share invite <nb-id> [email protected]
nlm share invite <nb-id> [email protected] --role editor
Simplify long UUIDs:
nlm alias set myproject abc123-def456... # Create alias (auto-detects notebook/source)
nlm alias get myproject # Resolve to UUID
nlm alias list # List all aliases
nlm alias delete myproject # Remove alias
# Use aliases anywhere
nlm notebook get myproject
nlm source list myproject
nlm audio create myproject --confirm
CLI-only commands for managing settings:
nlm config show # Show current config
nlm config get <key> # Get specific setting
nlm config set <key> <value> # Update setting
nlm config set output.format json # Change default output
# For switching profiles, prefer the simpler command:
nlm login switch work # Switch default profile
Available Settings:
| Key | Default | Description |
|-----|---------|-------------|
| output.format | table | Default output format (table, json) |
| output.color | true | Enable colored output |
| output.short_ids | true | Show shortened IDs |
| auth.browser | auto | Preferred browser for login (auto, chrome, arc, brave, edge, chromium, vivaldi, opera) |
| auth.default_profile | default | Profile to use when --profile not specified |
Manage the NotebookLM skill installation for various AI assistants:
nlm skill list # Show installation status
nlm skill update # Update all outdated skills
nlm skill update <tool> # Update specific skill (e.g., claude-code)
nlm skill install <tool> # Install skill
nlm skill uninstall <tool> # Uninstall skill
Verb-first aliases: nlm update skill, nlm list skills, nlm install skill
Most list commands support multiple formats:
| Flag | Description |
|------|-------------|
| (none) | Rich table (human-readable) |
| --json | JSON output (for parsing) |
| --quiet | IDs only (for piping) |
| --title | "ID: Title" format |
| --url | "ID: URL" format (sources only) |
| --full | All columns/details |
Perform the same action across multiple notebooks at once.
Use batch with action parameter. Select notebooks by notebook_names, tags, or all=True.
batch(action="query", query="What are the key findings?", notebook_names="AI Research, Dev Tools")
batch(action="add_source", source_url="https://example.com", tags="ai,research")
batch(action="create", titles="Project A, Project B, Project C")
batch(action="delete", notebook_names="Old Project", confirm=True)
batch(action="studio", artifact_type="audio", tags="research", confirm=True)
nlm batch query "What are the key takeaways?" --notebooks "id1,id2"
nlm batch query "Summarize" --tags "ai,research" # Query by tag
nlm batch query "Summarize" --all # Query ALL notebooks
nlm batch add-source --url "https://..." --notebooks "id1,id2"
nlm batch create "Project A, Project B, Project C" # Create multiple
nlm batch delete --notebooks "id1,id2" --confirm # Delete multiple
nlm batch studio --type audio --tags "research" --confirm # Generate across notebooks
Query multiple notebooks and get aggregated answers with per-notebook citations.
cross_notebook_query(query="Compare approaches", notebook_names="Notebook A, Notebook B")
cross_notebook_query(query="Summarize", tags="ai,research")
cross_notebook_query(query="Everything", all=True)
nlm cross query "What features are discussed?" --notebooks "id1,id2"
nlm cross query "Compare approaches" --tags "ai,research"
nlm cross query "Summarize everything" --all
Define and execute multi-step notebook workflows. Three built-in pipelines plus support for custom YAML pipelines.
pipeline(action="list") # List available pipelines
pipeline(action="run", notebook_id="...", pipeline_name="ingest-and-podcast", input_url="https://...")
nlm pipeline list # List available pipelines
nlm pipeline run <notebook> ingest-and-podcast --url "https://..."
nlm pipeline run <notebook> research-and-report --url "https://..."
nlm pipeline run <notebook> multi-format # Audio + report + flashcards
Built-in pipelines: ingest-and-podcast, research-and-report, multi-format
Create custom pipelines: add YAML files to ~/.notebooklm-mcp-cli/pipelines/
Tag notebooks for organization and use tags to target batch operations.
tag(action="add", notebook_id="...", tags="ai,research,llm")
tag(action="remove", notebook_id="...", tags="ai")
tag(action="list") # List all tagged notebooks
tag(action="select", query="ai research") # Find notebooks by tag match
nlm tag add <notebook> --tags "ai,research,llm" # Add tags
nlm tag add <notebook> --tags "ai" --title "My Notebook" # With display title
nlm tag remove <notebook> --tags "ai" # Remove tags
nlm tag list # List all tagged notebooks
nlm tag select "ai research" # Find notebooks by tag match
nlm notebook create "AI Research 2026" # Capture ID
nlm alias set ai <notebook-id>
nlm research start "agentic AI trends" --notebook-id ai --mode deep
nlm research status ai --max-wait 300 # Wait up to 5 min
nlm research import ai <task-id> # Import all sources
nlm audio create ai --format deep_dive --confirm
nlm studio status ai # Check generation progress
nlm source add <id> --url "https://example1.com"
nlm source add <id> --url "https://example2.com"
nlm source add <id> --text "My notes..." --title "Notes"
nlm source list <id>
nlm report create <id> --format "Study Guide" --confirm
nlm quiz create <id> --count 10 --difficulty 3 --focus "Exam prep" --confirm
nlm flashcards create <id> --difficulty medium --focus "Core terms" --confirm
nlm source add <id> --drive 1KQH3eW0hMBp7WK... --type slides
# ... time passes, document is edited ...
nlm source stale <id> # Check freshness
nlm source sync <id> --confirm # Sync if stale
# Tag notebooks for organization
nlm tag add <id1> --tags "ai,research"
nlm tag add <id2> --tags "ai,product"
# Query across tagged notebooks
nlm cross query "What are the main conclusions?" --tags "ai"
# Batch generate podcasts for all tagged notebooks
nlm batch studio --type audio --tags "ai" --confirm
# Run a pipeline on a single notebook
nlm pipeline run <id> ingest-and-podcast --url "https://example.com"
| Error | Cause | Solution |
|-------|-------|----------|
| "Cookies have expired" | Session timeout | nlm login |
| "authentication may have expired" | Session timeout | nlm login |
| "Notebook not found" | Invalid ID | nlm notebook list |
| "Source not found" | Invalid ID | nlm source list <nb-id> |
| "Rate limit exceeded" | Too many calls | Wait 30s, retry |
| "Research already in progress" | Pending research | Use --force or import first |
| "Import timed out" | Too many sources | Use --timeout 600 for larger notebooks |
| "Google API error code 3" | Transient deep research error | Retry in a few minutes, or use --mode fast |
| Browser doesn't launch | Port conflict | Close browser, retry |
Wait between operations to avoid rate limits:
For detailed information, see:
tools
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tools
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tools
# Lobster Lobster executes multi-step workflows with approval checkpoints. Use it when: - User wants a repeatable automation (triage, monitor, sync) - Actions need human approval before executing (send, post, delete) - Multiple tool calls should run as one deterministic operation ## When to use Lobster | User intent | Use Lobster? | | ------------------------------------------------------ | --------------------------
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