| name | notebooklm-setup |
| description | Set up notebooklm-py and the NotebookLM Claude Code skill from scratch. Installs the CLI, Playwright browser, and Claude Code integration. Use when the user says 'set up notebooklm', 'install notebooklm', '/notebooklm-setup', or needs to get notebooklm-py working on a new machine. Also use if notebooklm commands are failing and a reinstall might help. |
| model | haiku |
NotebookLM Setup
Install notebooklm-py — an unofficial Python CLI for Google NotebookLM — and register its Claude Code skill.
What gets installed
| Component | Purpose |
|---|
| pipx | Isolated Python app installer (if not already present) |
| notebooklm-py | CLI for NotebookLM (notebooklm command) |
| Playwright chromium | Headless browser used for Google OAuth login |
| Claude Code skill | ~/.claude/skills/notebooklm/SKILL.md — enables /notebooklm and natural language automation |
Setup steps
Run each step in order. Check the output before proceeding — if a step fails, troubleshoot before continuing.
1. Install pipx
pipx manages Python CLI tools in isolated virtual environments, avoiding conflicts with system Python.
which pipx || brew install pipx
If Homebrew isn't available, fall back to python3 -m pip install --user pipx.
2. Install notebooklm-py
The [browser] extra pulls in Playwright, which is needed for the login flow.
pipx install "notebooklm-py[browser]"
If already installed, upgrade instead:
pipx upgrade notebooklm-py
Verify the CLI is available:
notebooklm --version
3. Install Playwright chromium
Playwright needs its own bundled Chromium binary. Install it inside the notebooklm-py virtualenv:
~/.local/pipx/venvs/notebooklm-py/bin/playwright install chromium
On Linux, you may also need system dependencies: playwright install-deps chromium.
4. Install the Claude Code skill
This copies the skill file into ~/.claude/skills/notebooklm/:
notebooklm skill install
5. Authenticate with Google
This step requires user interaction — a browser window opens for Google OAuth. Tell the user to run this themselves:
notebooklm login
After login, verify auth works:
notebooklm auth check
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Fix |
|---|
externally-managed-environment error from pip | Use pipx instead of pip |
playwright: command not found | Use the full venv path: ~/.local/pipx/venvs/notebooklm-py/bin/playwright |
| Auth errors after setup | Re-run notebooklm login |
| Skill not showing in Claude Code | Re-run notebooklm skill install, then restart Claude Code session |
notebooklm: command not found after pipx install | Run pipx ensurepath and restart your shell |
After setup
Once authenticated, the user can:
- Use
/notebooklm slash command in Claude Code
- Ask naturally: "create a podcast about X", "summarize these URLs", "generate a quiz"
- Run CLI commands directly:
notebooklm list, notebooklm create "Title", etc.
