| name | nlm-skill |
| description | 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. |
| version | 0.6.15 |
NotebookLM CLI & MCP Expert
This skill provides comprehensive guidance for using NotebookLM via both the nlm CLI and MCP tools.
Tool Detection (CRITICAL - Read First!)
ALWAYS check which tools are available before proceeding:
- Check for MCP tools: Look for tools starting with
mcp__notebooklm-mcp__* or mcp_notebooklm_*
- If BOTH MCP tools AND CLI are available: ASK the user which they prefer to use before proceeding
- If only MCP tools are available: Use them directly (refer to tool docstrings for parameters)
- If only CLI is available: Use
nlm CLI commands via Bash
Decision 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.
Quick Reference
Run nlm --ai to get comprehensive AI-optimized documentation - this provides a complete view of all CLI capabilities.
nlm --help
nlm <command> --help
nlm --ai
nlm --version
Critical Rules (Read First!)
- Always authenticate first: Run
nlm login before any operations
- Sessions expire in ~20 minutes: Re-run
nlm login if commands start failing
- ⚠️ ALWAYS ASK USER BEFORE DELETE: Before executing ANY delete command, ask the user for explicit confirmation. Deletions are irreversible. Show what will be deleted and warn about permanent data loss.
--confirm is REQUIRED: All generation and delete commands need --confirm or -y (CLI) or confirm=True (MCP)- Research requires
--notebook-id: The flag is mandatory, not positional
- Capture IDs from output: Create/start commands return IDs needed for subsequent operations
- Use aliases: Simplify long UUIDs with
nlm alias set <name> <uuid>
- Check aliases before creating: Run
nlm alias list before creating a new alias to avoid conflicts with existing names.
- DO NOT launch REPL: Never use
nlm chat start - it opens an interactive REPL that AI tools cannot control. Use nlm notebook query for one-shot Q&A instead.
- Choose output format wisely: Default output (no flags) is compact and token-efficient—use it for status checks. Use
--quiet to capture IDs for piping. Only use --json when you need to parse specific fields programmatically.
- Use
--help when unsure: Run nlm <command> --help to see available options and flags for any command.
Workflow Decision Tree
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
Command Categories
1. Authentication
MCP Authentication
If using MCP tools and encountering authentication errors:
nlm login
mcp__notebooklm-mcp__refresh_auth()
Or manually save cookies via MCP (fallback):
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.
2. Notebook Management
MCP Tools
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.
CLI Commands
nlm notebook list
nlm notebook list --json
nlm notebook list --quiet
nlm notebook create "Title"
nlm notebook get <id>
nlm notebook describe <id>
nlm notebook query <id> "question"
nlm notebook rename <id> "New Title"
nlm notebook delete <id> --confirm
3. Source Management
MCP Tools
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).
CLI Commands
nlm source add <nb-id> --url "https://..."
nlm source add <nb-id> --url "https://youtube.com/..."
nlm source add <nb-id> --text "content" --title "X"
nlm source add <nb-id> --drive <doc-id>
nlm source add <nb-id> --drive <doc-id> --type slides
nlm source add <nb-id> --file "/path/to/diagram.png" --wait
nlm source list <nb-id>
nlm source list <nb-id> --drive
nlm source list <nb-id> --drive -S
nlm source get <source-id>
nlm source describe <source-id>
nlm source content <source-id>
nlm source content <source-id> -o file.txt
nlm source stale <nb-id>
nlm source sync <nb-id> --confirm
nlm source sync <nb-id> --source-ids <ids> --confirm
nlm source rename <source-id> "New Title" --notebook <nb-id>
nlm rename source <source-id> "New Title" --notebook <nb-id>
nlm source delete <source-id> --confirm
Drive types: doc, slides, sheets, pdf
4. Research (Source Discovery)
Research finds NEW sources from the web or Google Drive.
MCP Tools
Use research_start with:
source: web or drivemode: fast (~30s) or deep (~5min, web only)
Workflow: research_start → poll research_status → research_import
CLI Commands
nlm research start "query" --notebook-id <id>
nlm research start "query" --notebook-id <id> --mode deep
nlm research start "query" --notebook-id <id> --source drive
nlm research status <nb-id>
nlm research status <nb-id> --max-wait 0
nlm research status <nb-id> --task-id <tid>
nlm research status <nb-id> --full
nlm research import <nb-id> <task-id>
nlm research import <nb-id> <task-id> --indices 0,2,5
nlm research import <nb-id> <task-id> --cited-only
nlm research import <nb-id> <task-id> --timeout 600
Modes: fast (~30s, ~10 sources) | deep (~5min, ~40+ sources, web only)
5. Content Generation (Studio)
MCP Tools (Unified Creation)
Use studio_create with artifact_type and type-specific options. All require confirm=True. studio_create runs a pre-flight auth check before firing the request, so stale auth fails immediately with an nlm login hint instead of returning a fake success that collapses seconds later.
| 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.
- Requires
artifact_id (from studio_status) and slide_instructions
- Creates a NEW artifact — the original is not modified
- Slide numbers are 1-based (slide 1 = first slide)
- Poll
studio_status after calling to check when the new deck is ready
CLI Commands
All 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)
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
nlm report create <id> --confirm
nlm report create <id> --format "Study Guide" --confirm
nlm report create <id> --format "Create Your Own" --prompt "Custom..." --confirm
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
nlm flashcards create <id> --confirm
nlm flashcards create <id> --difficulty hard --confirm
nlm flashcards create <id> --difficulty medium --focus "Focus on definitions" --confirm
nlm mindmap create <id> --confirm
nlm mindmap create <id> --title "Topic Overview" --confirm
nlm mindmap list <id>
nlm slides create <id> --confirm
nlm slides create <id> --format presenter --length short --confirm
nlm slides revise <artifact-id> --slide '1 Make the title larger' --confirm
nlm infographic create <id> --confirm
nlm infographic create <id> --orientation portrait --detail detailed --style professional --confirm
nlm video create <id> --confirm
nlm video create <id> --format brief --style whiteboard --confirm
nlm data-table create <id> "Extract all dates and events" --confirm
6. Studio (Artifact Management)
MCP Tools
Use studio_status to check progress (or rename with action="rename"). For failed artifacts, studio_status returns a non-null error_reason field so callers know why without re-running. Use download_artifact with artifact_type and output_path. Use export_artifact with export_type: docs/sheets. Delete with studio_delete (requires confirm=True).
CLI Commands
nlm studio status <nb-id>
nlm studio status <nb-id> --full
nlm studio status <nb-id> --json
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
nlm download slide-deck <nb-id> --output slides.pptx --format pptx
nlm download quiz <nb-id> --output quiz.json --format json
nlm export sheets <nb-id> <artifact-id> --title "My Data Table"
nlm export docs <nb-id> <artifact-id> --title "My Report"
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.
Renaming Resources
Rename a Source
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>
Rename a Studio Artifact
MCP Tools
Use studio_status with action="rename", artifact_id, and new_title.
CLI Commands
nlm studio rename <artifact-id> "New Title"
nlm rename studio <artifact-id> "New Title"
Server Info (Version Check)
MCP Tools
Use server_info to get version and check for updates:
mcp__notebooklm-mcp__server_info()
CLI Commands
nlm --version
7. Chat Configuration and Notes
MCP Tools
Use chat_configure with goal: default/learning_guide/custom. Use note with action: create/list/update/delete. Delete requires confirm=True.
CLI Commands
⚠️ AI TOOLS: DO NOT USE nlm chat start - It launches an interactive REPL that cannot be controlled programmatically. Use nlm notebook query for one-shot Q&A instead.
For human users at a terminal:
nlm chat start <nb-id>
REPL Commands:
/sources - List available sources/clear - Reset conversation context/help - Show commands/exit - Exit REPL
Configure 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
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
8. Notebook Sharing
MCP Tools
Use notebook_share_status to check, notebook_share_public to enable/disable public link, notebook_share_invite with email and role: viewer/editor.
CLI Commands
nlm share status <nb-id>
nlm share public <nb-id>
nlm share public <nb-id> --off
nlm share invite <nb-id> user@example.com
nlm share invite <nb-id> user@example.com --role editor
9. Aliases (UUID Shortcuts)
Simplify long UUIDs:
nlm alias set myproject abc123-def456...
nlm alias get myproject
nlm alias list
nlm alias delete myproject
nlm notebook get myproject
nlm source list myproject
nlm audio create myproject --confirm
10. Configuration
CLI-only commands for managing settings:
nlm config show
nlm config get <key>
nlm config set <key> <value>
nlm config set output.format json
nlm login switch work
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 |
11. Skill Management
Manage the NotebookLM skill installation for various AI assistants:
nlm skill list
nlm skill update
nlm skill update <tool>
nlm skill install <tool>
nlm skill uninstall <tool>
Verb-first aliases: nlm update skill, nlm list skills, nlm install skill
Output Formats
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 |
12. Batch Operations
Perform the same action across multiple notebooks at once.
MCP Tools
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)
CLI Commands
nlm batch query "What are the key takeaways?" --notebooks "id1,id2"
nlm batch query "Summarize" --tags "ai,research"
nlm batch query "Summarize" --all
nlm batch add-source --url "https://..." --notebooks "id1,id2"
nlm batch create "Project A, Project B, Project C"
nlm batch delete --notebooks "id1,id2" --confirm
nlm batch studio --type audio --tags "research" --confirm
13. Cross-Notebook Query
Query multiple notebooks and get aggregated answers with per-notebook citations.
MCP Tools
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)
CLI Commands
nlm cross query "What features are discussed?" --notebooks "id1,id2"
nlm cross query "Compare approaches" --tags "ai,research"
nlm cross query "Summarize everything" --all
14. Pipelines
Define and execute multi-step notebook workflows. Three built-in pipelines plus support for custom YAML pipelines.
MCP Tools
pipeline(action="list")
pipeline(action="run", notebook_id="...", pipeline_name="ingest-and-podcast", input_url="https://...")
CLI Commands
nlm pipeline list
nlm pipeline run <notebook> ingest-and-podcast --url "https://..."
nlm pipeline run <notebook> research-and-report --url "https://..."
nlm pipeline run <notebook> multi-format
Built-in pipelines: ingest-and-podcast, research-and-report, multi-format
Create custom pipelines: add YAML files to ~/.notebooklm-mcp-cli/pipelines/
15. Tags & Smart Select
Tag notebooks for organization and use tags to target batch operations.
MCP Tools
tag(action="add", notebook_id="...", tags="ai,research,llm")
tag(action="remove", notebook_id="...", tags="ai")
tag(action="list")
tag(action="select", query="ai research")
CLI Commands
nlm tag add <notebook> --tags "ai,research,llm"
nlm tag add <notebook> --tags "ai" --title "My Notebook"
nlm tag remove <notebook> --tags "ai"
nlm tag list
nlm tag select "ai research"
16. Long-Lived MCP Server Configuration
The MCP server runs as a long-lived process. For 24/7 deployments (e.g. an always-on assistant), a few knobs help bound memory and tune behavior.
Conversation cache bounds (added in 0.6.14)
The in-process conversation history cache used to grow without bound, eventually OOM'ing the host on always-on servers. Three env-var knobs cap memory. Set any to 0 to disable that specific cap and restore the old unbounded behavior:
| Env var | Default | Purpose |
|---|
NOTEBOOKLM_CONVERSATION_MAX_TURNS | 50 | Max turns kept per conversation. Older turns are FIFO-dropped. Survivors are renumbered 1..N so turn_number stays a stable 1-indexed position in the current list. |
NOTEBOOKLM_CONVERSATION_MAX_CONVS | 500 | Max distinct conversations cached. On overflow, the least-recently-used conversation is evicted. Reads and writes both promote to MRU. |
NOTEBOOKLM_CONVERSATION_MAX_CHARS_PER_TURN | 100000 | Per-turn answer char cap. Safety net against pathological payloads. Queries are user input and not truncated. |
With all defaults: 500 convs × 50 turns × up to 100k chars = hard upper bound around ~2.5 GB of answer text. In practice answers are 1–10 KB, so the typical ceiling is ~25 MB.
Negative values are clamped to 0 (unlimited) with a warning. Invalid values fall back to the default with a warning.
Cache stats (added in 0.6.14)
For monitoring from Python, the BaseClient exposes get_conversation_cache_stats() which returns:
{
"conversations": int,
"total_turns": int,
"max_turns_per_conversation": int,
"max_conversations": int,
"max_chars_per_turn": int,
}
There's no MCP or CLI tool wrapper in 0.6.14. Call it directly from Python if you need to surface cache pressure in your own tooling.
Server startup flags (notebooklm-mcp)
When starting the MCP server directly, two flags control transport-layer behavior. Neither affects the conversation cache above.
--stateless / --no-stateless (default: true, env NOTEBOOKLM_MCP_STATELESS): Controls whether the MCP HTTP transport keeps per-session state. Leave it true unless you know you need sessions. The flag exists to work around an MCP SDK double-response crash (python-sdk#2416) and is unrelated to the conversation cache.--transport http / --transport stdio (default: stdio): Pick the transport. --transport http requires --port (default 8000).--host <addr> (default 127.0.0.1): Bind address for HTTP/SSE. Refuses external binds unless NOTEBOOKLM_ALLOW_EXTERNAL_BIND=1 is set.
Common Patterns
Pattern 1: Research → Podcast Pipeline
nlm notebook create "AI Research 2026"
nlm alias set ai <notebook-id>
nlm research start "agentic AI trends" --notebook-id ai --mode deep
nlm research status ai --max-wait 300
nlm research import ai <task-id>
nlm audio create ai --format deep_dive --confirm
nlm studio status ai
Pattern 2: Quick Content Ingestion
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>
Pattern 3: Study Materials Generation
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
Pattern 4: Drive Document Workflow
nlm source add <id> --drive 1KQH3eW0hMBp7WK... --type slides
nlm source stale <id>
nlm source sync <id> --confirm
Pattern 5: Batch & Cross-Notebook Workflow
nlm tag add <id1> --tags "ai,research"
nlm tag add <id2> --tags "ai,product"
nlm cross query "What are the main conclusions?" --tags "ai"
nlm batch studio --type audio --tags "ai" --confirm
nlm pipeline run <id> ingest-and-podcast --url "https://example.com"
Error Recovery
| 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 |
nlm login crashes with ClientAuthenticationError | (Fixed in 0.6.14) Disk tokens fully expired | nlm login now works directly, no manual nlm login profile delete needed |
Rate Limiting
Wait between operations to avoid rate limits:
- Source operations: 2 seconds
- Content generation: 5 seconds
- Research operations: 2 seconds
- Query operations: 2 seconds
Advanced Reference
For detailed information, see:
