| name | notebooklm-manager |
| description | Manages NotebookLM notebooks — query, add, list, search, enable/disable, remove.
Use when a notebooklm.google.com URL appears or user mentions NotebookLM.
Handles URLs through its own Chrome agent — do not navigate directly.
Requires: claude-in-chrome MCP.
|
| allowed-tools | Read, Write, Edit, Agent, AskUserQuestion |
NotebookLM Manager
Query orchestration and notebook registry management.
Instructions
Tool Boundaries
Chrome MCP tools (mcp__claude-in-chrome__*) aren't in this skill's allowed tool set — calling them directly will error. All browser interaction goes through the chrome-mcp-query agent via Task. If the agent returns an error, don't attempt Chrome tools yourself.
0. Data Path Resolution (run first)
Read ~/.claude-code-zero/notebooklm-connector/data-path to obtain DATA_DIR.
The PreToolUse hook automatically detects install scope (project vs user) and writes the correct path.
- The file contains a single line: the absolute path to the data directory.
- Store this as
{DATA_DIR} and use it for ALL subsequent file operations.
- File read error → Tell user to restart the session (hook may not be loaded).
0.1 Config
Read {DATA_DIR}/config.json for user preferences:
max_followups: Maximum follow-up queries in coverage analysis (default: 3)max_query_length: Maximum characters per query sent to NotebookLM (default: 40000)language: Preferred response language (null = match user's language)auto_coverage: Enable automatic coverage analysis (default: true)
If the file is missing or a field is absent, use defaults above.
1. Query Detection
Extract from user message:
notebook_id: Which notebook (e.g., "claude-docs")question: What to ask
2. Notebook Lookup
Read {DATA_DIR}/library.json to find notebook URL.
- File not found → Re-run Step 0. If still missing, tell user to restart the session.
- Not found → Show "Did you mean?" with similar IDs
3. Chat History
Default: clearHistory: false (keep previous context).
Set clearHistory: true only when the user explicitly requests it
(e.g., "clear history and query…", "start fresh on this notebook").
3.5 Input Length Validation
NotebookLM has a server-side character limit on chat input (~45,000–50,000 chars). There is no client-side enforcement — the textarea accepts any length, but the backend silently fails to respond beyond the limit, leaving the agent stuck in a polling loop.
Read max_query_length from config (default: 40000).
If question.length > max_query_length:
- Condense: Rewrite the question to stay within the limit while preserving intent and key terms.
- Inform user: Note that the question was condensed and show the shortened version.
- If the question cannot be meaningfully condensed (e.g., a large code block the user wants analyzed), suggest breaking it into smaller, focused queries.
4. Agent Invocation
Task({
subagent_type: "notebooklm-connector:chrome-mcp-query",
prompt: `Execute the workflow: Input parsing → Tab setup → Title extraction → Submit question → Poll response → Output and exit
URL: {url}
Question: {question}
clearHistory: {true/false}
Output the response immediately upon receiving it and exit.`
})
Follow-up queries use the same Task format with the follow-up question.
The agent's STEP 1 automatically reuses the existing tab for the same URL.
4.1 Agent Result Parsing
After Task returns, check the agent output:
| Agent Output Contains | Action |
|---|
ERROR_TYPE: CHROME_NOT_CONNECTED | Show Chrome Connection Troubleshooting (below), stop |
ERROR_TYPE: AUTH_REQUIRED | Tell user to log in to Google in Chrome, stop |
ERROR_TYPE: (any other) | Show error details from agent output, stop |
| Task tool itself errors | Inform user the agent could not start. Check plugin installation. |
truncated: true in agent output | Present the response but warn user that NotebookLM truncated the input. Suggest shortening the query or increasing max_query_length in config. |
| Response is empty or very short (< 20 chars) | Inform user that NotebookLM returned no meaningful response. Likely causes: input too long, no relevant content in notebook, or backend timeout. Do NOT proceed to coverage analysis. |
| Normal response (no ERROR_TYPE, ≥ 20 chars) | Proceed to Section 5 |
Chrome Connection Troubleshooting (show to user):
- Verify Chrome or Edge browser is running
- Chrome →
chrome://extensions → Ensure "Claude in Chrome" extension is enabled
- In Chrome, click extension icon → Side panel → Click "Connect" button
- If a login screen appears, sign in with your Claude account (Pro/Max/Team/Enterprise required)
- In Claude Code:
/chrome → Select "Reconnect extension"
- If this is your first time connecting, restart the browser to register the native messaging host, then repeat steps 3-4
- Retry the query
5. Coverage Analysis
NotebookLM frequently answers only the first part of multi-topic questions. Without this check, users get incomplete answers and need to re-query manually.
If auto_coverage is false in config, skip to Section 6.
After every successful Task(chrome-mcp-query) return, check coverage before presenting the answer.
The PostToolUse hook will also remind you via COVERAGE_REMINDER.
STEP A: ANALYZE
Re-read user's original message. List ALL keywords/topics.
STEP B: VERIFY
Each keyword: ✅ covered / ❌ missing
STEP C: QUERY (if gaps)
Launch follow-up: Task(subagent_type: "notebooklm-connector:chrome-mcp-query", same URL, missing topic question)
Follow-ups are cheap — the same Chrome tab is reused.
Then return to STEP A.
STEP D: COMPLETE
All covered OR max_followups reached → Synthesize and present (Section 6 format).
After limit: AskUserQuestion to confirm whether to continue.
6. Response Format
**Notebook**: [Title] (`{id}`)
**Answer**: [response]
---
**Suggested follow-ups**:
- [question 1]
- [question 2]
If language is set in config, present the answer in that language.
Commands
See references/commands.md for full command reference.
| Command | Description |
|---|
list | Show active notebooks |
add <url> | Smart add (auto-discover) |
show <id> | Notebook details |
search <query> | Find notebooks |
Storage
Data is isolated per install scope. The hook resolves the correct path automatically.
When ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_DATA} is available, it is used as the base directory.
Otherwise falls back to ~/.claude-code-zero/notebooklm-connector/.
{base}/
├── data-path # Always at ~/.claude-code-zero/notebooklm-connector/data-path
├── global/data/ # User-level install (shared across projects)
│ ├── library.json
│ ├── archive.json
│ ├── config.json
│ └── notebooks/{id}.json
└── projects/<md5-hash>/data/ # Project-level install (per-project isolation)
├── library.json
├── archive.json
├── config.json
└── notebooks/{id}.json
The data-path file is always at ~/.claude-code-zero/notebooklm-connector/data-path (fixed location).
Data directory and default files are lazily created on first data-path read.
Migration (automatic):
data/ → global/data/: Existing flat data layout is moved to the global subdirectory.- Legacy paths (
~/.claude/plugins/..., ~/.claude/claude-code-zero/...) are copied to global/data/.
~/.claude-code-zero/ → ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_DATA}/: When the env var becomes available, data is migrated.
Tool Boundaries
- Use: Read, Write (data dir), Edit (data dir), Task, AskUserQuestion
- Do NOT use: Chrome MCP tools directly (
mcp__claude-in-chrome__*)
References
