NotebookLM Skill#

Full programmatic access to Google NotebookLM — including features not exposed in the web UI.

Library: teng-lin/notebooklm-py ⚠️ Unofficial — Uses undocumented Google APIs. May break without notice.

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Prerequisites#

Authentication must be active before any command:

bash

notebooklm login          # Opens browser — log in with Google account
notebooklm list           # Confirm auth works
notebooklm auth check     # Diagnose auth issues
notebooklm auth check --test   # Full validation including network test

Verify readiness before any workflow:

bash

notebooklm status         # Active notebook and session
notebooklm doctor         # Environment health check
notebooklm doctor --fix   # Auto-fix issues

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When This Skill Activates#

Explicit: /notebooklm, "use notebooklm", "with notebooklm"

Intent detection:

• "Create a podcast / audio overview about [topic]"
• "Summarize these URLs / documents"
• "Generate a quiz from my research"
• "Make flashcards for studying"
• "Generate a video explainer"
• "Build a presentation / slide deck"
• "Make an infographic"
• "Create a mind map"
• "Add these sources to NotebookLM"
• "Research [topic] and import sources"
• "Analyze these documents"

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Autonomy Rules#

Run without confirmation:

• notebooklm status, list, doctor — read-only
• notebooklm auth check — diagnostics
• notebooklm create — create notebook
• notebooklm use <id> — set context (⚠️ single-agent only; use -n in parallel)
• notebooklm source add — add sources
• notebooklm ask "..." — chat (without --save-as-note)
• notebooklm language list/get/set — language settings
• notebooklm profile list/create/switch — profile management

Ask user first:

• notebooklm delete — destructive
• notebooklm generate * — long-running, may hit rate limits
• notebooklm download * — writes to filesystem
• notebooklm ask "..." --save-as-note — writes a note
• notebooklm history --save — writes a note

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Quick Reference#

TaskCommandLog innotebooklm loginList notebooksnotebooklm listCreate notebooknotebooklm create "Title"Set active notebooknotebooklm use <notebook_id>Show contextnotebooklm statusAdd URLnotebooklm source add "https://..."Add filenotebooklm source add ./file.pdfAdd YouTubenotebooklm source add "https://youtube.com/..."Add Drive docnotebooklm source add-drive <file_id> "Title"List sourcesnotebooklm source listWeb research (fast)notebooklm source add-research "query"Web research (deep)notebooklm source add-research "query" --mode deep --no-waitAsk a questionnotebooklm ask "question"Ask with referencesnotebooklm ask "question" --jsonSave answer as notenotebooklm ask "question" --save-as-noteChat historynotebooklm historyGenerate podcastnotebooklm generate audio "instructions"Generate videonotebooklm generate videoGenerate cinematic videonotebooklm generate cinematic-video "description"Generate slide decknotebooklm generate slide-deckGenerate quiznotebooklm generate quizGenerate flashcardsnotebooklm generate flashcardsGenerate infographicnotebooklm generate infographicGenerate mind mapnotebooklm generate mind-mapGenerate data tablenotebooklm generate data-table "description"Generate reportnotebooklm generate report --format study-guideCheck artifact statusnotebooklm artifact listWait for artifactnotebooklm artifact wait <artifact_id>Download podcastnotebooklm download audio ./podcast.mp3Download videonotebooklm download video ./video.mp4Download slides (PDF)notebooklm download slide-deck ./slides.pdfDownload slides (PPTX)notebooklm download slide-deck ./slides.pptx --format pptxDownload quiznotebooklm download quiz quiz.jsonSet languagenotebooklm language set en

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Sources#

Supported Types#

URLs, YouTube videos, PDFs, text/Markdown/Word files, Google Drive docs, audio, video, images, pasted text.

bash

notebooklm source add "https://example.com/article"
notebooklm source add ./report.pdf
notebooklm source add "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID"
notebooklm source add-drive <drive_file_id> "Doc Title"

notebooklm source list
notebooklm source fulltext <source_id>     # Get indexed text content
notebooklm source guide <source_id>        # Get source guide
notebooklm source wait <source_id>         # Wait for indexing
notebooklm source delete <source_id>
notebooklm source delete-by-title "Exact Title"

Web Research#

bash

# Fast (5–10 sources, seconds)
notebooklm source add-research "AI trends 2025"

# Deep — blocking (20+ sources, waits up to 5 min)
notebooklm source add-research "AI safety" --mode deep --import-all

# Deep — non-blocking (recommended for agents)
notebooklm source add-research "AI safety" --mode deep --no-wait
notebooklm research status               # Check progress
notebooklm research wait --import-all    # Wait and auto-import

# Search Google Drive
notebooklm source add-research "Project Report" --from drive

Source limits by plan: Standard 50 · Plus 100 · Pro 300 · Ultra 600

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Chat & Q&A#

bash

notebooklm ask "What are the main themes?"

# Use specific sources only
notebooklm ask "Compare these" -s src_id1 -s src_id2

# Get answer with source citations
notebooklm ask "What is X?" --json

# Save answer as note
notebooklm ask "Summarize" --save-as-note
notebooklm ask "Summarize" --save-as-note --note-title "Research Summary"

# Continue a specific conversation
notebooklm ask "Tell me more" -c <conversation_id>

notebooklm history                         # View history
notebooklm history --show-all             # Full Q&A content
notebooklm history --save                 # Save as note
notebooklm history --save --note-title "Session Log"

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Content Generation#

🎙️ Podcast (Audio Overview)#

bash

# Formats: deep-dive | brief | critique | debate
# Lengths:  short | default | long
notebooklm generate audio "Focus on practical applications"
notebooklm generate audio "Compare two viewpoints" --format debate --length long
notebooklm generate audio -s src1 -s src2          # Specific sources
notebooklm generate audio --language en --json     # JSON output → task_id

notebooklm download audio ./podcast.mp3

🎬 Video#

bash

# Formats: explainer | brief
# Styles:  auto | classic | whiteboard | kawaii | anime | watercolor | retro-print | heritage | paper-craft
notebooklm generate video "Explain for beginners" --style whiteboard
notebooklm generate cinematic-video "Documentary-style summary"

notebooklm download video ./video.mp4
notebooklm download cinematic-video ./documentary.mp4

📊 Slide Deck#

bash

# Formats: detailed | presenter
# Lengths: default | short
notebooklm generate slide-deck --format detailed

notebooklm download slide-deck ./slides.pdf
notebooklm download slide-deck ./slides.pptx --format pptx   # ← not in web UI

# Revise individual slide (zero-indexed)
notebooklm generate revise-slide "Make title more impactful" --artifact <id> --slide 0 --wait
notebooklm generate revise-slide "Remove the table" --artifact <id> --slide 3 --wait

❓ Quiz#

bash

# Difficulty: easy | medium | hard
# Quantity:   fewer | standard | more
notebooklm generate quiz --difficulty hard --quantity more

notebooklm download quiz quiz.json                           # JSON ← not in web UI
notebooklm download quiz --format markdown quiz.md
notebooklm download quiz --format html quiz.html

🃏 Flashcards#

bash

notebooklm generate flashcards --difficulty medium --quantity more

notebooklm download flashcards cards.json
notebooklm download flashcards --format markdown cards.md

🗺️ Mind Map#

bash

notebooklm generate mind-map    # Synchronous — instant, no --wait needed

notebooklm download mind-map ./mindmap.json    # ← not in web UI

📈 Infographic#

bash

# Orientation: landscape | portrait | square
# Detail:      concise | standard | detailed
# Style:       auto | sketch-note | professional | bento-grid | editorial |
#              instructional | bricks | clay | anime | kawaii | scientific
notebooklm generate infographic --orientation portrait --style professional --detail detailed

notebooklm download infographic ./infographic.png

📋 Data Table#

bash

notebooklm generate data-table "Compare the key concepts"

notebooklm download data-table ./data.csv

📄 Report#

bash

# Formats: briefing-doc | study-guide | blog-post | custom
notebooklm generate report --format study-guide
notebooklm generate report --format briefing-doc --append "Keep under 2 pages"
notebooklm generate report "Technical white paper on AI trends"    # → auto custom
notebooklm generate report --format study-guide -s src1 -s src2   # Specific sources

notebooklm download report ./report.md

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Generation Types Summary#

TypeCommandOptionsDownloadPodcastgenerate audio``--format, --length.mp3Videogenerate video``--format, --style.mp4Cinematic Videogenerate cinematic-videosame as video.mp4Slide Deckgenerate slide-deck``--format, --length.pdf / .pptxQuizgenerate quiz``--difficulty, --quantity.json/.md/.htmlFlashcardsgenerate flashcards``--difficulty, --quantity.json/.md/.htmlInfographicgenerate infographic``--orientation, --detail, --style.pngReportgenerate report``--format, --append.mdMind Mapgenerate mind-map(sync, instant).jsonData Tablegenerate data-tabledescription required.csv

All generate commands also support: -s/--source (specific sources), --language, --json, --retry N

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Artifact Management#

bash

notebooklm artifact list
notebooklm artifact list --type audio       # Filter by type
notebooklm artifact get <artifact_id>
notebooklm artifact rename <artifact_id> "New Title"
notebooklm artifact delete <artifact_id>
notebooklm artifact wait <artifact_id> --timeout 1200
notebooklm artifact export <artifact_id> --type docs    # → Google Docs
notebooklm artifact export <artifact_id> --type sheets  # → Google Sheets
notebooklm artifact suggestions

# Batch downloads (not in web UI)
notebooklm download audio --all
notebooklm download infographic --all
notebooklm download video --latest
notebooklm download audio --all --dry-run   # Preview only

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Notes#

bash

notebooklm note list
notebooklm note create "My research notes..."
notebooklm note get <note_id>
notebooklm note save <note_id> --title "New Title" --content "Updated content"
notebooklm note rename <note_id> "New Title"
notebooklm note delete <note_id>

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Sharing#

bash

notebooklm share status
notebooklm share public --enable
notebooklm share public --disable
notebooklm share view-level full     # Chat + sources + notes
notebooklm share view-level chat     # Chat only
notebooklm share add user@example.com
notebooklm share add user@example.com --permission editor
notebooklm share update user@example.com --permission editor
notebooklm share remove user@example.com

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Language Settings#

bash

notebooklm language list              # List all 80+ supported languages
notebooklm language get               # Show current setting
notebooklm language set en            # Set globally

# Per-command override
notebooklm generate audio --language de
notebooklm generate video --language fr

Important: Language is a GLOBAL setting affecting all notebooks in your account.

Common codes: en English · de German · fr French · es Spanish · it Italian · pt_BR Portuguese · ja Japanese · ko Korean · zh_Hans Simplified Chinese · ar Arabic

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Features Not in the Web UI#

FeatureCommandBatch downloadsdownload <type> --allQuiz/Flashcard as JSON or Markdowndownload quiz --format jsonMind map JSON exportdownload mind-mapSlide deck as PPTXdownload slide-deck --format pptxIndividual slide revisiongenerate revise-slide "..." --artifact <id> --slide NReport template appendgenerate report --format study-guide --append "..."Source full-text accesssource fulltext <id>Save chat to noteask "..." --save-as-noteProgrammatic sharingshare commands

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Common Workflows#

Research → Podcast#

bash

notebooklm create "Research: AI"
notebooklm use <id>
notebooklm source add "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artificial_intelligence"
notebooklm source add-research "AI trends 2025" --mode deep --import-all
notebooklm generate audio "Focus on breakthroughs and future outlook" --format debate --wait
notebooklm download audio ./ai-podcast.mp3

Documents → Study Materials#

bash

notebooklm create "Exam Prep"
notebooklm use <id>
notebooklm source add ./lecture-notes.pdf
notebooklm source add ./textbook-chapter.pdf
notebooklm generate quiz --difficulty hard --wait
notebooklm generate flashcards --wait
notebooklm generate report --format study-guide --wait
notebooklm ask "What are the most important topics?"

YouTube → Notes + Report#

bash

notebooklm create "Video Notes"
notebooklm use <id>
notebooklm source add "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID"
notebooklm ask "What are the main points?"
notebooklm generate report --format briefing-doc --wait
notebooklm download report ./notes.md

Full Presentation Workflow#

bash

notebooklm create "Presentation: [Topic]"
notebooklm use <id>
notebooklm source add "https://source1.com"
notebooklm source add ./data.pdf
notebooklm generate slide-deck --format detailed --wait
notebooklm download slide-deck ./slides.pptx --format pptx
notebooklm generate revise-slide "Stronger opening title" --artifact <id> --slide 0 --wait

Agent Automation (Non-blocking)#

bash

NB_ID=$(notebooklm create "Bulk Research" --json | python3 -c "import sys,json; print(json.load(sys.stdin)['id'])")
notebooklm use $NB_ID
SRC=$(notebooklm source add "https://url.com" --json | python3 -c "import sys,json; print(json.load(sys.stdin)['source_id'])")
notebooklm source wait $SRC --timeout 120
TASK=$(notebooklm generate audio "Overview" --json | python3 -c "import sys,json; print(json.load(sys.stdin)['task_id'])")
notebooklm artifact wait $TASK --timeout 1200
notebooklm download audio ./podcast.mp3

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JSON Output Schemas#

jsonc

// notebooklm list --json
{"notebooks": [{"id": "...", "title": "...", "created_at": "..."}]}

// notebooklm source add "..." --json
{"source_id": "...", "title": "...", "status": "processing"}

// notebooklm generate audio "..." --json
{"task_id": "...", "status": "pending"}

// notebooklm ask "..." --json
{"answer": "...[1]", "conversation_id": "...", "turn_number": 1,
 "references": [{"source_id": "...", "citation_number": 1, "cited_text": "..."}]}

// notebooklm source list --json
{"sources": [{"id": "...", "title": "...", "status": "ready|processing|error"}]}

// notebooklm artifact list --json
{"artifacts": [{"id": "...", "title": "...", "type": "...", "status": "completed|in_progress|pending|unknown"}]}

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Error Handling#

ErrorCauseFixAuth/cookie errorSession expirednotebooklm auth check → notebooklm login"No notebook context"Context not setnotebooklm use <id> or -n <id> flag"No result found for RPC ID"Rate limitingWait 5–10 min, retryGENERATION_FAILEDGoogle rate limitWait and retry; use web UI as fallbackDownload failsGeneration incompleteCheck notebooklm artifact listInvalid IDWrong IDnotebooklm list to find correct IDRPC protocol errorGoogle changed APIUpdate notebooklm-py

On failure, offer the user: retry / skip / investigate.

Exit Codes#

CodeMeaning0Success1Error (not found, failed)2Timeout (wait commands only)

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Processing Times & Rate Limits#

OperationTypical TimeTimeoutSource indexing30s – 10 min600sResearch (fast)30s – 2 min180sResearch (deep)15 – 30+ min1800sMind mapinstant—Quiz, flashcards5 – 15 min900sReport, data table5 – 15 min900sAudio generation10 – 20 min1200sVideo generation15 – 45 min2700s

Always reliable: Notebook/source management, chat, mind map, report, data table. May hit rate limits: Audio, video, quiz, flashcards, infographic, slide deck — retry after 5–10 min.

For agents, avoid --wait on long operations. Use artifact wait <id> in a background task.

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Parallel Agent Safety#

notebooklm use <id> writes to a shared file — unsafe in parallel workflows.

Solutions:

1. Pass -n <notebook_id> directly to each command (recommended)
2. export NOTEBOOKLM_PROFILE=agent-$ID — per-agent profile isolation
3. export NOTEBOOKLM_HOME=/tmp/agent-$ID — full isolation
4. Always use full UUIDs, not partial IDs

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Troubleshooting#

bash

notebooklm --help
notebooklm auth check --test   # Full auth + network validation
notebooklm doctor --fix        # Auto-fix environment
notebooklm login               # Re-authenticate
notebooklm --version           # Check version

Docs: https://github.com/teng-lin/notebooklm-py/blob/main/docs/troubleshooting.md