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teng-lin/notebooklm-py/SKILL.md

notebooklm

Complete API for Google NotebookLM - full programmatic access including features not in the web UI. Create notebooks, add sources, generate all artifact types, download in multiple formats. Activates on explicit /notebooklm or intent like "create a podcast about X"

Source repository stars
18,447
Declared platforms
0
Static risk flags
2
Last source update
2026-08-04
Source checked
2026-08-04

Decision brief

What it does—and where it fits

Complete programmatic access to Google NotebookLM—including capabilities not exposed in the web UI. Create notebooks, add sources (URLs, YouTube, PDFs, audio, video, images), chat with content, generate all artifact types, and download results in multiple formats.

Best for

    Not for

    • Notebooks (list, create, delete, rename)
    • Sources (add, list, delete)

    Compatibility matrix

    Platform support, with evidence labels

    PlatformStatusEvidenceWhat to check
    CodexNot declaredNo explicit evidencePortability before use
    Claude CodeNot declaredNo explicit evidencePortability before use
    CursorNot declaredNo explicit evidencePortability before use
    Gemini CLINot declaredNo explicit evidencePortability before use
    Open the compatibility checker

    Installation

    Inspect first. Install second.

    The source command is displayed only when detected. A safe inspection prompt is always available so your agent can explain every action before execution.

    Source-detected install commandSource
    npx skills add https://github.com/teng-lin/notebooklm-py
    Safe inspection promptEditorial

    Inspect the Agent Skill "notebooklm" from https://github.com/teng-lin/notebooklm-py/blob/19b04334b6ea529cf5180778d17c197aa6c2bf8a/SKILL.md at commit 19b04334b6ea529cf5180778d17c197aa6c2bf8a. List every install step, command, network request, credential, file read/write, external action, and rollback step. Explain whether it fits my task. Do not install or execute anything until I approve.

    Workflow

    What the source asks the agent to do

    1. 01

      Agent Setup Verification

      Before starting workflows, verify auth is in place. Use --test --json (not bare --json) — bare --json only proves the cookie file parses; --test makes a network call and proves the cookies still authenticate against Google.

      notebooklm auth check --test --json → require BOTH "status": "ok" AND "checks.tokenfetch": true. Bare "status": "ok" (without --test) is a false-positive trap — a stale cookie file passes the parse check.notebooklm list --json → expect valid JSON (may be empty for new accounts).If auth fails or is missing → run notebooklm login first. This is the primary auth path: opens a browser, the user signs in to Google once, and the resulting storagestate.json is reused on every subsequent run. Works on…
    2. 02

      Installation

      From PyPI (Recommended for AI agents — Python-version-aware): bash pip install "notebooklm-py[browser]" mandatory; errors must propagate

      From PyPI (Recommended for AI agents — Python-version-aware): bash pip install "notebooklm-py[browser]" mandatory; errors must propagate
    3. 03

      [cookies] (rookiepy) is optional and known to FAIL TO BUILD on Python 3.13+.

      Review the “[cookies] (rookiepy) is optional and known to FAIL TO BUILD on Python 3.13+.” section in the pinned source before continuing.

      Review and apply the “[cookies] (rookiepy) is optional and known to FAIL TO BUILD on Python 3.13+.” source section.
    4. 04

      Skip it deliberately on 3.13+ rather than swallowing the error — that lets

      Review the “Skip it deliberately on 3.13+ rather than swallowing the error — that lets” section in the pinned source before continuing.

      Review and apply the “Skip it deliberately on 3.13+ rather than swallowing the error — that lets” source section.
    5. 05

      real install failures (typos, network, PyPI outages) surface for the agent.

      if python -c "import sys; sys.exit(0 if sys.versioninfo < (3, 13) else 1)"; then pip install "notebooklm-py[cookies]" errors propagate else echo "Skipping [cookies] on Python 3.13+ (rookiepy unavailable). Use 'notebooklm login' interactively." fi bash

      if python -c "import sys; sys.exit(0 if sys.versioninfo < (3, 13) else 1)"; then pip install "notebooklm-py[cookies]" errors propagate else echo "Skipping [cookies] on Python 3.13+ (rookiepy unavailable). Use 'notebookl…

    Permission review

    Static risk signals and limitations

    Network access

    medium · line 26

    The documentation includes network, browsing, or remote request actions.

    # Get the latest release tag (requires curl + jq)

    Network access

    medium · line 32

    The documentation includes network, browsing, or remote request actions.

    curl -fsSL https://api.github.com/repos/teng-lin/notebooklm-py/releases/latest |

    Reads files

    low · line 594

    The documentation asks the agent to read local files, directories, or repositories.

    When a prompt or query exceeds shell command-line length limits, use `--prompt-file` to read it from a file:

    Evidence record

    Why each signal appears

    EvidenceSourceComputedTestedEditorial
    SignalValueEvidence typeMeaning
    Quality score96/100ComputedDocumentation, specificity, maintenance, and trust rules
    Repository stars18,447SourceRepository attention, not individual Skill quality
    Compatibility0 platformsSourceDeclared in the catalog source record
    Usage guideautomated source guideEditorialGenerated or reviewed according to the visible evidence level

    Pinned source

    Provenance and original SKILL.md

    Repository
    teng-lin/notebooklm-py
    Skill path
    SKILL.md
    Commit
    19b04334b6ea529cf5180778d17c197aa6c2bf8a
    License
    MIT
    Collected
    2026-08-04
    Default branch
    main
    View the original SKILL.md

    NotebookLM Automation

    Complete programmatic access to Google NotebookLM—including capabilities not exposed in the web UI. Create notebooks, add sources (URLs, YouTube, PDFs, audio, video, images), chat with content, generate all artifact types, and download results in multiple formats.

    Installation

    From PyPI (Recommended for AI agents — Python-version-aware):

    pip install "notebooklm-py[browser]"   # mandatory; errors must propagate
    
    # [cookies] (rookiepy) is optional and known to FAIL TO BUILD on Python 3.13+.
    # Skip it deliberately on 3.13+ rather than swallowing the error — that lets
    # *real* install failures (typos, network, PyPI outages) surface for the agent.
    if python -c "import sys; sys.exit(0 if sys.version_info < (3, 13) else 1)"; then
        pip install "notebooklm-py[cookies]"   # errors propagate
    else
        echo "Skipping [cookies] on Python 3.13+ (rookiepy unavailable). Use 'notebooklm login' interactively."
    fi
    

    Full install matrix (extras, headless servers, contributor flow): Installation guide on GitHub.

    From GitHub (use latest release tag, NOT main branch):

    # Get the latest release tag (requires curl + jq)
    if ! command -v jq >/dev/null; then
        echo "jq is required to read the latest release tag" >&2
        exit 1
    fi
    LATEST_TAG=$(
        curl -fsSL https://api.github.com/repos/teng-lin/notebooklm-py/releases/latest |
        jq -r '.tag_name'
    )
    # Includes [browser] so the interactive `notebooklm login` flow works.
    pip install "notebooklm-py[browser] @ git+https://github.com/teng-lin/notebooklm-py@${LATEST_TAG}"
    

    ⚠️ DO NOT install from main branch (pip install git+https://github.com/teng-lin/notebooklm-py). The main branch may contain unreleased/unstable changes. Always use PyPI or a specific release tag, unless you are testing unreleased features.

    Skill install methods:

    • notebooklm skill install installs this skill into the supported local agent directories managed by the CLI.
    • npx skills add teng-lin/notebooklm-py installs this skill from the GitHub repository into compatible agent skill directories.
    • If you are already reading this file inside an agent skill directory, the skill is already installed. You only need the Python package and authentication below.

    CLI-managed install:

    notebooklm skill install
    

    Prerequisites

    IMPORTANT: Before using any command, you MUST authenticate:

    notebooklm login          # Opens browser for Google OAuth
    notebooklm list           # Verify authentication works
    

    If commands fail with authentication errors, re-run notebooklm login.

    CI/CD, Multiple Accounts, and Parallel Agents

    For automated environments, multiple accounts, or parallel agent workflows:

    VariablePurpose
    NOTEBOOKLM_HOMECustom config directory (default: ~/.notebooklm)
    NOTEBOOKLM_PROFILEActive profile name (default: default)
    NOTEBOOKLM_AUTH_JSONInline auth JSON - no file writes needed

    CI/CD setup: Set NOTEBOOKLM_AUTH_JSON from a secret containing your storage_state.json contents.

    Multiple accounts: Use named profiles (notebooklm profile create work, then notebooklm -p work login). Alternatively, use different NOTEBOOKLM_HOME directories per account.

    Parallel agents: The CLI stores notebook context per profile (~/.notebooklm/profiles/<profile>/context.json, with a legacy fallback to ~/.notebooklm/context.json for the implicit default profile). Multiple concurrent agents that share a profile and use notebooklm use can overwrite each other's context — use one of the isolation strategies below.

    Solutions for parallel workflows:

    1. Always use explicit notebook ID (recommended): Pass -n <notebook_id> / --notebook <notebook_id> on notebook-scoped commands instead of relying on use
    2. Per-agent isolation via profiles: export NOTEBOOKLM_PROFILE=agent-$ID (each profile gets its own context file)
    3. Per-agent isolation via home: Set unique NOTEBOOKLM_HOME per agent: export NOTEBOOKLM_HOME=/tmp/agent-$ID
    4. Use full UUIDs: Avoid partial IDs in automation (they can become ambiguous)

    Sandboxed Agents (Claude Cowork / Headless)

    Sandboxed, no-display agent environments — Claude Cowork (Anthropic's desktop agent for non-developers) and similar headless sandboxes — can't run notebooklm login (it needs a browser), and they reset between sessions. Everything else works with two adjustments:

    1. Bootstrap each session. The sandbox resets, so install at the start of every session. You do not need [browser]/Playwright here — that extra exists only for the interactive login flow, which you run on a host machine, not in the sandbox. Chat, sources, generation, and download all run on the base install:

      pip install notebooklm-py   # no [browser] needed for queries/generation
      

      (This is the one place the mandatory [browser] install at the top of this file does not apply — you are reusing auth, not logging in here.)

    2. Reuse a host-generated storage_state.json. Log in once on a machine with a display (notebooklm login), then bring the resulting storage_state.json into a sandbox-accessible folder and point at it either way:

      # Per-invocation root flag (a persistent, sandbox-accessible path):
      notebooklm --storage /path/to/storage_state.json list
      # OR inline via env var (no file needed — e.g. from a Cowork-stored secret):
      export NOTEBOOKLM_AUTH_JSON="$(cat /path/to/storage_state.json)"
      notebooklm list
      

      ⚠️ storage_state.json / NOTEBOOKLM_AUTH_JSON are bearer credentials — anyone holding them can act as your Google account. Keep the file 0600, load it from the sandbox's secret store rather than a committed file, never print or log it, and unset NOTEBOOKLM_AUTH_JSON when finished.

    Verify as in Agent Setup Verification below — e.g. notebooklm --storage <path> auth check --test --json (require "status": "ok" AND "checks.token_fetch": true).

    Context does not survive a reset either: the selected-notebook context (context.json) is gone each session, so pass an explicit -n/--notebook <id> on notebook-scoped commands instead of relying on notebooklm use.

    If Cowork reads ~/.claude/skills/, notebooklm skill install registers this skill there automatically; otherwise build the uploadable archive on the host with notebooklm skill package (writes notebooklm-skill.zip) and add it via Claude Settings → Capabilities. Full recipe (extras matrix, headless auth, CI env-var notes): installation.md § AI Agent.

    Agent Setup Verification

    Before starting workflows, verify auth is in place. Use --test --json (not bare --json) — bare --json only proves the cookie file parses; --test makes a network call and proves the cookies still authenticate against Google.

    1. notebooklm auth check --test --json → require BOTH "status": "ok" AND "checks.token_fetch": true. Bare "status": "ok" (without --test) is a false-positive trap — a stale cookie file passes the parse check.
    2. notebooklm list --json → expect valid JSON (may be empty for new accounts).
    3. If auth fails or is missing → run notebooklm login first. This is the primary auth path: opens a browser, the user signs in to Google once, and the resulting storage_state.json is reused on every subsequent run. Works on any environment with a display.
      • For headless contexts where opening a browser is not feasible, use notebooklm login --browser-cookies <browser> instead — extracts the user's already-logged-in cookies from Chrome/Firefox/etc. (requires the [cookies] extra; rookiepy may not install on Python 3.13+). Use chrome::<profile-name-or-directory> to target one Chromium user-profile, or firefox::<container-name> / firefox::none to target one Firefox container.
      • To survey signed-in Google accounts before picking one: notebooklm auth inspect --browser <browser> (read-only; pass -v to see which Chromium user-profile each account came from, or --json for tooling). Scoped forms such as notebooklm auth inspect --browser 'chrome::Profile 1' inspect only that browser profile.
      • Re-run step 1 after login to confirm.
    4. If auth was working but cookies went stale (Google rotated SIDTS, or you signed in fresh in the browser) → refresh the active profile in place instead of full re-login:
      • notebooklm auth refresh — server-side SIDTS refresh against the existing storage_state.json. Cheap and silent; safe to run on a schedule (cron / launchd / systemd) at 15–20 min cadence to keep an unattended profile warm.
      • notebooklm auth refresh --browser-cookies <browser> — re-extract cookies from a running browser and match them back to the profile's recorded email in context.json. Use when the on-disk storage_state.json is too stale for the server-side refresh path but you've just signed back into Google in the browser. For Chromium-family browsers with multiple user-profiles (Chrome's Default, Profile 1, …), refresh fans out across all profiles to find the email — same path as auth inspect (issue #571). Use chrome::<profile-name-or-directory> when you already know the exact browser profile.
      • Both forms preserve the same --profile (no new profile is created).

    Note: notebooklm status reports context state (selected notebook); do not use it to verify auth.

    When This Skill Activates

    Explicit: User says "/notebooklm", "use notebooklm", or mentions the tool by name

    Intent detection: Recognize requests like:

    • "Create a podcast about [topic]"
    • "Summarize these URLs/documents"
    • "Generate a quiz from my research"
    • "Turn this into an audio overview"
    • "Create flashcards for studying"
    • "Generate a video explainer"
    • "Make an infographic"
    • "Create a mind map of the concepts"
    • "Download the quiz as markdown"
    • "Add these sources to NotebookLM"

    Autonomy Rules

    Run automatically (no confirmation):

    • notebooklm status - check context
    • notebooklm auth check - diagnose auth issues
    • notebooklm auth inspect - list Google accounts visible to a browser (read-only)
    • notebooklm auth refresh - server-side SIDTS refresh of the active profile (no new profile, no destructive writes)
    • notebooklm auth refresh --browser-cookies <browser> - re-extract cookies from a browser into the active profile (rebuilds storage_state.json for the same --profile, not a new one)
    • notebooklm list - list notebooks
    • notebooklm source list - list sources
    • notebooklm artifact list - list artifacts
    • notebooklm language list - list supported languages
    • notebooklm language get - get current language
    • notebooklm language set - set language (global setting)
    • notebooklm artifact wait - wait for artifact completion (in subagent context)
    • notebooklm source wait - wait for source processing (in subagent context)
    • notebooklm research status - check research status
    • notebooklm research wait - wait for research (in subagent context)
    • notebooklm use <id> - set context (⚠️ SINGLE-AGENT ONLY - use -n flag in parallel workflows)
    • notebooklm create - create notebook
    • notebooklm ask "..." - chat queries (without --save-as-note)
    • notebooklm suggest-prompts - AI-suggested prompts for a notebook (read-only, no state change)
    • notebooklm history - display conversation history (read-only)
    • notebooklm source add - add sources
    • notebooklm profile list - list profiles
    • notebooklm profile create - create profile
    • notebooklm profile switch - switch active profile
    • notebooklm doctor - check environment health

    Ask before running:

    • notebooklm delete, source delete, source delete-by-title, source clean, note delete, artifact delete, label delete, share remove, auth logout, clear, profile delete, or ask --new - destructive or state-changing. Once approved, pass --yes/-y where the command supports it. Most destructive --json commands still require explicit --yes and otherwise return a structured confirmation error (CONFIRM_REQUIRED or VALIDATION_ERROR, depending on the command family); current exceptions include share remove --json and ask --new --json, which skip the prompt for non-interactive callers.
    • notebooklm generate * - long-running, may fail
    • notebooklm download * - writes to filesystem
    • notebooklm artifact wait - long-running (when in main conversation)
    • notebooklm source wait - long-running (when in main conversation)
    • notebooklm research wait - long-running (when in main conversation)
    • notebooklm research cancel <run_id> - state-changing; cancels a running research job (an in-progress job transitions to FAILED). Fire-and-forget: it does not confirm success — re-check with notebooklm research status.
    • notebooklm ask "..." --save-as-note - writes a note
    • notebooklm history --save - writes a note

    Quick Reference

    TaskCommand
    Authenticatenotebooklm login
    Authenticate from browser cookiesnotebooklm login --browser-cookies <browser>
    Authenticate from one Chromium profilenotebooklm login --browser-cookies 'chrome::Profile 1'
    Authenticate from one Firefox containernotebooklm login --browser-cookies 'firefox::Work'
    Import every signed-in account into its own profilenotebooklm login --browser-cookies <browser> --all-accounts
    Inspect signed-in accounts (read-only, by email)notebooklm auth inspect --browser <browser>
    Inspect one browser profile/containernotebooklm auth inspect --browser 'chrome::Profile 1'
    Diagnose auth issuesnotebooklm auth check
    Diagnose auth (full)notebooklm auth check --test
    Refresh active profile in place (server-side)notebooklm auth refresh
    Refresh active profile from a re-signed-in browsernotebooklm auth refresh --browser-cookies <browser>
    Refresh from one Chromium profilenotebooklm auth refresh --browser-cookies 'chrome::Profile 1'
    One-shot cookie keepalive (for cron)notebooklm auth refresh --quiet
    List notebooksnotebooklm list
    Create notebooknotebooklm create "Title"
    Set contextnotebooklm use <notebook_id>
    Show contextnotebooklm status
    Add URL sourcenotebooklm source add "https://..."
    Add filenotebooklm source add ./file.pdf
    Add YouTubenotebooklm source add "https://youtube.com/..."
    List sourcesnotebooklm source list
    List sources in a labelnotebooklm source list --label <label_id_or_name>
    Delete source by IDnotebooklm source delete <source_id>
    Delete source by exact titlenotebooklm source delete-by-title "Exact Title"
    Wait for source processingnotebooklm source wait <source_id>
    List labelsnotebooklm label list
    Expand label to sourcesnotebooklm label sources <label_id_or_name>
    Generate labelsnotebooklm label generate --scope unlabeled
    Create labelnotebooklm label create "Topic"
    Add sources to labelnotebooklm label add <label_id_or_name> <source_id>...
    Remove sources from labelnotebooklm label remove <label_id_or_name> <source_id>...
    Delete labelnotebooklm label delete <label_id_or_name> --yes
    Web research (fast)notebooklm source add-research "query"
    Web research (deep)notebooklm source add-research "query" --mode deep --no-wait
    Web research (query from file)notebooklm source add-research --prompt-file research_query.txt --mode deep
    Check research statusnotebooklm research status
    Wait for researchnotebooklm research wait --import-all
    Cancel researchnotebooklm research cancel <run_id> (run_id = the task_id from research status)
    Suggest questions to asknotebooklm suggest-prompts
    Chatnotebooklm ask "question"
    Chat (long prompt from file)notebooklm ask --prompt-file question.txt
    Chat (specific sources)notebooklm ask "question" -s src_id1 -s src_id2
    Chat (with references)notebooklm ask "question" --json
    Chat (save answer as note)notebooklm ask "question" --save-as-note
    Chat (save with title)notebooklm ask "question" --save-as-note --note-title "Title"
    Show conversation historynotebooklm history
    Save all history as notenotebooklm history --save
    Continue specific conversationnotebooklm ask "question" -c <conversation_id>
    Save history with titlenotebooklm history --save --note-title "My Research"
    Get source fulltextnotebooklm source fulltext <source_id>
    Get source guidenotebooklm source guide <source_id>
    Generate podcastnotebooklm generate audio "instructions"
    Generate (long prompt from file)notebooklm generate audio --prompt-file instructions.txt
    Generate podcast (JSON)notebooklm generate audio --json
    Generate podcast (specific sources)notebooklm generate audio -s src_id1 -s src_id2
    Generate videonotebooklm generate video "instructions"
    Generate reportnotebooklm generate report --format briefing-doc
    Generate report (append instructions)notebooklm generate report --format study-guide --append "Target audience: beginners"
    Generate quiznotebooklm generate quiz
    Revise a slidenotebooklm generate revise-slide "prompt" --artifact <id> --slide 0
    Check artifact statusnotebooklm artifact list
    Wait for completionnotebooklm artifact wait <artifact_id>
    Delete artifactnotebooklm artifact delete <artifact_id> --yes
    Download audionotebooklm download audio ./output.m4a
    Download videonotebooklm download video ./output.mp4
    Download cinematic videonotebooklm download cinematic-video ./cinematic.mp4 (alias for download video)
    Download infographicnotebooklm download infographic ./infographic.png
    Download slide deck (PDF)notebooklm download slide-deck ./slides.pdf
    Download slide deck (PPTX)notebooklm download slide-deck ./slides.pptx --format pptx
    Download reportnotebooklm download report ./report.md
    Download mind mapnotebooklm download mind-map ./map.json
    Download data tablenotebooklm download data-table ./data.csv
    Download quiznotebooklm download quiz quiz.json
    Download quiz (markdown)notebooklm download quiz --format markdown quiz.md
    Download flashcardsnotebooklm download flashcards cards.json
    Download flashcards (markdown)notebooklm download flashcards --format markdown cards.md
    Delete notebooknotebooklm delete -n <id> (add --yes to skip the prompt non-interactively)
    List languagesnotebooklm language list
    Get languagenotebooklm language get
    Set languagenotebooklm language set zh_Hans
    List profilesnotebooklm profile list
    Create profilenotebooklm profile create work
    Switch profilenotebooklm profile switch work
    Delete profilenotebooklm profile delete old --yes (-y; --confirm is a deprecated alias)
    Rename profilenotebooklm profile rename old new
    Use profile (one-off)notebooklm -p work list
    Health checknotebooklm doctor
    Health check (auto-fix)notebooklm doctor --fix

    Parallel safety: Use explicit notebook IDs in parallel workflows. Notebook-scoped commands broadly support -n/--notebook (ask/history, source, artifact, generate, download, note, label, share, research, and notebook delete/rename/summary/metadata). Download commands also support -a/--artifact. For chat, use -c <conversation_id> to target a specific conversation.

    Partial IDs: Use first 6+ characters of UUIDs. Must be unique prefix (fails if ambiguous). Works for ID-based commands such as use, source delete, and wait. For exact source-title deletion, use source delete-by-title "Title". For automation, prefer full UUIDs to avoid ambiguity.

    Command Output Formats

    Commands with --json return structured data for parsing:

    Create notebook:

    $ notebooklm create "Research" --json
    {"notebook": {"id": "abc123de-...", "title": "Research", "created_at": null}}
    # parse with: jq -r .notebook.id
    

    Add source:

    $ notebooklm source add "https://example.com" --json
    {"source": {"id": "def456...", "title": "Example", "type": "web_page", "url": "https://example.com"}}
    # parse with: jq -r .source.id
    # Note: no `status` field on add — use `source list --json` or `source wait` to check processing state.
    

    Generate artifact:

    $ notebooklm generate audio "Focus on key points" --json
    {"task_id": "xyz789...", "status": "pending"}
    # When run with --wait, completed status also includes a `url` field.
    

    Chat with references:

    $ notebooklm ask "What is X?" --json
    {"answer": "X is... [1] [2]", "conversation_id": "...", "turn_number": 1, "is_follow_up": false, "references": [{"source_id": "abc123...", "citation_number": 1, "cited_text": "Relevant passage from source..."}, {"source_id": "def456...", "citation_number": 2, "cited_text": "Another passage..."}]}
    

    Source fulltext (get indexed content):

    $ notebooklm source fulltext <source_id> --json
    {"source_id": "...", "title": "...", "kind": "web_page", "content": "Full indexed text...", "url": null, "char_count": 12345}
    

    Understanding citations: The cited_text in references is often a snippet or section header, not the full quoted passage. The start_char/end_char positions reference NotebookLM's internal chunked index, not the raw fulltext. Use SourceFulltext.find_citation_context() to locate citations:

    fulltext = await client.sources.get_fulltext(notebook_id, ref.source_id)
    matches = fulltext.find_citation_context(ref.cited_text)  # Returns list[(context, position)]
    if matches:
        context, pos = matches[0]  # First match; check len(matches) > 1 for duplicates
    

    Extract IDs: Singular endpoints wrap their result in an envelope — parse .notebook.id (from create), .source.id (from source add), or .task_id (from generate *). The chat --json references list uses .references[].source_id.

    Generation Types

    Common generate options vary by subcommand:

    • -n, --notebook targets the notebook.
    • -s, --source limits generation to specific source(s) on content generators (not revise-slide).
    • --language sets output language where supported (defaults to configured language or en).
    • --wait, --timeout, and --interval are shared polling controls where waiting is supported.
    • --json returns machine-readable output.
    • --retry N automatically retries rate limits on supported subcommands (not mind-map).
    • --prompt-file PATH reads description/query text from a file on ask, generation subcommands except mind-map, and source add-research.
    TypeCommandOptionsDownload
    Podcastgenerate audio--format [deep-dive|brief|critique|debate], --length [short|default|long].m4a
    Videogenerate video--format [explainer|brief|cinematic|short] (⁴), --style [auto|custom|classic|whiteboard|kawaii|anime|watercolor|retro-print|heritage|paper-craft], --style-prompt with --style custom.mp4
    Slide Deckgenerate slide-deck--format [detailed|presenter], --length [default|short] (²).pdf / .pptx
    Slide Revisiongenerate revise-slide "prompt" --artifact <id> --slide N--wait, --notebook(re-downloads parent deck)
    Infographicgenerate infographic--orientation [landscape|portrait|square], --detail [concise|standard|detailed], --style [auto|sketch-note|professional|bento-grid|editorial|instructional|bricks|clay|anime|kawaii|scientific].png
    Reportgenerate report--format [briefing-doc|study-guide|blog-post|custom], --append "extra instructions" (¹).md
    Mind Mapgenerate mind-map--kind [interactive|note-backed] (³) (default: interactive).json
    Data Tablegenerate data-tabledescription required.csv
    Quizgenerate quiz--difficulty [easy|medium|hard], --quantity [fewer|standard|more].json/.md/.html
    Flashcardsgenerate flashcards--difficulty [easy|medium|hard], --quantity [fewer|standard|more].json/.md/.html

    ¹ --append only customizes the built-in templates. With --format custom, pass the prompt as the positional DESCRIPTION argument (notebooklm generate report "PROMPT" --format custom); --append is silently ignored in that mode (the CLI prints a warning).

    ³ Two kinds of mind map (issue #1256). generate mind-map --kind interactive (the default) creates the interactive studio artifact (what the web app now makes); it is polled to completion. generate mind-map --kind note-backed creates the note-backed kind — a JSON node tree, generated synchronously. Both emit the same {mind_map, note_id, kind} JSON, list under artifact list --type mind-map, and export via download mind-map. --instructions applies only to the note-backed kind.

    Cinematic video (Veo 3). generate video --format cinematic generates AI documentary footage via Veo 3; it ignores --style, takes ~30-40 min, and requires a Google AI Ultra subscription. Also exposed as the generate cinematic-video alias (which forces --format cinematic and a longer default timeout). Download with download video or the download cinematic-video alias.

    ² Portrait / vertical slide decks via prompt. Slide-deck has no --orientation flag (unlike infographic). Treat portrait decks as skill-level prompt guidance, not a typed CLI/API contract: NotebookLM currently honors orientation cues written into the DESCRIPTION positional argument. Including phrases like "9:16 portrait", "vertical layout", "portrait mobile format", or "vertical 9:16 layout" can make NotebookLM render each slide as a 9:16 portrait image. Empirically:

    • The .pptx canvas itself may stay 16:9, but each slide's embedded image can be rendered as 9:16 portrait — useful for vertical/mobile video material extracted via python-pptx.
    • Orientation is steered once at generation time. generate revise-slide edits content within an existing slide but does not change its orientation; if a slide falls back to landscape (occasional inconsistency), regenerate the whole deck rather than revising the single page.
    • Combine with an explicit page count in the prompt (e.g. "Create exactly 8 pages, using a vertical 9:16 portrait layout") for the most predictable output.
    # Skill prompt hint: ask NotebookLM to render each slide as a 9:16 portrait image
    notebooklm generate slide-deck "Create an 8-page deck in 9:16 portrait orientation for mobile viewing" --length default
    

    Features Beyond the Web UI

    These capabilities are available via CLI but not in NotebookLM's web interface:

    FeatureCommandDescription
    Batch downloadsdownload <type> --allDownload all artifacts of a type at once
    Quiz/Flashcard exportdownload quiz --format jsonExport as JSON, Markdown, or HTML (web UI only shows interactive view)
    Mind map extractiondownload mind-mapExport hierarchical JSON for visualization tools
    Data table exportdownload data-tableDownload structured tables as CSV
    Slide deck as PPTXdownload slide-deck --format pptxDownload slide deck as editable .pptx (web UI only offers PDF)
    Slide revisiongenerate revise-slide "prompt" --artifact <id> --slide NModify individual slides with a natural-language prompt
    Report template appendgenerate report --format study-guide --append "..."Append custom instructions to built-in format templates without losing the format type
    Source fulltextsource fulltext <id>Retrieve the indexed text content of any source
    Save chat to noteask "..." --save-as-note / history --saveSave Q&A answers or conversation history as notebook notes
    Programmatic sharingshare commandsManage sharing permissions without the UI

    Common Workflows

    Research to Podcast (Interactive)

    Time: 5-10 minutes total

    1. notebooklm create "Research: [topic]"if fails: check auth with notebooklm login
    2. notebooklm source add for each URL/document — if one fails: log warning, continue with others
    3. Wait for sources: notebooklm source list --json until all status=READY — required before generation
    4. notebooklm generate audio "Focus on [specific angle]" (confirm when asked) — if rate limited: wait 5 min, retry once
    5. Note the artifact ID returned
    6. Check notebooklm artifact list later for status
    7. notebooklm download audio ./podcast.m4a when complete (confirm when asked)

    Research to Podcast (Automated with Subagent)

    Time: 5-10 minutes, but continues in background

    When user wants full automation (generate and download when ready):

    1. Create notebook and add sources as usual
    2. Wait for sources to be ready (use source wait or check source list --json)
    3. Run notebooklm generate audio "..." --json → parse task_id from output
    4. Spawn a background agent using Task tool:
      Task(
        prompt="Wait for artifact {task_id} in notebook {notebook_id} to complete, then download.
                Use: notebooklm artifact wait {task_id} -n {notebook_id} --timeout 1200
                Then: notebooklm download audio ./podcast.m4a -a {task_id} -n {notebook_id}",
        subagent_type="general-purpose"
      )
      
    5. Main conversation continues while agent waits

    Error handling in subagent:

    • If artifact wait returns exit code 2 (timeout): Report timeout, suggest checking artifact list
    • If download fails: Check if artifact status is COMPLETED first

    Benefits: Non-blocking, user can do other work, automatic download on completion

    Document Analysis

    Time: 1-2 minutes

    1. notebooklm create "Analysis: [project]"
    2. notebooklm source add ./doc.pdf (or URLs)
    3. notebooklm ask "Summarize the key points"
    4. notebooklm ask "What are the main arguments?"
    5. Continue chatting as needed

    Bulk Import

    Time: Varies by source count

    1. notebooklm create "Collection: [name]"
    2. Add multiple sources:
      notebooklm source add "https://url1.com"
      notebooklm source add "https://url2.com"
      notebooklm source add ./local-file.pdf
      
    3. notebooklm source list to verify

    Source limits: Varies by plan—Standard: 50, Plus: 100, Pro: 300, Ultra: 600 sources per notebook. See NotebookLM plans for details. The CLI does not enforce these limits; they are applied by your NotebookLM account. Supported types: PDFs, YouTube URLs, web URLs, Google Docs, text files, Markdown, Word docs, EPUB, audio files, video files, images

    Bulk Import with Source Waiting (Subagent Pattern)

    Time: Varies by source count

    When adding multiple sources and needing to wait for processing before chat/generation:

    1. Add sources with --json to capture IDs (parse with jq -r .source.id):
      notebooklm source add "https://url1.com" --json  # → {"source": {"id": "abc...", ...}}
      notebooklm source add "https://url2.com" --json  # → {"source": {"id": "def...", ...}}
      
    2. Spawn a background agent to wait for all sources:
      Task(
        prompt="Wait for sources {source_ids} in notebook {notebook_id} to be ready.
                For each: notebooklm source wait {id} -n {notebook_id} --timeout 600
                Report when all ready or if any fail.",
        subagent_type="general-purpose"
      )
      
    3. Main conversation continues while agent waits
    4. Once sources are ready, proceed with chat or generation

    Why wait for sources? Sources must be indexed before chat or generation. Takes ~30 seconds to several minutes per source (see the processing-times table below).

    Deep Web Research (Subagent Pattern)

    Time: 15-30+ minutes, runs in background

    Deep research finds and analyzes web sources on a topic:

    1. Create notebook: notebooklm create "Research: [topic]"
    2. Start deep research (non-blocking):
      notebooklm source add-research "topic query" --mode deep --no-wait
      
    3. Spawn a background agent to wait and import:
      Task(
        prompt="Wait for research in notebook {notebook_id} to complete and import sources.
                Use: notebooklm research wait -n {notebook_id} --import-all --timeout 1800
                Report how many sources were imported.",
        subagent_type="general-purpose"
      )
      
    4. Main conversation continues while agent waits
    5. When agent completes, sources are imported automatically

    Alternative (blocking): For simple cases, omit --no-wait:

    notebooklm source add-research "topic" --mode deep --import-all
    # Blocks until research completes (deep mode: 15-30+ min)
    

    When to use each mode:

    • --mode fast: Specific topic, quick overview needed (5-10 sources, seconds)
    • --mode deep: Broad topic, comprehensive analysis needed (20+ sources, 15-30+ min)

    Research sources:

    • --from web: Search the web (default)
    • --from drive: Search Google Drive

    Output Style

    Progress updates: Brief status for each step

    • "Creating notebook 'Research: AI'..."
    • "Adding source: https://example.com..."
    • "Starting audio generation... (task ID: abc123)"

    Fire-and-forget for long operations:

    • Start generation, return artifact ID immediately
    • Do NOT poll or wait in main conversation - generation takes 5-45 minutes (see timing table)
    • User checks status manually, OR use subagent with artifact wait

    JSON output: Use --json flag for machine-readable output:

    notebooklm list --json
    notebooklm auth check --test --json   # use --test for network-validated auth (see § Agent Setup Verification)
    notebooklm source list --json
    notebooklm artifact list --json
    

    JSON schemas (key fields):

    notebooklm list --json:

    {"notebooks": [{"index": 1, "id": "...", "title": "...", "is_owner": true, "created_at": "..."}], "count": 1}
    

    notebooklm auth check --test --json (use --test to drive the network token-fetch — bare --json would leave "token_fetch": null):

    {"status": "ok", "checks": {"storage_exists": true, "json_valid": true, "cookies_present": true, "sid_cookie": true, "token_fetch": true}, "details": {"storage_path": "...", "auth_source": "file", "cookies_found": ["SID", "HSID", "..."], "cookie_domains": [".google.com"]}}
    

    notebooklm source list --json:

    {"notebook_id": "...", "notebook_title": "...", "sources": [{"index": 1, "id": "...", "title": "...", "type": "web_page", "url": "...", "status": "ready|processing|error", "status_id": 1, "created_at": "..."}], "count": 1}
    

    notebooklm artifact list --json:

    {"notebook_id": "...", "notebook_title": "...", "artifacts": [{"index": 1, "id": "...", "title": "...", "type": "Audio", "type_id": 1, "status": "in_progress|pending|completed|unknown", "status_id": 1, "created_at": "..."}], "count": 1}
    

    Status values:

    • Sources: processingready (or error)
    • Artifacts: pending or in_progresscompleted (or unknown)

    Error Handling

    On failure, offer the user a choice:

    1. Retry the operation
    2. Skip and continue with something else
    3. Investigate the error

    Error decision tree:

    ErrorCauseAction
    Auth/cookie errorSession expiredRun notebooklm auth check then notebooklm login
    "No notebook context"Context not setUse -n <id> or --notebook <id> flag (parallel), or notebooklm use <id> (single-agent)
    "No result found for RPC ID"Rate limitingWait 5-10 min, retry
    GENERATION_FAILEDGoogle rate limitWait and retry later
    Download failsGeneration incompleteCheck artifact list for status
    Invalid notebook/source IDWrong IDRun notebooklm list to verify
    RPC protocol errorGoogle changed APIsMay need CLI update

    Exit Codes

    All commands use consistent exit codes:

    CodeMeaningAction
    0SuccessContinue
    1Error (not found, processing failed)Check stderr, see Error Handling
    2Timeout (wait commands only)Extend timeout or check status manually

    Examples:

    • source wait returns 1 if source not found or processing failed
    • artifact wait returns 2 if timeout reached before completion
    • generate returns 1 if rate limited (check stderr for details)

    Long Prompts

    When a prompt or query exceeds shell command-line length limits, use --prompt-file to read it from a file:

    notebooklm ask --prompt-file ./long_question.txt
    notebooklm generate report --prompt-file ./custom_report_prompt.txt
    notebooklm source add-research --prompt-file ./research_query.txt --mode deep
    

    --prompt-file is mutually exclusive with the positional text argument. The file is read as UTF-8 with trailing whitespace stripped. Supported on: ask, all generate subcommands (except mind-map), and source add-research.

    Note: --prompt-file reads a prompt/query text file, not a source document. To upload a file as a notebook source, use source add ./file.pdf.

    Known Limitations

    Rate limiting: Audio, video, quiz, flashcards, infographic, and slide deck generation may fail due to Google's rate limits. This is an API limitation, not a bug.

    Reliable operations: These always work:

    • Notebooks (list, create, delete, rename)
    • Sources (add, list, delete)
    • Chat/queries
    • Mind-map, study-guide, report, data-table generation

    Unreliable operations: These may fail with rate limiting:

    • Audio (podcast) generation
    • Video generation
    • Quiz and flashcard generation
    • Infographic and slide deck generation

    Workaround: If generation fails:

    1. Check status: notebooklm artifact list
    2. Retry after 5-10 minutes
    3. Use the NotebookLM web UI as fallback

    Processing times vary significantly. Use the subagent pattern for long operations:

    OperationTypical timeSuggested timeout
    Source processing30s - 10 min600s
    Research (fast)30s - 2 min180s
    Research (deep)15 - 30+ min1800s
    Notesinstantn/a
    Mind-mapinstant (sync)n/a
    Quiz, flashcards5 - 15 min900s
    Report, data-table5 - 15 min900s
    Audio generation10 - 20 min1200s
    Video generation15 - 45 min2700s

    Polling intervals: When checking status manually, poll every 15-30 seconds to avoid excessive API calls.

    Language Configuration

    Language setting controls the output language for generated artifacts (audio, video, etc.).

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

    # List all 80+ supported languages with native names
    notebooklm language list
    
    # Show current language setting
    notebooklm language get
    
    # Set language for artifact generation
    notebooklm language set zh_Hans  # Simplified Chinese
    notebooklm language set ja       # Japanese
    notebooklm language set en       # English (default)
    

    Common language codes:

    CodeLanguage
    enEnglish
    zh_Hans中文(简体) - Simplified Chinese
    zh_Hant中文(繁體) - Traditional Chinese
    ja日本語 - Japanese
    ko한국어 - Korean
    esEspañol - Spanish
    frFrançais - French
    deDeutsch - German
    pt_BRPortuguês (Brasil)

    Override per command: Use --language flag on generate commands:

    notebooklm generate audio --language ja   # Japanese podcast
    notebooklm generate video --language zh_Hans  # Chinese video
    

    Offline mode: Use --local flag to skip server sync:

    notebooklm language set zh_Hans --local  # Save locally only
    notebooklm language get --local  # Read local config only
    

    Troubleshooting

    notebooklm --help              # Main commands
    notebooklm auth check          # Diagnose auth issues
    notebooklm auth check --test   # Full auth validation with network test
    notebooklm source --help       # Source management
    notebooklm research --help     # Research status/wait/cancel
    notebooklm generate --help     # Content generation
    notebooklm artifact --help     # Artifact management
    notebooklm download --help     # Download content
    notebooklm language --help     # Language settings
    

    Diagnose auth: notebooklm auth check - shows cookie domains, storage path, validation status Re-authenticate: notebooklm login Check version: notebooklm --version Refresh a CLI-managed install: notebooklm skill install

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