NotebookLM MCP

Add web page or YouTube source

source_add_url

Add a public web page or YouTube video to a notebook by URL so NotebookLM can ingest it. If fetching fails, check existing notebook sources before retrying.

Instructions

Add a web page or a YouTube video to a notebook by URL. NotebookLM fetches the page itself, so it must be publicly reachable. Returns the new source (id, title, type web_page or youtube); the title can show the URL until processing finishes. If NotebookLM cannot fetch the page the call fails: check notebook_get before retrying.

Input Schema

TableJSON Schema

Name	Required	Description	Default
`url`	Yes	Public http(s) URL of a web page or a YouTube video
`notebook_id`	Yes	Notebook ID, as returned by notebook_list or notebook_create

Output Schema

TableJSON Schema

Name	Required	Description
`source`	Yes
`status`	Yes
`message`	No	Human-readable outcome or next step

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

Changed1 schema field changedv0.5.0Oct 20, 2026

changedOutput schema / (root)

Previous value: -nullNew value: +{
+  "$schema": "http://json-schema.org/draft-07/schema#",
+  "additionalProperties": false,
+  "properties": {
+    "message": {
+      "description": "Human-readable outcome or next step",
+      "type": "string"
+    },
+    "source": {
+      "additionalProperties": false,
+      "properties": {
+        "id": {
+          "description": "Source ID",
+          "type": "string"
+        },
+        "title": {
+          "type": "string"
+        },
+        "type": {
+          "description": "web_page, youtube, pasted_text, pdf, google_docs, google_slides_sheets, ... or unknown",
+          "type": "string"
+        }
+      },
+      "required": [
+        "id",
+        "title",
+        "type"
+      ],
+      "type": "object"
+    },
+    "status": {
+      "const": "success",
+      "type": "string"
+    }
+  },
+  "required": [
+    "status",
+    "source"
+  ],
+  "type": "object"
+}

Addedv0.4.0Oct 20, 2026

TDQS

A4.2/5.0

Behavior4/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

Annotations cover the safety profile (readOnly=false, openWorld=true, idempotent=false, destructive=false), and the description adds genuinely new behavior: fetching is server-side, the page must be publicly reachable, the title may temporarily be the URL while processing, and the call fails outright on fetch failure. The return-value portion overlaps the output schema, so it earns slightly less credit.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness5/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

Three tight sentences, front-loaded with what the tool does, then the fetch prerequisite, then the failure/retry caveat. No filler or restated title text.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness4/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

Covers the prerequisite, the async title caveat, and the failure mode, which is more than most add-style tools. The output schema already exists, so the brief return summary is redundant rather than missing, leaving little an agent needs that is absent.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters3/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

Schema description coverage is 100%, so both parameters are already documented in the schema, including that the URL must be public http(s). The description restates the public-reachability constraint but adds no syntax, format, or validation detail beyond what the schema supplies. Baseline 3 applies.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose5/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

States a specific verb and resource ('Add a web page or a YouTube video to a notebook by URL'), and the resource qualifier immediately separates it from sibling text/drive importers like source_add_text and source_add_drive. An agent can distinguish it without opening any schema.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines4/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

Gives a clear prerequisite ('must be publicly reachable') and a recovery path ('check notebook_get before retrying'), which is real when-to-use guidance. It does not explicitly name source_add_text/source_add_drive as the alternatives for non-URL content, so the routing is implied by the siblings rather than stated.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.