Add a URL (website or YouTube) as a source to a notebook
AI agents use notebook_add_url to create or update resources in Notebooklm — usually the action step of a workflow, after the agent has gathered context. Every call changes real data in your Notebooklm environment.
This tool creates or modifies notebook state by adding a URL source. It does not delete data (not Destructive), execute arbitrary code (not Execute), involve financial transactions (not Financial), or retrieve data without side effects (not Read). Adding a URL source is reversible and constitutes a Write operation.
From the tool's definition Tool name 'notebook_add_url' and description 'Add a URL (website or YouTube) as a source to a notebook' clearly indicate data creation/modification. The action adds a new source entry to a notebook, which is a reversible write operation.
Documented attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access notebook_add_url gives an agent:
PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway — it sits between your AI agents and Notebooklm, and nothing reaches the server without passing your rules. This is the rule we recommend for notebook_add_url:
{
"version": "1",
"default": "deny",
"tools": {
"notebook_add_url": {
"limits": [
{
"counter": "notebook_add_url_rate",
"window": "minute",
"max": 30,
"scope": "grant"
}
]
}
}
}notebook_add_url stays usable, but capped — an agent stuck in a loop can't make hundreds of changes a minute. Everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.
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Add a URL (website or YouTube) as a source to a notebook. It is categorised as a Write tool in the Notebooklm MCP Server, which means it can create or modify data. Consider rate limits to prevent runaway writes.
Register the Notebooklm MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for notebook_add_url: allow, deny, rate-limit, or require approval. Point your MCP client at the PolicyLayer proxy URL and the rule is enforced on every call, before it reaches Notebooklm. Nothing to install.
notebook_add_url is a Write tool with medium risk. Write tools should be rate-limited to prevent accidental bulk modifications.
Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the notebook_add_url rule in your PolicyLayer policy. For example, setting max: 10 and window: 60 limits the tool to 10 calls per minute. Rate limits are tracked per agent session and reset automatically.
Set action: deny in the PolicyLayer policy for notebook_add_url. The AI agent will receive a policy violation error and cannot call the tool. You can also include a reason field to explain why the tool is blocked.
notebook_add_url is provided by the Notebooklm MCP server (moodrobotics/notebooklm-mcp-server). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.
Start from Notebooklm, add the rest of your stack, and see everything your agents can call. Then put policy on all of it.
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29 Notebooklm tools catalogued and risk-classified — across an index of 43,000+ MCP servers.