add_notebook · Notebooklm MCP: Risk & Policy

WHAT IT DOES

What add_notebook does on Notebooklm

AI agents use add_notebook 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.

WHY IT NEEDS A POLICY

Why add_notebook needs a policy

This tool creates a new notebook entry in a local library, which is a reversible write operation. It does not retrieve data (Read), execute arbitrary code (Execute), delete data (Destructive), or move money (Financial). The impact is limited to adding metadata about a notebook to a local registry, making it a low-severity Write action.

From the tool's definition Tool name is 'add_notebook' and description states 'Register a NotebookLM notebook in the local library so it can be'. The word 'Register' and 'add' indicate data creation/modification in a local library structure.

Attacks that exploit this kind of access

Recommended rule Ready

Verdict

add_notebook Rate-limited

add_notebook 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.

View as policy code

policy.json

{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "tools": {
    "add_notebook": {
      "limits": [
        {
          "counter": "add_notebook_rate",
          "window": "minute",
          "max": 30,
          "scope": "grant"
        }
      ]
    }
  }
}

LIMIT THIS TOOL →

Instant setup, no code required.

PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway: every tool call is checked against your rule before it reaches Notebooklm, so you can run agents against it safely.

FAQ

Questions about add_notebook

What does the add_notebook tool do? +

Register a NotebookLM notebook in the local library so it can be. 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.

How do I enforce a policy on add_notebook? +

Register the Notebooklm MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for add_notebook: 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.

What risk level is add_notebook? +

add_notebook is a Write tool with medium risk. Write tools should be rate-limited to prevent accidental bulk modifications.

Can I rate-limit add_notebook? +

Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the add_notebook 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.

How do I block add_notebook completely? +

Set action: deny in the PolicyLayer policy for add_notebook. 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.

What MCP server provides add_notebook? +

add_notebook is provided by the Notebooklm MCP server (notebooklm-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.