notion-automation

Notion Automation via Rube MCP

Automate Notion operations through Composio's Notion toolkit via Rube MCP.

Toolkit docs: composio.dev/toolkits/notion

Prerequisites

• Rube MCP must be connected (RUBE_SEARCH_TOOLS available)
• Active Notion connection via RUBE_MANAGE_CONNECTIONS with toolkit notion
• Always call RUBE_SEARCH_TOOLS first to get current tool schemas

Setup

Get Rube MCP: Add https://rube.app/mcp as an MCP server in your client configuration. No API keys needed — just add the endpoint and it works.

1. Verify Rube MCP is available by confirming RUBE_SEARCH_TOOLS responds
2. Call RUBE_MANAGE_CONNECTIONS with toolkit notion
3. If connection is not ACTIVE, follow the returned auth link to complete Notion OAuth
4. Confirm connection status shows ACTIVE before running any workflows

Core Workflows

1. Create and Manage Pages

When to use: User wants to create, update, or archive Notion pages

Tool sequence:

1. NOTION_SEARCH_NOTION_PAGE - Find parent page or existing page [Prerequisite]
2. NOTION_CREATE_NOTION_PAGE - Create a new page under a parent [Optional]
3. NOTION_RETRIEVE_PAGE - Get page metadata/properties [Optional]
4. NOTION_UPDATE_PAGE - Update page properties, title, icon, cover [Optional]
5. NOTION_ARCHIVE_NOTION_PAGE - Soft-delete (archive) a page [Optional]

Key parameters:

• query: Search text for SEARCH_NOTION_PAGE
• parent_id: Parent page or database ID
• page_id: Page ID for retrieval/update/archive
• properties: Page property values matching parent schema

Pitfalls:

• RETRIEVE_PAGE returns only metadata/properties, NOT body content; use FETCH_BLOCK_CONTENTS for page body
• ARCHIVE_NOTION_PAGE is a soft-delete (sets archived=true), not permanent deletion
• Broad searches can look incomplete unless has_more/next_cursor is fully paginated

2. Query and Manage Databases

When to use: User wants to query database rows, insert entries, or update records

Tool sequence:

1. NOTION_SEARCH_NOTION_PAGE - Find the database by name [Prerequisite]
2. NOTION_FETCH_DATABASE - Inspect schema and properties [Prerequisite]
3. NOTION_QUERY_DATABASE / NOTION_QUERY_DATABASE_WITH_FILTER - Query rows [Required]
4. NOTION_INSERT_ROW_DATABASE - Add new entries [Optional]
5. NOTION_UPDATE_ROW_DATABASE - Update existing entries [Optional]

Key parameters:

• database_id: Database ID (from search or URL)
• filter: Filter object matching Notion filter syntax
• sorts: Array of sort objects
• start_cursor: Pagination cursor from previous response
• properties: Property values matching database schema for inserts/updates

Pitfalls:

• 404 object_not_found usually means wrong database_id or the database is not shared with the integration
• Results are paginated; ignoring has_more/next_cursor silently truncates reads
• Schema mismatches or missing required properties cause 400 validation_error
• Formula and read-only fields cannot be set via INSERT_ROW_DATABASE
• Property names in filters must match schema exactly (case-sensitive)

3. Manage Blocks and Page Content

When to use: User wants to read, append, or modify content blocks in a page

Tool sequence:

1. NOTION_FETCH_BLOCK_CONTENTS - Read child blocks of a page [Required]
2. NOTION_ADD_MULTIPLE_PAGE_CONTENT - Append blocks to a page [Optional]
3. NOTION_APPEND_TEXT_BLOCKS - Append text-only blocks [Optional]
4. NOTION_REPLACE_PAGE_CONTENT - Replace all page content [Optional]
5. NOTION_DELETE_BLOCK - Remove a specific block [Optional]

Key parameters:

• block_id / page_id: Target page or block ID
• content_blocks: Array of block objects (NOT child_blocks)
• text: Plain text content for APPEND_TEXT_BLOCKS

Pitfalls:

• Use content_blocks parameter, NOT child_blocks -- the latter fails validation
• ADD_MULTIPLE_PAGE_CONTENT fails on archived pages; unarchive via UPDATE_PAGE first
• Created blocks are in response.data.results; persist block IDs for later edits
• DELETE_BLOCK is archival (archived=true), not permanent deletion

4. Manage Database Schema

When to use: User wants to create databases or modify their structure

Tool sequence:

1. NOTION_FETCH_DATABASE - Inspect current schema [Prerequisite]
2. NOTION_CREATE_DATABASE - Create a new database [Optional]
3. NOTION_UPDATE_SCHEMA_DATABASE - Modify database properties [Optional]

Key parameters:

• parent_id: Parent page ID for new databases
• title: Database title
• properties: Property definitions with types and options
• database_id: Database ID for schema updates

Pitfalls:

• Cannot change property types via UPDATE_SCHEMA; must create new property and migrate data
• Formula, rollup, and relation properties have complex configuration requirements

5. Manage Users and Comments

When to use: User wants to list workspace users or manage comments on pages

Tool sequence:

1. NOTION_LIST_USERS - List all workspace users [Optional]
2. NOTION_GET_ABOUT_ME - Get current authenticated user [Optional]
3. NOTION_CREATE_COMMENT - Add a comment to a page [Optional]
4. NOTION_FETCH_COMMENTS - List comments on a page [Optional]

Key parameters:

• page_id: Page ID for comments (also called discussion_id)
• rich_text: Comment content as rich text array

Pitfalls:

• Comments are linked to pages, not individual blocks
• User IDs from LIST_USERS are needed for people-type property filters

Common Patterns

ID Resolution

Page/Database name -> ID:

1. Call NOTION_SEARCH_NOTION_PAGE with query=name
2. Paginate with has_more/next_cursor until found
3. Extract id from matching result

Database schema inspection:

1. Call NOTION_FETCH_DATABASE with database_id
2. Extract properties object for field names and types
3. Use exact property names in queries and inserts

Pagination

• Set page_size for results per page (max 100)
• Check response for has_more boolean
• Pass start_cursor or next_cursor in next request
• Continue until has_more is false

Notion Filter Syntax

Single filter:

{"property": "Status", "select": {"equals": "Done"}}

Compound filter:

{"and": [
  {"property": "Status", "select": {"equals": "In Progress"}},
  {"property": "Assignee", "people": {"contains": "user-id"}}
]}

Known Pitfalls

Integration Sharing:

• Pages and databases must be shared with the Notion integration to be accessible
• Title queries can return 0 when the item is not shared with the integration

Property Types:

• Property names are case-sensitive and must match schema exactly
• Formula, rollup, and created_time fields are read-only
• Select/multi-select values must match existing options unless creating new ones

Response Parsing:

• Response data may be nested under data_preview or data.results
• Parse defensively with fallbacks for different nesting levels

Quick Reference

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