Notion API

Notion API Skill

This skill enables interaction with Notion workspaces through the Notion REST API. Use curl and jq for direct REST calls, or write ad-hoc scripts as appropriate for the task.

Authentication

API Key Handling

1. Environment Variable: Check if NOTION_API_TOKEN is available in the environment
2. User-Provided Key: If the user provides an API key in context, use that instead
3. No Key Available: If neither is available, use AskUserQuestion (or equivalent) to request the API key from the user

IMPORTANT: Never display, log, or send NOTION_API_TOKEN anywhere except in the Authorization header. Confirm its existence, ask if missing, use it in requests—but never echo or expose it.

Request Headers

All requests require these headers:

-H "Authorization: Bearer $NOTION_API_TOKEN" \
-H "Notion-Version: 2025-09-03" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json"

Verifying Authentication

Test the API key by retrieving the bot user:

curl -s "https://api.notion.com/v1/users/me" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $NOTION_API_TOKEN" \
  -H "Notion-Version: 2025-09-03" | jq

Base URL and Conventions

• Base URL: https://api.notion.com
• API Version: 2025-09-03 (required header)
• Data Format: JSON for all request/response bodies
• IDs: UUIDv4 format (dashes optional in requests)
• Timestamps: ISO 8601 format (2020-08-12T02:12:33.231Z)
• Property Names: snake_case
• Empty Values: Use null instead of empty strings

Rate Limits

• Average: 3 requests per second per integration
• Bursts: Brief bursts above this limit are allowed
• Rate Limited Response: HTTP 429 with Retry-After header
• Strategy: Implement exponential backoff when receiving 429 responses

Request Size Limits

Confirmation for Destructive Operations

IMPORTANT: Before executing any operation that modifies or deletes data, ask the user for confirmation. This includes:

• Updating pages or blocks
• Deleting/archiving pages or blocks
• Modifying database schemas
• Creating pages (if multiple or in batch)
• Any bulk operations

For a logical group of related operations, a single confirmation is sufficient.

Core API Endpoints

Search

Search across all accessible pages and databases:

curl -s -X POST "https://api.notion.com/v1/search" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $NOTION_API_TOKEN" \
  -H "Notion-Version: 2025-09-03" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "query": "search term",
    "filter": {"property": "object", "value": "page"},
    "sort": {"direction": "descending", "timestamp": "last_edited_time"},
    "page_size": 100
  }' | jq

Filter values: "page" or "data_source" (or omit for both)

Pages

Retrieve a Page

curl -s "https://api.notion.com/v1/pages/{page_id}" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $NOTION_API_TOKEN" \
  -H "Notion-Version: 2025-09-03" | jq

Note: This returns page properties, not content. For content, use "Retrieve block children" with the page ID.

Create a Page

curl -s -X POST "https://api.notion.com/v1/pages" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $NOTION_API_TOKEN" \
  -H "Notion-Version: 2025-09-03" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "parent": {"page_id": "parent-page-id"},
    "properties": {
      "title": {
        "title": [{"text": {"content": "Page Title"}}]
      }
    },
    "children": [
      {
        "object": "block",
        "type": "paragraph",
        "paragraph": {
          "rich_text": [{"type": "text", "text": {"content": "Paragraph content"}}]
        }
      }
    ]
  }' | jq

Parent options:

• {"page_id": "..."} - Create under a page
• {"database_id": "..."} - Create in a database (legacy)
• {"data_source_id": "..."} - Create in a data source (API v2025-09-03+)

Update a Page

curl -s -X PATCH "https://api.notion.com/v1/pages/{page_id}" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $NOTION_API_TOKEN" \
  -H "Notion-Version: 2025-09-03" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "properties": {
      "title": {"title": [{"text": {"content": "Updated Title"}}]}
    },
    "icon": {"type": "emoji", "emoji": "📝"},
    "archived": false
  }' | jq

Additional update options: cover, is_locked, in_trash

Archive (Delete) a Page

curl -s -X PATCH "https://api.notion.com/v1/pages/{page_id}" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $NOTION_API_TOKEN" \
  -H "Notion-Version: 2025-09-03" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"archived": true}' | jq

Retrieve a Page Property Item

For properties with more than 25 references:

curl -s "https://api.notion.com/v1/pages/{page_id}/properties/{property_id}" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $NOTION_API_TOKEN" \
  -H "Notion-Version: 2025-09-03" | jq

Blocks (Page Content)

Retrieve Block Children

curl -s "https://api.notion.com/v1/blocks/{block_id}/children?page_size=100" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $NOTION_API_TOKEN" \
  -H "Notion-Version: 2025-09-03" | jq

Use the page ID as block_id to get page content. Check has_children on each block for nested content.

Append Block Children

curl -s -X PATCH "https://api.notion.com/v1/blocks/{block_id}/children" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $NOTION_API_TOKEN" \
  -H "Notion-Version: 2025-09-03" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "children": [
      {
        "object": "block",
        "type": "heading_2",
        "heading_2": {
          "rich_text": [{"type": "text", "text": {"content": "New Section"}}]
        }
      },
      {
        "object": "block",
        "type": "paragraph",
        "paragraph": {
          "rich_text": [{"type": "text", "text": {"content": "Content here"}}]
        }
      }
    ]
  }' | jq

Maximum 100 blocks per request, up to 2 levels of nesting.

Position options in request body:

• Default: appends to end
• "position": {"type": "start"} - Insert at beginning
• "position": {"type": "after_block", "after_block": {"id": "block-id"}} - Insert after specific block

Retrieve a Block

curl -s "https://api.notion.com/v1/blocks/{block_id}" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $NOTION_API_TOKEN" \
  -H "Notion-Version: 2025-09-03" | jq

Update a Block

curl -s -X PATCH "https://api.notion.com/v1/blocks/{block_id}" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $NOTION_API_TOKEN" \
  -H "Notion-Version: 2025-09-03" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "paragraph": {
      "rich_text": [{"type": "text", "text": {"content": "Updated content"}}]
    }
  }' | jq

The update replaces the entire value for the specified field.

Delete a Block

curl -s -X DELETE "https://api.notion.com/v1/blocks/{block_id}" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $NOTION_API_TOKEN" \
  -H "Notion-Version: 2025-09-03" | jq

Moves block to trash (can be restored).

Databases

Retrieve a Database

curl -s "https://api.notion.com/v1/databases/{database_id}" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $NOTION_API_TOKEN" \
  -H "Notion-Version: 2025-09-03" | jq

Returns database structure including data sources and properties.

Query a Database

curl -s -X POST "https://api.notion.com/v1/databases/{database_id}/query" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $NOTION_API_TOKEN" \
  -H "Notion-Version: 2025-09-03" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "filter": {
      "property": "Status",
      "select": {"equals": "Done"}
    },
    "sorts": [