| name | notion-style-matching |
| description | Match David's specific Notion formatting preferences when creating content. Use when:
(1) creating new pages in David's Notion workspace, (2) user says content
is "over-formatted" or doesn't match their style, (3) starting any Notion
content creation task. This skill contains David's actual preferences learned
from 30+ pages across his workspace - tables, checkboxes, toggles, bold headers,
casual tone, databases for tracking.
|
| author | Claude Code |
| user-invocable | false |
Notion Style Matching (David's Workspace)
Problem
Creating Notion content with formatting that doesn't match David's established style.
David uses a specific mix of structured elements (tables, databases, checkboxes) with
casual note-taking tone. Over-formatting with excessive markdown headers or formal
documentation style feels out of place.
Context / Trigger Conditions
- Creating a new page in David's Notion workspace
- User feedback like "too formatted", "doesn't match my style"
- Any substantial content creation in Notion
David's Formatting Patterns (Learned from 30+ pages)
Structure & Organization
Databases are heavily used for tracking:
- Todo List (Status, Category, Labels, Deadline)
- Notes (general catch-all)
- Journal (Date, Name, Odometer reading)
- Shopping List (Type, Date bought)
- Projects (Name, Tags)
- Destinations (Location Name, State, Dates, Chaperone)
Page organization:
- Subpages for related content
- Embedded/inline databases within pages
- Columns layout for side-by-side content
Tables
Use tables WITH headers for:
- Structured reference data (Faculty lists with School, Focus columns)
- Timeline/schedule planning (Phase, Dates, Focus)
- Weekly time budgets (Activity, Hours, Notes)
- Decision matrices (Risk, Mitigation)
- Product comparisons (Product, Purpose, Where to Buy, Notes)
Table style:
<table header-row="true">
<tr><td>Column 1</td><td>Column 2</td><td>Column 3</td></tr>
<tr><td>data</td><td>data</td><td>data</td></tr>
</table>
Text Formatting
Headers:
- Prefer bold text for section headers over markdown
#
- When markdown headers used, typically
# or ## only
- Example:
**FACE PRODUCTS** not ### Face Products
Toggles (▶) for collapsible sections:
- Very common in travel and planning pages
- Format:
▶ Section title with indented content below
- Used for: roadmaps, packing categories, old/archived content
Checkboxes extensively for:
- Todo items:
- [ ] Task
- Packing lists
- Shopping lists
- Action items
- Purchase status tracking
Dividers (---):
- Between major sections
- Not between every small section
Indentation:
Colored text/highlights:
- Used sparingly for emphasis
- Example:
<span color="green_bg">*Alaska*</span>
Content Style by Page Type
Planning pages (PhD thinking, Grad trip, Apartment search):
- Tables for structured data
- Checklists for action items
- Toggles for collapsible sections
- Multiple embedded databases
- Detailed but scannable
Reference pages (Reading List, Bookmarks, Links):
- Simple lists of links
- Minimal formatting
- Just
[Title](url) entries
Journal entries:
- Prose paragraphs
- Embedded images
- Personal/reflective tone
- Minimal formatting within
Trip/Destination pages:
- Day-by-day itineraries with numbered days
- Bullet points for activities
- Links to maps and resources
- Packing lists with checkboxes
Quick notes (Sex, Casual goals, Goals planning):
- Plain text lines
- Minimal to no formatting
- Just ideas/thoughts listed
Decision/analysis pages (Weekend possibilities):
- Tables with conditional matrices
- "If X then Y" structures
Icons/Emojis
Page icons used:
- Cooking: 🍳
- Work: 💼
- Cities: 🌆
- Food prep: 🥔
- Todo: ✔️
- Journal: 📙
- Projects: 🏗️
- Bucket list: 🪣
- Bored: 💤
- Destinations: ⛳, ⛰️
- Fun: 🎳
- Thinking: 🧠
In content: Used sparingly, only when meaningful
What NOT to Do
- Over-formatted markdown headers (
###, ####)
- Excessive bold/italic throughout
- Formal documentation tone for personal notes
- Heavy structure for simple idea lists
- Adding explanatory text when bullet points suffice
Solution Template
For a routine/protocol page (like Skincare):
Goal: [one line description]
[Brief context if needed]
---
**SECTION NAME**
- [ ] Checkbox item (for tracking)
- [ ] Another item
**PRODUCTS/ITEMS**
<table header-row="true">
<tr><td>Item</td><td>Purpose</td><td>Source</td><td>Notes</td></tr>
<tr><td>Product 1</td><td>What it does</td><td>Where to buy</td><td>Important detail</td></tr>
</table>
---
**ROUTINE/STEPS**
1. Step one
2. Step two (note about timing)
3. Step three
---
**NOTES/WHY**
- Bullet point explanation
- Another reason
- Key insight
---
**STATUS**
Buying now:
- [x] Item purchased
- [x] Another item
Still need:
- [ ] Item to buy
- [ ] Another item
For a trip/destination page:
Day 1:
Activity 1
Activity 2 at **Place Name**
[Link to map](url)
Day 2:
Morning: activity
Afternoon: activity
Evening: activity
---
Packing:
- [ ] Item 1
- [ ] Item 2
▶ Category
- [ ] Sub-item
- [ ] Sub-item
For quick reference/notes:
Just plain text lines
Another thought
A link if relevant: [text](url)
Verification
After creating content, fetch the page to verify it rendered correctly and matches
the style patterns above.
Notes
- Style varies by page type - match the relevant type
- Simpler is better for personal reference content
- Tables are welcome and frequently used - don't avoid them
- Checkboxes are preferred for any trackable items
- When content goes under a database, use the database's existing property schema
