notion-api

name	notion-api
description	This skill provides comprehensive instructions for interacting with the Notion API via REST calls. This skill should be used whenever the user asks to interact with Notion, including reading, creating, updating, or deleting pages, databases, blocks, comments, or any other Notion content. The skill covers authentication, all available endpoints, pagination, error handling, and best practices.
tags	["productivity","agent-skills","notion-api","api","writing","notion"]

|-------| | Maximum block elements per payload | 1000 | | Maximum payload size | 500KB | | Rich text content | 2000 characters | | URLs | 2000 characters | | Equations | 1000 characters | | Email addresses | 200 characters | | Phone numbers | 200 characters | | Multi-select options | 100 items | | Relations | 100 related pages | | People mentions | 100 users | | Block arrays per request | 100 elements |

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": [
      {"property": "Created", "direction": "descending"}
    ],
    "page_size": 100
  }' | jq

See references/filters-and-sorts.md for comprehensive filter and sort documentation.

Create a Database

curl -s -X POST "https://api.notion.com/v1/databases" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $NOTION_API_TOKEN" \
  -H "Notion-Version: 2025-09-03" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "parent": {"page_id": "parent-page-id"},
    "title": [{"type": "text", "text": {"content": "My Database"}}],
    "is_inline": true,
    "initial_data_source": {
      "properties": {
        "Name": {"title": {}},
        "Status": {
          "select": {
            "options": [
              {"name": "To Do", "color": "red"},
              {"name": "In Progress", "color": "yellow"},
              {"name": "Done", "color": "green"}
            ]
          }
        },
        "Due Date": {"date": {}}
      }
    }
  }' | jq

Update a Database

curl -s -X PATCH "https://api.notion.com/v1/databases/{database_id}" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $NOTION_API_TOKEN" \
  -H "Notion-Version: 2025-09-03" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "title": [{"text": {"content": "Updated Title"}}],
    "description": [{"text": {"content": "Database description"}}]
  }' | jq

Data Sources (API v2025-09-03+)

Data sources are individual tables within a database. As of API version 2025-09-03, databases can contain multiple data sources.

Create a Data Source

curl -s -X POST "https://api.notion.com/v1/data_sources" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $NOTION_API_TOKEN" \
  -H "Notion-Version: 2025-09-03" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "parent": {"type": "database_id", "database_id": "database-id"},
    "title": [{"type": "text", "text": {"content": "New Data Source"}}],
    "properties": {
      "Name": {"title": {}},
      "Description": {"rich_text": {}}
    }
  }' | jq

Users

List All Users

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

Retrieve a User

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

Retrieve Bot User (Self)

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

Comments

Retrieve Comments

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

Use a page ID as block_id for page-level comments.

Create a Comment

On a page:

curl -s -X POST "https://api.notion.com/v1/comments" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $NOTION_API_TOKEN" \
  -H "Notion-Version: 2025-09-03" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "parent": {"page_id": "page-id"},
    "rich_text": [{"type": "text", "text": {"content": "Comment content"}}]
  }' | jq

Reply to a discussion:

curl -s -X POST "https://api.notion.com/v1/comments" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $NOTION_API_TOKEN" \
  -H "Notion-Version: 2025-09-03" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "discussion_id": "discussion-id",
    "rich_text": [{"type": "text", "text": {"content": "Reply content"}}]
  }' | jq

Note: The API cannot start new inline discussion threads or edit/delete existing comments.

Pagination

Paginated endpoints return:

• has_more: Boolean indicating more results exist
• next_cursor: Cursor for the next page
• results: Array of items

To iterate through all results:

1. Make the initial request (omit start_cursor)
2. Check has_more in the response
3. If true, extract next_cursor and include it as start_cursor in the next request
4. Repeat until has_more is false

Example request with cursor:

{
  "page_size": 100,
  "start_cursor": "v1%7C..."
}

Error Handling

HTTP Status	Code	Description
400	invalid_json	Request body is not valid JSON
400	invalid_request_url	URL is malformed
400	invalid_request	Request is not supported
400	validation_error	Request body doesn't match expected schema
400	missing_version	Missing Notion-Version header
401	unauthorized	Invalid bearer token
403	restricted_resource	Token lacks permission
404	object_not_found	Resource doesn't exist or not shared with integration
409	conflict_error	Data collision during transaction
429	rate_limited	Rate limit exceeded (check Retry-After header)
500	internal_server_error	Unexpected server error
503	service_unavailable	Notion unavailable or 60s timeout exceeded
503	database_connection_unavailable	Database unresponsive
504	gateway_timeout	Request timeout

Best Practices

1. Store IDs: When creating pages/databases, store the returned IDs for future updates
2. Use Property IDs: Reference properties by ID rather than name for stability
3. Batch Operations: Aggregate multiple small operations into fewer requests
4. Respect Rate Limits: Implement exponential backoff for 429 responses
5. Check has_more: Always handle pagination for list endpoints
6. Validate Before Updates: Retrieve current state before making updates
7. Use Environment Variables: Never hardcode API keys
8. Handle Errors Gracefully: Check response status codes and error messages
9. Schema Size: Keep database schemas under 50KB for optimal performance
10. Properties Limit: Properties with >25 page references require separate retrieval

References

For detailed documentation on specific topics, see:

• references/block-types.md - All supported block types and their structures
• references/property-types.md - Database property types and value formats
• references/filters-and-sorts.md - Database query filter and sort syntax
• references/rich-text.md - Rich text object structure and annotations