Notion Research Documentation

Research & Documentation

Pull relevant Notion pages, synthesize findings, and publish clear briefs or reports (with citations and links to sources).

Quick start

1. Find sources with Notion:search using targeted queries; confirm scope with the user.
2. Fetch pages via Notion:fetch; note key sections and capture citations (reference/citations.md).
3. Choose output format (brief, summary, comparison, comprehensive report) using reference/format-selection-guide.md.
4. Draft in Notion with Notion:notion-create-pages using the matching template (quick, summary, comparison, comprehensive).
5. Link sources and add a references/citations section; update as new info arrives with Notion:notion-update-page.

Tool-call guardrails

• Notion tool availability can vary by workspace. If a Notion MCP call returns Tool <name> not found, treat that tool as unavailable for the rest of the current task. Do not retry it with different arguments or call it again later; use Notion:search and Notion:fetch where sufficient.
• Use one literal search query per Notion:search call and include filters: {} when no narrower filter is needed.
• Only fetch Notion page, database, or data-source URLs/IDs. Search results can include external connected-source URLs, which are not valid Notion:fetch inputs.
• Create output pages with an explicit parent and a pages array.
• When updating an existing report, fetch it first and use Notion:notion-update-page with update_content, properties: {}, and search-and-replace pairs. For property-only updates, use update_properties with content_updates: []. The current deployed schema expects both top-level fields even when one is unused. Do not invent insertion-only commands.

Workflow

0) If Notion tools are unavailable, pause and ask the user to connect the Notion app:

1. Enable the bundled Notion app for this plugin or session.
2. Complete the Notion auth flow if Codex prompts for it.
3. Restart Codex or the current session if the tools still do not appear.

After the app is connected, finish your answer and tell the user to retry so they can continue with Step 1.

1) Gather sources

• Search first (Notion:search); refine queries, and ask the user to confirm if multiple results appear.
• Fetch relevant pages (Notion:fetch), skim for facts, metrics, claims, constraints, and dates.
• Track each source URL/ID for later citation; prefer direct quotes for critical facts.

2) Select the format

• Quick readout → quick brief.
• Single-topic dive → research summary.
• Option tradeoffs → comparison.
• Deep dive / exec-ready → comprehensive report.
• See reference/format-selection-guide.md for when to pick each.

3) Synthesize

• Outline before writing; group findings by themes/questions.
• Note evidence with source IDs; flag gaps or contradictions.
• Keep user goal in view (decision, summary, plan, recommendation).

4) Create the doc

• Pick the matching template in reference/ (brief, summary, comparison, comprehensive) and adapt it.
• Create the page with Notion:notion-create-pages; include title, summary, key findings, supporting evidence, and recommendations/next steps when relevant.
• Add citations inline and a references section; link back to source pages.

5) Finalize & handoff

• Add highlights, risks, and open questions.
• If the user needs follow-ups, create tasks or a checklist in the page; link any task database entries if applicable.
• Share a short changelog or status using Notion:notion-update-page when updating.

References and examples

• reference/ — search tactics, format selection, templates, and citation rules (e.g., advanced-search.md, format-selection-guide.md, research-summary-template.md, comparison-template.md, citations.md).
• examples/ — end-to-end walkthroughs (e.g., competitor-analysis.md, technical-investigation.md, market-research.md, trip-planning.md).