Write Notion

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.

When to Use

Use this skill when you need to:

• Create, update, or archive pages in Notion
• Query or create databases in Notion
• Append or modify block content on Notion pages
• Search across Notion workspaces

Do NOT use this skill when:

• The user just wants text output in the conversation
• The Notion MCP server can handle the request (prefer MCP for reads)

Authentication

API Key Handling

1. Environment Variable: Check if NOTION_API_KEY 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: Ask the user to provide the API key

IMPORTANT: Never display, log, or send NOTION_API_KEY 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_KEY" \
-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_KEY" \
  -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
• Property Names: snake_case
• Timestamps: ISO 8601 format (2020-08-12T02:12:33.231Z)
• IDs: UUIDv4 format (dashes optional in requests)
• 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

• 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:

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

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_KEY" \
  -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_KEY" \
  -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_KEY" \
  -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:

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

Update a Page

curl -s -X PATCH "https://api.notion.com/v1/pages/{page_id}" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $NOTION_API_KEY" \
  -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_KEY" \
  -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_KEY" \
  -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_KEY" \
  -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_KEY" \
  -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:

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

Retrieve a Block

curl -s "https://api.notion.com/v1/blocks/{block_id}" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $NOTION_API_KEY" \
  -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_KEY" \
  -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_KEY" \
  -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_KEY" \
  -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_KEY" \
  -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

Create a Database

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

Users

List All Users

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

Add a Comment

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

Pagination

Paginated endpoints return a next_cursor field. To get subsequent pages:

curl -s -X POST "https://api.notion.com/v1/databases/{database_id}/query" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $NOTION_API_KEY" \
  -H "Notion-Version: 2025-09-03" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "start_cursor": "next-cursor-value",
    "page_size": 100
  }' | jq

Check has_more in the response to determine if more pages exist.

Block Types Reference

Common block types for use in children arrays:

• paragraph - Standard text
• heading_1, heading_2, heading_3 - Headings
• bulleted_list_item - Bullet list item
• numbered_list_item - Numbered list item
• to_do - Checkbox item (has checked boolean)
• toggle - Collapsible toggle
• code - Code block (has language field)
• quote - Block quote
• callout - Callout box (has icon field)
• divider - Horizontal divider ({} as value)
• table_of_contents - Auto-generated TOC
• image, video, file, pdf - Media embeds
• bookmark - URL bookmark
• equation - Math equation (KaTeX)

Guidelines

• Always verify NOTION_API_KEY exists before making requests
• Use jq to parse and format JSON responses
• Handle pagination for large result sets
• Implement retry logic with exponential backoff for 429 errors
• Always ask for user confirmation before destructive or bulk operations