Notion MCP Server

A maintained fork of the official Notion MCP server

Local serverstdioGo

What is the Notion MCP server?

A maintained fork of the official Notion MCP server. Exposed over MCP by the notion mcp server, that capability becomes something an assistant can invoke while it works, not something you go and do afterwards.

What it actually does

If you have hardcoded tool names or prompts that reference the old database tools, update them to use the new data source tools:

Its toolset

Everything the assistant can do here goes through one of these:

  • post-database-query — replaced by query-data-source
  • update-a-database — replaced by update-a-data-source
  • create-a-database — replaced by create-a-data-source
  • query-data-source — Query a data source (database) with filters and sorts
  • retrieve-a-data-source — Get metadata and schema for a data source
  • update-a-data-source — Update data source properties
  • create-a-data-source — Create a new data source
  • list-data-source-templates — List available templates in a data source
  • move-page — Move a page to a different parent location
  • retrieve-a-database — Get database metadata including its data source IDs
  • Installation — The Installation tool exposed by this server
  • Examples — AI will correctly plan two API calls, v1/search and v1/comments, to achieve the task

Configuration

You will need 3 environment variables: NOTION_TOKEN, OPENAPI_MCP_HEADERS, AUTH_TOKEN. The server will not start without them, which is usually why the tools fail to appear on a first run. Keep credentials in your client's env block or a secrets manager rather than in a file you might commit.

Adding it to your client

The server ships on npm as @notionhq/notion-mcp-server, so your MCP client can launch it on demand — there is no separate build step. Add the server block to your client's configuration, restart it, and the tools register themselves.

When to reach for it

This sits in the database access group, where several servers overlap in what they claim to do but differ sharply once you actually set them up. Notion's toolset — post-database-query, update-a-database, create-a-database and 11 more — is a fair guide to whether it matches your workflow. It is maintained by mieubrisse; worth a glance at recent repository activity before you build anything load-bearing on it.

We check each listing at SyncDev against the project's documentation before it goes live — if something here drifts out of date, it is a bug worth reporting.

Caveats

  • It runs with your machine's permissions. That is convenient and also the reason to think about what you point it at before you approve a tool call.
  • With 14 tools registered it takes up a noticeable share of the context window; turn it off in projects that never touch Notion.
  • Missing credentials fail quietly in some clients — if no tools show up, check the environment block first.
  • MCP clients confirm each tool call by default. Leave that on until you have watched what the notion mcp server does with a few real requests.

Available tools

ToolWhat it does
post-database-queryreplaced by query-data-source
update-a-databasereplaced by update-a-data-source
create-a-databasereplaced by create-a-data-source
query-data-sourceQuery a data source (database) with filters and sorts
retrieve-a-data-sourceGet metadata and schema for a data source
update-a-data-sourceUpdate data source properties
create-a-data-sourceCreate a new data source
list-data-source-templatesList available templates in a data source
move-pageMove a page to a different parent location
retrieve-a-databaseGet database metadata including its data source IDs
InstallationThe Installation tool exposed by this server.
ExamplesAI will correctly plan two API calls, v1/search and v1/comments, to achieve the task
DevelopmentThe Development tool exposed by this server.
Execute1. Run npm link command from repository root to create a machine-global symlink to the notion-mcp-server package. 2. Merge the configuration snippet below into Cursor's mcp.json (or other MCP client you want to test with

How to install the Notion MCP server

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "notionApi": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@notionhq/notion-mcp-server"],
      "env": {
        "NOTION_TOKEN": "ntn_****"
      }
    }
  }
}

Configuration as documented by the project. Restart the client after saving.

Configuration

VariableDescriptionRequired
NOTION_TOKENCredential the server authenticates with.Yes
OPENAPI_MCP_HEADERSConfiguration value read at startup.Optional
AUTH_TOKENCredential the server authenticates with.Yes

Example prompts to try

  • Use Notion to post-database-query.
  • Use Notion to update-a-database.
  • Use Notion to create-a-database.

Frequently asked questions

It connects Notion to MCP-compatible AI assistants such as Claude and Cursor, exposing 14 tools (post-database-query, update-a-database, create-a-database, and more) that the assistant can call on your behalf. Instead of copying data back and forth by hand, the assistant works with Notion directly.