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Notion MCP Example

This guide walks you through deploying a Notion MCP server from the agnexus marketplace. This real-world example demonstrates how to connect an MCP server to Notion's API to enable AI assistants to interact with your Notion workspace.

What We're Deploying​

The Notion MCP Server provides 21 tools that enable:

  • Querying and managing data sources (databases)
  • Creating, retrieving, and updating pages
  • Searching content across your workspace
  • Commenting on pages
  • Uploading files
  • And more

Prerequisites​

  • An agnexus account (sign up)
  • A Notion workspace
  • A Notion integration token

Step 1: Set Up Your Notion Integration Token​

Before deploying, you need to create a Notion integration and get your token:

  1. Go to Notion Integrations
  2. Click "New integration" or select an existing one
  3. Choose "Internal integration"
  4. Give it a name (e.g., "My MCP Server")
  5. Go to the "Configuration" tab
  6. Copy the Integration Secret - this is your NOTION_TOKEN value

Save this token - you'll need it during deployment.

Step 2: Find the Notion MCP in Marketplace​

  1. Log in to your agnexus dashboard
  2. Navigate to the Marketplace
  3. Search for "Notion" or browse the available templates
  4. Click on the Notion MCP Server to view details

Step 3: Deploy from Marketplace​

  1. On the Notion MCP Server page, click the "Deploy" button
  2. You'll be guided through the deployment workflow with step-by-step instructions
  3. Follow the prompts to configure your deployment

Step 4: Configure Deployment​

During the deployment workflow, you'll be asked to configure:

Server Name​

Enter a name for your server (e.g., my-notion-mcp)

Description (Optional)​

Add a description if you'd like

Environment Variables​

This is the crucial step! You need to add your Notion token:

  1. Navigate to the Environment Variables section
  2. Click "Add Environment Variable"
  3. Enter the variable name: NOTION_TOKEN
  4. Enter the value: ntn_<your_integration_secret>
    • Replace <your_integration_secret> with the actual token you copied from Notion
    • The token should start with ntn_
  5. Mark it as a secret (recommended)
  6. Click "Save"

Other Configuration​

  • Region: Select the region closest to you
  • Dockerfile: The marketplace template includes a Dockerfile, so you can use the provided one

Step 5: Complete Deployment​

  1. Review all your settings
  2. Click "Deploy" to start the deployment
  3. You'll be redirected to the deployment page where you can watch the progress
  4. Wait for the deployment to complete (usually takes a few minutes)

Step 6: Connect Content to Your Integration​

After deployment, you need to grant your Notion integration access to the pages and databases you want to use:

Option 1: Grant Access via Integration Settings​

  1. Go back to Notion Integrations
  2. Click on your integration
  3. Go to the "Access" tab
  4. Click "Edit access"
  5. Select the pages and databases you want the server to access
  6. Click "Save"

Option 2: Connect Individual Pages​

  1. Open a page in Notion that you want to connect
  2. Click the 3 dots menu (⋯) in the top right
  3. Select "Connect to integration"
  4. Choose your integration from the list

Repeat this for each page or database you want to access.

Step 7: Access Your Server​

Once deployed, your Notion MCP server will be available at:

https://your-server-name.agnexus.ai

Testing Your Server​

You can test your MCP server using the MCP Inspector:

npx @modelcontextprotocol/inspector https://your-server-name.agnexus.ai

Step 8: Connect to Your AI Assistant​

Now you can connect your Notion MCP server to AI assistants like Claude Desktop:

  1. Add to your MCP configuration:

    {
      "mcpServers": {
        "notion": {
          "url": "https://your-server-name.agnexus.ai"
        }
      }
    }

  2. Restart your AI assistant

  3. Your assistant can now interact with your Notion workspace!

Common Use Cases​

Use Case 1: AI-Powered Note Taking​

Your AI assistant can:

  • Create new pages in Notion
  • Search existing pages
  • Update page content
  • Organize information across databases

Use Case 2: Knowledge Base Management​

  • Query your Notion knowledge base
  • Update documentation automatically
  • Create structured content from unstructured data
  • Manage databases programmatically

Use Case 3: Task Management​

  • Create tasks from conversations
  • Update task status
  • Search and filter tasks
  • Add comments and updates

Troubleshooting​

Server Not Starting​

  • Check logs in the agnexus dashboard
  • Verify NOTION_TOKEN environment variable is set correctly
  • Ensure the token starts with ntn_
  • Check deployment logs for specific errors

Notion API Errors​

  • Verify your NOTION_TOKEN is correct
  • Check that pages/databases are connected to your integration
  • Review Notion API rate limits
  • Ensure your integration has the necessary capabilities

"No Access" Errors​

  • Make sure you've connected pages to your integration (Step 6)
  • Check the integration's access settings in Notion
  • Verify the integration has the right permissions

Deployment Failures​

  • Check that your environment variable is set correctly
  • Review deployment logs for specific errors
  • Verify the Dockerfile is valid
  • Contact support if issues persist

Next Steps​

Additional Resources​