How to Create and Use Notion Integrations

How to Create and Use Notion Integrations

If you’ve been using Notion and want to make your workspace even more powerful, integrations are the way to go. They allow you to connect other tools or automate tasks in Notion, making it much more dynamic.

Don’t worry, it sounds more complicated than it really is. I’ll walk you through it step by step.

What Are Notion Integrations?

In the simplest terms, Notion integrations let you connect Notion with other apps or custom tools. This could mean automating tasks, syncing information, or using external scripts to handle your Notion data.

There are two types of integrations:

• Internal Integrations: These are just for you or your workspace. Great for personal use or testing.
• Public Integrations: These can be shared with the world, but they’re a bit more advanced, so we’ll focus on internal ones here.

Why Would You Want an Integration?

Let’s say you have a Notion database for projects that get regular status updates. Instead of manually updating it whenever something changes, an integration can automate that process entirely.

For example, you could use a Python script to add tasks automatically, or use Zapier to sync data between Notion and other apps.

To make this work, you’ll need something called an API key. This key acts as a passcode that lets your other tools communicate with Notion.

Ready to set it up? Let’s go.

Step 1: Creating an Internal Integration

Here’s where it all begins. We’ll create an internal integration, which is private to your workspace.

It’ll give you the API key you need to connect Notion to other tools.

1. Go to the Notion Integrations Portal
   Start by visiting Notion’s Integrations page and log in. This is where you’ll manage all of your integrations.
2. Create a New Integration
   Once you’re there, click on + New Integration. You’ll be asked to assign the integration to a workspace. Pick the workspace you want to use with this integration.
3. Name Your Integration
   Give it a name you’ll remember or the specific function it serves, like “Task Automation”. This is especially useful if you plan to make more than one.
4. Set Permissions
   Since this is for personal use, you don’t need to worry about making it public. Set it up as an internal integration, which keeps things simple.
5. Get Your Secret Key
   After completing the setup, Notion will give you an API key, also called a secret key. This is what you’ll use to connect with Notion’s API. Make sure to copy it and save it somewhere safe; you’ll need it later.

Step 2: Finding Your Database ID

Now that you have your secret key, the next step is connecting your integration to a specific Notion database. To do that, you need to grab the database’s unique ID.

1. Open the Database You Want to Use
   Head over to the Notion database that you want to link with your integration.
2. Copy the Database ID
   Look at the URL in your browser’s address bar. You’ll see a long string of numbers and letters, which is the Database ID. It’s located right before the part of the URL (which refers to the view). Copy that string, as you will need it soon.
   https://www.notion.so/theproductive/[databaseid]?v=123456789abcdefg

Step 3: Connecting Your Integration to the Database

With both your API key and the Database ID in hand, it’s time to officially connect the two. This lets your integration interact with the database.

1. Open the DatabaseNavigate back to the database in Notion.
2. Share the Database with Your IntegrationClick on the Share button in the top-right corner of the database. When you scroll down, you’ll see an option to invite Connections.
3. Select Your IntegrationIn the Connections section, you should see the name of the integration you just created. Click on it to give it access to the database, then hit Invite to finalize the connection.

Step 4: Testing Your Integration

At this point, your integration is set up, connected, and ready to go. The next thing you’ll want to do is test it out.

Depending on what you’re using the integration for, you can either write a script that interacts with the Notion API or use automation tools like Zapier.

For example, if you’re using a Python script, you’ll plug in both your secret key and the Database ID to authenticate the requests and start interacting with your Notion database.

Wrapping It All Up

That’s it! You’ve successfully created a Notion integration and connected it to a database. Now, you’re ready to start automating tasks, syncing data, or building custom flows for anything you can imagine.

Whether you want to use it for personal projects or to build something bigger, this guide gives you the foundation to start experimenting and learning.

Don’t worry if it feels a bit technical at first, it becomes second nature once you’ve done it a couple of times. If you need some help, here are Notion’s official API docs.