How to Connect Notion with Claude AI: Unlocking Your Knowledge Base

how to setup notion mcp server

Hey everyone,

I'm excited to share my latest tutorial that shows you how to connect your Notion workspace directly to Claude AI. If you're like me and use Notion as your second brain, this integration is a game-changer that allows Claude to access and search through your personal knowledge base.

Why Connect Notion to Claude?

As someone who stores ideas, articles, and notes in Notion, I've found it incredibly valuable to give Claude access to this information. Imagine being able to ask:

• "What were my thoughts on that AI paper I saved last month?"

• "Find all my project ideas related to machine learning"

• "Summarize the research I've collected on prompt engineering"

With this integration, Claude becomes not just a general AI assistant, but one that has context on your personal knowledge and can help you leverage it more effectively.

Step-by-Step Setup Guide

I've created a detailed video walkthrough showing exactly how to set this up, but here's a quick overview of the process:

1. Get the Notion MCP Server Configuration

Start by visiting the Notion developers page at developers.notion.com/docs/mcp to get the JSON configuration for the Notion API.

2. Locate Your Claude Desktop Config File

You'll need to find and edit the Claude desktop configuration file. On a Mac, the path is typically:

/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

3. Add the MCP Server Configuration

Add the Notion MCP server definition to your Claude configuration file. The basic structure looks like this:

json

{
  "mcpservers": {
    "notionApi": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@notionhq/notion-mcp-server"
      ],
      "env": {
        "OPENAI_MCP_HEADERS": {
          "Authorization": "Bearer ntn_****",
          "Notion-Version": "2022-06-28"
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

4. Create a Notion Integration

Create a new integration in your Notion account:

• Go to notion.so/profile/integrations

• Click "Create new integration"

• Name it something recognizable like "Claude MCP"

• Select "Internal integration" type

• Save and copy your "Internal Integration Secret"

5. Add Your Secret Key

Replace the placeholder ntn_**** in your Claude config file with your actual Notion integration secret.

6. Connect Your Integration to Notion

• In your Notion workspace, click the three dots (⋮) in the upper right

• Search for "Connections"

• Find and add your new integration

• Select which pages/databases you want Claude to access

7. Test Your Connection

• Restart Claude

• Look for the "notionApi" option in Claude's tools menu

• Start asking questions about your Notion content!

What You Can Do With This Integration

Once set up, Claude can:

• Search through your Notion database using specific queries

• Retrieve and analyze content from your pages

• Update properties in your databases

• Create new pages and content

• Comment on existing pages

In my video, I demonstrate how Claude can search through my content backlog to find ideas related to AI agents. It's like having a research assistant who has read all your notes!

Troubleshooting Tips

If you run into issues:

• Double-check your integration secret

• Make sure you've connected the integration to the correct Notion pages

• Verify your JSON syntax in the config file

• Restart Claude completely after making changes

What's Next?

This integration opens up so many possibilities for personal knowledge management. I'm currently exploring ways to use this to:

• Automatically organize my research

• Generate content outlines based on my saved notes

• Create connections between ideas I hadn't considered

I'd love to hear how you're using this integration! Drop a comment below sharing your use cases or any questions you have.

If you found this helpful, check out my YouTube channel for more tutorials on AI tools and integrations.

Happy connecting!

Johannes