Notion + JetBrains AI Assistant: Complete MCP Integration

Notion is a MCP server that Notion's official hosted MCP server providing secure AI tool access to workspace content including pages, databases, and comments through OAuth authentication..

When integrated with JetBrains AI Assistant, you can:

• Search and retrieve live context from Notion workspace based on user access and permissions
• Access and query Notion databases to retrieve structured information
• Read page content and metadata from workspace pages you have access to

This guide provides step-by-step instructions to set up Notion in JetBrains AI Assistant, including configuration, examples, and troubleshooting.

What You'll Achieve

After completing this setup:

• Notion will be fully integrated and operational
• You can use Notion tools directly in JetBrains AI Assistant
• All Notion capabilities will be available for your workflows
• Access to 4 different tools

Prerequisites

Before starting, ensure you have:

• Node.js 18 or higher (for STDIO transport only)
• Active Notion workspace with appropriate access permissions
• MCP client that supports remote servers (HTTP/SSE) or STDIO transport
• Notion account with workspace access
• Supported AI tool with MCP client capabilities
• Permission to connect external applications to workspace
• JetBrains AI Assistant installed and configured
• Compatible operating system (Windows, macOS, Linux)

Installation

Step 1: Install Notion

Install using npm:

npx -y mcp-remote https://mcp.notion.com/mcp

Verify installation:

Connection verified through OAuth flow in your AI tool

Configuration

Step 2: Configure JetBrains AI Assistant

1. Locate your configuration file:

   • Windows: Settings > Tools > AI Assistant > Model Context Protocol (MCP)
   • macOS: Preferences > Tools > AI Assistant > Model Context Protocol (MCP)
   • Linux: Settings > Tools > AI Assistant > Model Context Protocol (MCP)

2. Add server configuration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "notion": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "notion"],
      "env": {
        
      }
    }
  }
}

3. Restart JetBrains AI Assistant

Completely quit and restart JetBrains AI Assistant to load the new configuration.

Examples

Once configured, you can use Notion in JetBrains AI Assistant:

Create Project Documentation

Generate PRDs, tech specs, or architecture docs by pulling context from existing Notion pages

Ask JetBrains AI Assistant: "Create a technical specification for the new authentication system based on our security guidelines in Notion"

Expected Result: AI retrieves security guidelines from Notion workspace and generates comprehensive tech spec

Track Campaign Progress

Monitor and report on campaign status using Notion database data

Ask JetBrains AI Assistant: "Give me a summary of all marketing campaigns in progress with their current metrics"

Expected Result: AI queries the campaigns database and provides formatted progress report

Search Meeting Notes

Find specific information across all meeting notes in workspace

Ask JetBrains AI Assistant: "What decisions did we make about the API redesign in recent meetings?"

Expected Result: AI searches meeting notes and returns relevant decisions with links to source pages

Generate Release Notes

Build release documentation by aggregating information from multiple Notion pages

Ask JetBrains AI Assistant: "Create release notes for version 2.0 using our changelog and feature pages"

Expected Result: AI compiles information from multiple pages into formatted release notes

Task Management

Query and analyze tasks from Notion databases

Ask JetBrains AI Assistant: "Show me all overdue tasks assigned to the engineering team"

Expected Result: AI filters and presents overdue engineering tasks with details and links

Testing Your Setup

1. Start a new conversation in JetBrains AI Assistant
2. Ask JetBrains AI Assistant to list available tools
3. Try using Notion functionality

Test prompts:

• "Type / and look for Notion tools in the command list"
• "Ask AI Assistant to use Notion for a specific task"
• "Check the MCP settings page for connection status indicator"

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

AI Tool Cannot Connect to Notion MCP

Symptoms: Connection timeout or failed errors, Notion MCP not appearing in tool directory, OAuth flow not starting

Cause: AI tool may not support MCP clients or remote MCP connections

Solution:

• Verify your AI tool supports MCP client functionality
• Check if tool supports remote MCP servers (HTTP/SSE transport)
• For tools without remote support, use STDIO with mcp-remote proxy: npx -y mcp-remote https://mcp.notion.com/mcp
• If tool lacks MCP support entirely, request feature from developers

OAuth Connection Fails

Symptoms: Authorization screen does not appear, Cannot complete OAuth flow, Connection succeeds but no workspace access

Cause: OAuth flow interrupted or workspace permissions issue

Solution:

• Use Notion app Settings > Connections > Notion MCP for easiest setup
• Ensure popup blockers are disabled during OAuth
• Check you have appropriate workspace permissions
• Try disconnecting and reconnecting through Notion app

Cannot Access Specific Pages or Databases

Symptoms: Some content returns not found errors, Searches return incomplete results, Database queries fail or return empty

Cause: Content access based on user permissions - AI tool can only see what you can see

Solution:

• Verify you have access to the pages/databases in Notion app
• Check workspace sharing settings for restricted content
• Ensure pages are not in private sections you cannot access
• Contact workspace admin if you need broader access

STDIO Transport Connection Issues

Symptoms: mcp-remote command fails, Connection drops frequently, Slow response times

Cause: STDIO transport requires mcp-remote proxy for hosted Notion MCP

Solution:

• Prefer Streamable HTTP or SSE transport if your tool supports it
• Ensure Node.js and npx are properly installed for STDIO
• Use config: npx -y mcp-remote https://mcp.notion.com/mcp
• Check network connectivity to mcp.notion.com

Tool Does Not Support Remote MCP Servers

Symptoms: Only local/STDIO servers work in tool, HTTP/SSE connections not available, No option to add remote server URL

Cause: Some MCP clients only support local STDIO servers

Solution:

• Use mcp-remote as proxy to convert HTTP to STDIO
• Configuration: command: npx, args: [-y, mcp-remote, https://mcp.notion.com/mcp]
• Alternative: Use open-source notion-mcp-server for local deployment
• Check tool documentation for remote server support roadmap

MCP Server Not Connecting

Symptoms: Server status shows disconnected, Tools not appearing in chat, Connection timeout

Cause: Server configuration incorrect or server not starting

Solution:

• Verify server command is correct and executable
• Check environment variables are set properly
• View MCP logs: Help > Show Log in Explorer > mcp folder
• Test server command in terminal manually

Remote Server Not Supported

Symptoms: HTTP server not connecting, SSE transport errors

Cause: AI Assistant only supports stdio transport for client connections

Solution:

• Use mcp-remote proxy for remote servers
• Configuration: npx -y mcp-remote@latest https://server-url/endpoint
• This wraps HTTP/SSE in stdio transport

Import from Claude Not Working

Symptoms: No servers imported, Configuration empty after import

Cause: Claude Desktop config file not found or in unexpected location

Solution:

• Verify Claude Desktop is installed
• Check config exists at ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json (macOS)
• Or %APPDATA%/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json (Windows)
• Manually copy configuration if auto-import fails

External Client Cannot Connect to IDE Server

Symptoms: Client shows MCP server unavailable, Connection refused

Cause: IDE MCP server not enabled or client not configured

Solution:

• Enable MCP Server in Settings > Tools > MCP Server
• Use Auto-Configure for supported clients
• Restart both IDE and external client
• Check firewall allows local connections

Brave Mode Commands Not Running

Symptoms: Terminal commands require confirmation, Workflow interrupted by prompts

Cause: Brave mode not enabled

Solution:

• Enable in Settings > Tools > MCP Server
• Check "Run shell commands without confirmation (brave mode)"
• Use with caution - commands run without confirmation

Notion not appearing in JetBrains AI Assistant

Symptoms: Server not listed, Tools not available

Cause: Configuration or installation issue

Solution:

• Verify configuration syntax
• Check Notion installation
• Restart JetBrains AI Assistant
• Check logs for error messages

Next Steps

Now that Notion is integrated with JetBrains AI Assistant:

• Explore all Notion capabilities through JetBrains AI Assistant
• Check out other MCP servers that work with JetBrains AI Assistant
• Join the MCP community for tips and support
• Consider contributing to Notion development

Need Help?

• Search for Notion documentation
• Check the JetBrains AI Assistant MCP guide
• Join the MCP community discussions