Notion + mcp-use: 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 mcp-use, 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 mcp-use, 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 mcp-use
• 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
• mcp-use installed and configured
• Compatible operating system (Python 3.8+, Node.js 16+, pip Installation, npm/yarn Installation)

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 mcp-use

1. Open mcp-use settings
2. Navigate to MCP server configuration
3. Add Notion server with appropriate settings
4. Save and restart if needed

Examples

Once configured, you can use Notion in mcp-use:

Create Project Documentation

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

Ask mcp-use: "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 mcp-use: "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 mcp-use: "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 mcp-use: "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 mcp-use: "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. Launch mcp-use
2. Verify Notion is available in the tools list
3. Test basic Notion functionality

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

Connection Refused or Server Unreachable

Symptoms: ECONNREFUSED error, Connection timeout, Cannot reach server

Cause: MCP server not running or incorrect URL

Solution:

• Verify MCP server is running and accessible
• Check server URL is correct (protocol, host, port, path)
• Test server URL in browser or with curl to confirm it responds
• Ensure firewall allows connections to server port
• Verify CORS settings if accessing from browser

Import Errors or Module Not Found

Symptoms: ModuleNotFoundError: mcp_use, Cannot find module "mcp-use"

Cause: Package not installed or wrong environment

Solution:

• Verify installation: pip show mcp-use (Python) or npm list mcp-use (JS)
• Ensure using correct Python virtual environment or Node.js project
• Reinstall package: pip install --upgrade mcp-use or npm install mcp-use
• Check package.json or requirements.txt includes mcp-use

Tool Discovery Returns Empty List

Symptoms: list_tools() returns [], No tools available, Tools not found

Cause: MCP server not properly configured or not exposing tools

Solution:

• Verify MCP server is properly initialized and configured
• Check server logs to confirm tools are registered
• Test server directly with MCP inspector or test client
• Ensure server implements MCP protocol correctly
• Verify transport type (HTTP/SSE) matches server configuration

Tool Execution Fails or Returns Errors

Symptoms: Tool call throws exception, Invalid arguments error, Execution timeout

Cause: Incorrect arguments or server-side execution failure

Solution:

• Verify tool arguments match schema definition from list_tools()
• Check required arguments are provided with correct types
• Review server logs for detailed error messages
• Test tool with minimal valid arguments first
• Increase timeout if tool requires longer execution time

LangChain.js Integration Not Working

Symptoms: getLangChainTools() fails, Tools not recognized by agent, Type errors

Cause: Version mismatch or incorrect integration setup

Solution:

• Ensure LangChain.js version is compatible with mcp-use
• Verify TypeScript version meets requirements
• Check tool schema conversion is working correctly
• Use latest versions of both mcp-use and LangChain.js
• Review LangChain.js documentation for agent setup

Transport Type Errors (HTTP vs SSE)

Symptoms: SSE connection fails, HTTP polling not working, Event stream errors

Cause: Mismatch between client transport and server capabilities

Solution:

• Verify server supports the transport type you are using
• Try alternative transport: switch between "http" and "sse"
• Check server documentation for supported transport types
• For SSE, ensure server sends proper Content-Type: text/event-stream
• For HTTP, verify server accepts POST requests with JSON payload

Notion not appearing in mcp-use

Symptoms: Server not listed, Tools not available

Cause: Configuration or installation issue

Solution:

• Verify configuration syntax
• Check Notion installation
• Restart mcp-use
• Check logs for error messages

Next Steps

Now that Notion is integrated with mcp-use:

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

Need Help?

• Search for Notion documentation
• Check the mcp-use MCP guide
• Join the MCP community discussions