notion-brain

# Notion Brain Use this skill to make **deliberate Notion saves**, not reflexive ones. The job is fourfold: 1. decide whether the content deserves a durable home in Notion 2. route it to the right page or database 3. shape it into a clean structure before writing 4. push it with the correct Notion MCP call pattern ## Decision gate Write to Notion only if at least one of these is true: - the content will be useful again later - it captures a decision, plan, status, insight, or reusable artifact - it would be annoying or costly to reconstruct - the owner would reasonably expect to find it in their second brain later Do **not** write to Notion when the content is: - trivial, obvious, or disposable - already stored there in equivalent form - better suited only for chat, scratch work, or transient memory - part of a dedicated workflow this skill explicitly excludes When unsure, prefer one of these outcomes: - **Do not save** - **Save a short capture to Inbox DB** - **Save a fully structured page** ## Scope and non-scope In scope: - research summaries - decision memos - project plans and project status - article drafts - security audit reports - financial snapshots - weekly rollups - contact notes - meeting prep - quick captures worth preserving Out of scope: - health database management - property, vehicle, or equipment management - replacing workspace memory or daily logs - auto-pushing everything by default Always write to workspace memory separately when the content also matters for agent continuity. ## Default workflow 1. **Classify the content** Choose the closest content type from `references/page-map.md`. 2. **Choose save depth** - durable artifact or polished note -> structured page under the destination page - uncertain but worth keeping -> Inbox DB capture - existing page needs more detail -> append blocks instead of creating a duplicate 3. **Load the right template** Read `references/templates.md` and use the smallest template that preserves value. 4. **Check for an existing page first** Use Notion search before creating a new page when the topic may already exist. 5. **Write with MCP** Read `references/mcp-commands.md` and use the exact command pattern for: - search - create page in a parent page - create item in Inbox DB - update page metadata - append blocks to an existing page 6. **Keep titles specific** Prefer titles that are searchable and date-aware, for example: - `Research Summary — Microsoft Copilot vs SecureAI — 2026-03-22` - `Decision Memo — Notion Routing Skill` - `Weekly Rollup — 2026-W12` 7. **Avoid junk writes** If the content is weak, incomplete, or duplicated, either tighten it first or do not save it. ## Routing rules Read `references/page-map.md` when deciding destination. Practical defaults: - broad knowledge, synthesis, decisions, audits, rollups, and relationship notes -> **Knowledge Hub** - work execution and meeting support -> **Work Hub** - writing and publishing work -> **Content Hub** - money and finance artifacts -> **Finance Hub** - everything else worth saving but not yet sorted -> **Inbox DB** ## Formatting rules Read `references/templates.md` when preparing the payload. Default formatting standards: - lead with a one-line summary - use short sections, not walls of text - preserve source links, dates, and decisions - include `Next steps` only when action is implied - avoid raw dump formatting unless using Inbox DB for quick capture ## MCP usage Read `references/mcp-commands.md` before writing. Use **native Notion MCP tools** (notion-search, notion-create-pages, notion-update-page, notion-fetch) — not mcporter. Command order: 1. search if collision is possible 2. create or identify target page/database item 3. add content (inline for new pages, append for existing) 4. update page properties only when needed ## Duplicate handling Always search before creating when: - the title contains a person name, project name, or recurring topic - the content type recurs (weekly rollup, project status, financial snapshot) - you are unsure whether the page already exists When a duplicate is found: - rollups and status pages → use `replace_content` to supersede the old version - knowledge pages → use `update_content` to append new findings - captures → skip the write and note the existing page ## Content size limits Notion API constrains each rich text element to ~2000 characters. For content longer than ~1500 words, split into multiple calls. Keep each payload focused; add long sections via follow-up update_content calls. ## Review markers After pushing content to Notion, consider adding a **comment** instead of editing the page body when: - marking that the content was reviewed or verified - flagging something as stale - adding metadata about when/why the page was created Use the Comments API pattern from `references/mcp-commands.md`. ## Setup Before using this skill, replace the placeholder page and database IDs in the reference files with your own Notion IDs. Minimum setup: - `references/page-map.md` — set the destinations you want to use for knowledge, work, content, finance, and inbox capture - `references/mcp-commands.md` — replace every `YOUR_*_ID` placeholder with the matching Notion page or data source ID - optional: rename destination labels to match your workspace, while preserving the routing logic Recommended destination mapping: - **Knowledge Hub** — durable notes, research, decisions, audits, rollups, relationship notes - **Work Hub** — active execution artifacts, meeting prep, project plans, project status - **Content Hub** — drafts, outlines, posts, newsletters, content experiments - **Finance Hub** — durable financial summaries and snapshots - **Inbox DB** — quick captures worth saving before full structuring How to get your IDs: - open the target page or database in Notion - copy the page URL - extract the 32-character page/database identifier from the URL - use the page ID for top-level pages and the data source ID for databases such as Inbox DB Do not ship or publish your private Notion IDs in shared repositories. ## Output expectations When using this skill, return a compact operator-style summary: - **Decision:** save / do not save / save to inbox - **Destination:** exact Notion page or database - **Format:** template used - **Action:** command pattern chosen or write completed - **Memory note:** whether the same content should also be logged to workspace memory ## References - `references/page-map.md` — content type to destination routing - `references/templates.md` — section templates by content type - `references/mcp-commands.md` — exact Notion MCP command patterns with placeholder IDs