notion-local-ops-mcp
Enables exposing the MCP server via Cloudflare Tunnel for secure remote access to local operations through Notion.
Provides integration with Notion AI, enabling local file operations, shell command execution, and task delegation through Notion's custom agent interface.
Click on "Install Server".
Wait a few minutes for the server to deploy. Once ready, it will show a "Started" state.
In the chat, type
@followed by the MCP server name and your instructions, e.g., "@notion-local-ops-mcpsearch for TODO comments in my project files"
That's it! The server will respond to your query, and you can continue using it as needed.
Here is a step-by-step guide with screenshots.
notion-local-ops-mcp
Turn a Notion MCP Agent into a local coding agent for local files, shell, git, and delegated tasks.

What This Project Does
exposes local files, shell, git, and patch-style editing through MCP
lets an MCP Agent work on a real local repo instead of only editing Notion pages
supports delegated long-running tasks through local
codexorclaude
Quick Start
git clone https://github.com/<your-account>/notion-local-ops-mcp.git
cd notion-local-ops-mcp
cp .env.example .env
./scripts/dev-tunnel.shSet at least:
NOTION_LOCAL_OPS_WORKSPACE_ROOT="/absolute/path/to/workspace"
NOTION_LOCAL_OPS_AUTH_TOKEN="replace-me"Important MCP Agent Configuration
Use this in your MCP Agent configuration inside Notion:
URL:
https://<your-domain-or-tunnel>/mcpAuth type:
BearerToken:
NOTION_LOCAL_OPS_AUTH_TOKEN
ChatGPT Web OAuth
ChatGPT web developer mode expects an HTTPS MCP endpoint and can connect with OAuth. This project implements a minimal OAuth compatibility mode for local use: dynamic client registration, PKCE authorization code flow, protected resource metadata, and bearer access tokens. It does not implement a full user account system or ChatGPT iframe UI widgets.
Enable OAuth mode in .env:
NOTION_LOCAL_OPS_AUTH_MODE=oauth
NOTION_LOCAL_OPS_PUBLIC_BASE_URL="https://<your-domain-or-tunnel>"
NOTION_LOCAL_OPS_AUTH_TOKEN="replace-me"
# Optional: use a separate login token for the OAuth authorization page.
# NOTION_LOCAL_OPS_OAUTH_LOGIN_TOKEN="replace-me"Then restart the service. For launchd-managed installs, reinstall or restart so the generated plist receives the new env values:
./scripts/install-launchd.shCreate the ChatGPT app/connector with:
MCP server URL:
https://<your-domain-or-tunnel>/mcpAuthentication:
OAuthClient registration: dynamic registration, if ChatGPT offers the choice
When ChatGPT opens the authorization page, enter NOTION_LOCAL_OPS_AUTH_TOKEN
unless NOTION_LOCAL_OPS_OAUTH_LOGIN_TOKEN is set.
Smoke-test the public OAuth surface before adding it to ChatGPT:
curl -sS https://<your-domain-or-tunnel>/.well-known/oauth-protected-resource/mcp
curl -sS https://<your-domain-or-tunnel>/.well-known/oauth-authorization-server
curl -i https://<your-domain-or-tunnel>/mcpThe first two commands should return JSON metadata. The /mcp request without
credentials should return 401 with a WWW-Authenticate header containing
resource_metadata.
OAuth security notes
Always set
NOTION_LOCAL_OPS_PUBLIC_BASE_URLin OAuth mode. Without it the issuer URL falls back to the requestHostheader, which a tunnel attacker can spoof to steer OAuth metadata at a phishing host. The server prints a startup warning when this happens.Prefer a dedicated
NOTION_LOCAL_OPS_OAUTH_LOGIN_TOKEN. If it falls back toAUTH_TOKEN, anyone who briefly seesAUTH_TOKENcan mint a long-TTL OAuth access token (default 24h) that survives a token rotation. After rotatingAUTH_TOKEN, also clear thetokensmap in<STATE_DIR>/oauth.jsonto invalidate any minted access tokens.oauth.jsonand theSTATE_DIRtask tree are written with0o600/0o700permissions so other local users cannot read minted tokens or task logs. Existing files created before this change should bechmod'd manually (chmod 600 ~/.notion-local-ops-mcp/oauth.json).
Use the prompt below for the MCP Agent. It is not for the Notion AI instruction page.
You are a pragmatic local operations agent connected to my computer through MCP.
Goals:
- Complete file, code, shell, and task workflows end-to-end with minimal interruption.
- Act more like a coding agent than a chat assistant.
- Stay concise, direct, and outcome-focused.
Disambiguation rules:
- If the context contains local repo paths, filenames, code extensions, README, AGENTS.md, CLAUDE.md, or .cursorrules, treat "document", "file", "notes", "instructions", and "docs" as local files unless the user explicitly says Notion page, wiki, or workspace page.
- If the user asks to edit AGENTS.md, CLAUDE.md, README, or project instructions inside the repo, edit the local file. Do not switch into self-configuration or setup behavior unless the user explicitly says to change the agent itself.
- For local file edits, do not use <edit_reference>. That is for Notion page editing, not MCP file changes.
- When answering code questions, prefer file paths, line references, function names, command output, or git diff over Notion-style citation footnotes.
Working style:
- First restate the goal in one sentence.
- Default to the current workspace root unless the target path is genuinely ambiguous.
- For non-trivial tasks, give a short plan and keep progress updated.
- Prefer direct tools first. Use delegate_task only when direct tools are not enough.
- Keep moving forward instead of asking for information that can be discovered via tools.
- If the user says fix, change, implement, deploy, update, or similar imperative requests, execute directly instead of stopping after analysis.
- If information is missing, probe with tools first. Use ask-survey only when tool probing still cannot resolve a decision and the next step is destructive or high-risk.
Tool strategy:
- list_skills: use when the user asks what skills are available in this repo or globally.
- server_info: call first when troubleshooting connection/runtime mismatches.
- set_default_cwd / get_default_cwd: set once for repeated repo operations instead of passing cwd every time.
- In coding tasks, search the local repo first. Do not default to searching the Notion workspace.
- apply_patch: use this as the default edit tool for existing files, including small edits, multi-hunk edits, moves, deletes, or adds in one patch. Each @@ hunk must include at least one '+' or '-' line and must match exactly one location in the file. Use dry_run=true, validate_only=true, or return_diff=true when you want validation or a preview before writing.
- write_file: create new files or rewrite short files when that is simpler than patching; use dry_run=true for no-write preview.
- run_command_stream: start long-running shell jobs with immediate task_id return for polling progress. Prefer it for tests, installs, builds, compile steps, and other jobs that may take a while.
- get_task / wait_task: check delegated task or background command status; prefer wait_task when blocking is useful.
- run_command: proactively use for short non-destructive commands such as pwd, ls, rg, or small smoke checks.
- search: canonical query tool. mode='glob' for path discovery, mode='regex' for regex/code search, mode='text' for literal substring search. Hidden entries and .gitignore'd paths are excluded by default; regex/text search can target a single file path directly.
- list_files: inspect directory structure only when structure matters; paginate with limit and offset when needed.
- read_text: canonical single/batch file reader with line-based pagination; set include_line_numbers=true when the result will be cited or reviewed line-by-line.
- git_status / git_diff / git_commit / git_log / git_show / git_blame: use these as the default repository workflow and traceability tools only when the current cwd is actually inside a git repo.
- delegate_task: use only for complex multi-file reasoning, long-running fallback execution, or repeated failed attempts with direct tools by local codex or claude-code. For non-trivial work, pass goal, acceptance_criteria, verification_commands, and commit_mode.
- cancel_task: stop a delegated task if needed.
- purge_tasks: garbage-collect stale task artifacts under STATE_DIR/tasks (dry_run first).
Execution rules:
- When exploring a codebase, prefer search(mode='glob' or 'regex') over broad list_files calls.
- Follow the loop: probe, edit, verify, summarize.
- Do the minimum necessary read/explore work before editing.
- After each edit, re-read the changed section or run a minimal verification command when useful.
- Prefer apply_patch for edits to existing files; reserve write_file for new files or full rewrites.
- Do not issue parallel writes to the same file.
- After a logically meaningful change, inspect git_status and git_diff, then create a small focused commit instead of waiting until the end.
- Use focused commits. Do not mix unrelated changes in one commit.
- Use clear commit messages, preferably conventional commit style such as fix, feat, docs, test, refactor, or chore.
- For destructive actions such as deleting files, resetting changes, or dangerous shell commands, ask first.
- If a command or delegated task fails, summarize the root cause and adjust the approach instead of retrying blindly.
Verification rules:
- After code changes, prefer this minimum verification ladder when applicable:
- 1. Syntax or compile check such as cargo check, tsc --noEmit, python -m py_compile, or equivalent.
- 2. Focused tests for the changed area, or the nearest relevant test target.
- 3. Smoke test for the changed behavior, such as starting a service or running curl against the affected endpoint.
- Do not skip verification unless the user explicitly says not to run it.
Output style:
- Before tool use, briefly say what you are about to do.
- During longer tasks, send short progress updates.
- At the end, summarize result, verification, and any remaining risk or next step.Optional Use Case
If you also want the Notion AI instruction page + project-management workflow, see:
Requirements
Python 3.11+
FastMCP 3.x (
fastmcp>=3.2.4,<4, installed frompyproject.toml)cloudflaredA Notion workspace where you can configure an MCP Agent with custom MCP support
Optional:
codexCLIOptional:
claudeCLI
Detailed Setup
If you prefer the full step-by-step setup, follow this path:
git clone https://github.com/<your-account>/notion-local-ops-mcp.git
cd notion-local-ops-mcp
cp .env.example .envEdit .env and set at least:
NOTION_LOCAL_OPS_WORKSPACE_ROOT="/absolute/path/to/workspace"
NOTION_LOCAL_OPS_AUTH_TOKEN="replace-me"Then run:
./scripts/dev-tunnel.shWhat you should expect:
the script creates or reuses
.venvthe script installs missing or incompatible Python dependencies automatically
the script starts the local MCP server on
http://127.0.0.1:8766/mcpthrough a rolling-reload supervisorthe script prints a
./scripts/dev-tunnel.sh reloadcommand so you can restart the local server without dropping the tunnelthe script prefers
cloudflared.local.ymlfor a named tunnelotherwise it falls back to a
cloudflaredquick tunnel and prints a public HTTPS URL
Use the printed tunnel URL with /mcp appended in Notion, and use NOTION_LOCAL_OPS_AUTH_TOKEN as the Bearer token.
Manual Install
git clone https://github.com/<your-account>/notion-local-ops-mcp.git
cd notion-local-ops-mcp
python3.11 -m venv .venv
source .venv/bin/activate
pip install -e ".[dev]"Configure
If you are not using the one-command flow, copy .env.example to .env and set at least:
cp .env.example .env
NOTION_LOCAL_OPS_WORKSPACE_ROOT="/absolute/path/to/workspace"
NOTION_LOCAL_OPS_AUTH_TOKEN="replace-me"Optional:
NOTION_LOCAL_OPS_CODEX_COMMAND="codex"
NOTION_LOCAL_OPS_CLAUDE_COMMAND="claude"
NOTION_LOCAL_OPS_COMMAND_TIMEOUT="120"
NOTION_LOCAL_OPS_DELEGATE_TIMEOUT="1800"
NOTION_LOCAL_OPS_GRACEFUL_SHUTDOWN_SECONDS="30"
NOTION_LOCAL_OPS_LAUNCHD_LABEL_PREFIX="com.notion-local-ops"Manual Start
source .venv/bin/activate
notion-local-ops-mcpLocal endpoint:
http://127.0.0.1:8766/mcpOne-Command Local Dev Tunnel
Recommended local workflow:
./scripts/dev-tunnel.shWhat it does:
reuses or creates
.venvinstalls missing runtime dependencies
loads
.envfrom the repo root if presentstarts
notion-local-ops-mcpbehind a rolling-reload supervisorkeeps the public tunnel stable while
./scripts/dev-tunnel.sh reloadswaps in a fresh server processprefers
cloudflared.local.ymlorcloudflared.local.yamlif presentotherwise opens a
cloudflaredquick tunnel to your local server
Notes:
.envis gitignored, so your local token and workspace path stay out of gitcloudflared.local.ymlis gitignored, so your local named tunnel config stays out of gitif
NOTION_LOCAL_OPS_WORKSPACE_ROOTis unset, the script defaults it to the repo rootif
NOTION_LOCAL_OPS_AUTH_TOKENis unset, the script exits with an error instead of guessing./scripts/dev-tunnel.sh reloadsendsSIGHUPto the supervisor and rolls the server process without dropping the public/mcpendpointfor a fresh clone, you do not need to run
pip installmanually before using this script
Rolling Reload Without Dropping The Tunnel
Once ./scripts/dev-tunnel.sh is already running in one terminal or tmux pane, use this from another shell:
./scripts/dev-tunnel.sh reloadThis keeps cloudflared attached to the same local port while the supervisor starts a fresh MCP server process, waits for readiness, and then drains the old one. It is the recommended way to pick up code changes without causing transient 502 responses to Notion.
Persistent macOS launchd install
Use this when the MCP server should stay up even if your shell or tmux pane dies:
./scripts/install-launchd.shWhat gets installed:
one LaunchAgent for the local MCP supervisor
one LaunchAgent for
cloudflared tunnel runone timer-style LaunchAgent that runs
launchd-doctor.sh --fixeveryNOTION_LOCAL_OPS_WATCHDOG_INTERVAL_SECONDSsecondsautomatic restart via
launchdKeepAlivewhen either process exitshealth-based restart when local
/mcpor public/mcpstays unreachable forNOTION_LOCAL_OPS_DOCTOR_FAILURE_THRESHOLDchecksexponential restart backoff starting at
NOTION_LOCAL_OPS_DOCTOR_BASE_BACKOFF_SECONDSand capped byNOTION_LOCAL_OPS_DOCTOR_MAX_BACKOFF_SECONDS
Useful commands after install:
./scripts/launchd-status.sh
./scripts/launchd-doctor.sh # diagnose local vs public /mcp
./scripts/launchd-doctor.sh --fix # restart only the failed layer
./scripts/launchd-reload.sh # code-only rolling reload via HUP
./scripts/launchd-restart.sh mcp # full MCP restart after dependency/env changes
./scripts/launchd-restart.sh all # restart MCP + cloudflared
./scripts/uninstall-launchd.shUpdate workflow:
Python/code-only changes:
./scripts/launchd-reload.shdependency /
.venv/ env changes: rerun./scripts/install-launchd.shwhen the rendered plist or dependency constraints may be stale, otherwise use./scripts/launchd-restart.sh mcptunnel config changes:
./scripts/launchd-restart.sh cloudflaredwatchdog interval changes: set
NOTION_LOCAL_OPS_WATCHDOG_INTERVAL_SECONDSand rerun./scripts/install-launchd.shdoctor/backoff changes: set
NOTION_LOCAL_OPS_DOCTOR_FAILURE_THRESHOLD,NOTION_LOCAL_OPS_DOCTOR_BASE_BACKOFF_SECONDS, orNOTION_LOCAL_OPS_DOCTOR_MAX_BACKOFF_SECONDS, then rerun./scripts/install-launchd.sh
Expose With cloudflared
Quick tunnel
cloudflared tunnel --url http://127.0.0.1:8766Use the generated HTTPS URL with /mcp.
Named tunnel
Copy cloudflared-example.yml to cloudflared.local.yml, fill in your real values, then run:
cp cloudflared-example.yml cloudflared.local.yml
./scripts/dev-tunnel.shOr run cloudflared manually:
cloudflared tunnel --config ./cloudflared-example.yml run <your-tunnel-name>Environment Variables
Variable | Required | Default |
| no |
|
| no |
|
| yes | home directory |
| no |
|
| no | empty |
| no |
|
| required for OAuth | empty |
| no | falls back to |
| no |
|
| no |
|
| no | empty |
| no | empty |
| no |
|
| no |
|
| no |
|
| no |
|
| no |
|
| no |
|
| no |
|
MCP Tools
list_files: list files and directories with pagination; excludes hidden/junk dirs and respects.gitignoreby defaultlist_skills: discover project and global skills with name and description summariessearch: canonical query tool that unifies glob path search, regex grep, and literal substring search; excludes hidden and.gitignored paths by default and supports regex/text search against a single file pathread_text: canonical single/batch reader with line-based pagination (start_line/line_limit), optionalinclude_line_numbers, andlanguagehintwrite_file: write full file content, supportsdry_runapply_patch: default edit tool for existing files; uses*** Begin Patch/*** Update Filesyntax, rejects pure-context hunks, requires unique context matches, and returns per-file change stats/warningsserver_info: inspect runtime config and the registered MCP tool listset_default_cwd: set session default working directory for subsequent callsget_default_cwd: inspect current session/effective working directorygit_status: structured repository status (use when cwd is inside a git repo)git_diff: structured diff output grouped by file with per-file truncationgit_commit: stage selected paths or all changes and create a commit (amend/allow_empty/author/sign_off/dry_run)git_log: recent commit historygit_show: inspect metadata and per-file diff for a commit/refgit_blame: line-level blame metadata for a file/rangerun_command: run local shell commands, optionally in backgroundrun_command_stream: start a background shell job and poll output by task id; this is the preferred route for long tests/builds/installsdelegate_task: send a task to localcodexorclaude-code, with optionalgoal,acceptance_criteria,verification_commands, andcommit_modeget_task: read task status and output tailwait_task: block until a delegated or background shell task completes or times outcancel_task: stop a delegated or background shell taskpurge_tasks: clean old task artifacts fromSTATE_DIR/taskswith dry-run support
Debugging Notion / MCP handshake issues
If a client appears connected but hangs during initialize, tools/list, or tool calls, enable verbose MCP request logging:
NOTION_LOCAL_OPS_DEBUG_MCP_LOGGING=1 ./scripts/dev-tunnel.shWhen enabled, the server log includes MCP_DEBUG lines with:
HTTP method and path
session id hint
JSON-RPC method
tool name for
tools/calltruncated
argumentssummary fortools/callresponse status and duration
Verify
source .venv/bin/activate
pytest -q
python -m compileall src testsLocal MCP call simulation tests
Use these to simulate real MCP client/server flows locally (initialize + call_tool + wait_task):
source .venv/bin/activate
pytest -q tests/test_server_transport.py tests/test_concurrent_clients.py tests/test_mcp_local_simulation.pyTroubleshooting
Notion says it cannot connect
Check the URL ends with
/mcpCheck the auth type is
BearerCheck the token matches
NOTION_LOCAL_OPS_AUTH_TOKENCheck
cloudflaredis still runningIf you installed the macOS LaunchAgents, start with
./scripts/launchd-status.shIf you are updating the server while users are connected, prefer
./scripts/dev-tunnel.sh reloador./scripts/launchd-reload.shover killing the whole tunnel session
MCP endpoint works locally but not over tunnel
Retry with a named tunnel instead of a quick tunnel
Confirm a real MCP client can list tools from
/mcp, for example:
source .venv/bin/activate
fastmcp list http://127.0.0.1:8766/mcpNotion saw a temporary 502 while you were restarting
A Cloudflare 502 during restart usually means the origin was briefly unavailable, not that Cloudflare blocked the request
If this happened while you manually killed the tmux pane, switch to
./scripts/dev-tunnel.sh reloadso the supervisor overlaps the new server with the old oneCheck the newest
notion-local-ops-mcp-server.*.logfile to confirm the replacement process reached readiness before the old one drained
Logs show repeated 404s
If the 404 is for
GET /, the configured URL likely missed the/mcpsuffixIf the 404/405 happens while using
/mcp, upgrade to a build that serves streamable HTTP on/mcp
delegate_task fails
Check
codex --helpCheck
claude --helpSet
NOTION_LOCAL_OPS_CODEX_COMMANDorNOTION_LOCAL_OPS_CLAUDE_COMMANDif needed
This server cannot be installed
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