Notion MCP Server

Instructions

Implementation Reference

• src/openapi-mcp-server/mcp/proxy.ts:77-119 (handler)

  The MCP tool call handler that executes the logic for 'API-retrieve-a-database' and all other generated tools. It resolves the tool name to the corresponding OpenAPI operation and proxies the request via HttpClient.

  // Handle tool calling
  this.server.setRequestHandler(CallToolRequestSchema, async (request) => {
    const { name, arguments: params } = request.params
  
    // Find the operation in OpenAPI spec
    const operation = this.findOperation(name)
    if (!operation) {
      throw new Error(`Method ${name} not found`)
    }
  
    try {
      // Execute the operation
      const response = await this.httpClient.executeOperation(operation, params)
  
      // Convert response to MCP format
      return {
        content: [
          {
            type: 'text', // currently this is the only type that seems to be used by mcp server
            text: JSON.stringify(response.data), // TODO: pass through the http status code text?
          },
        ],
      }
    } catch (error) {
      console.error('Error in tool call', error)
      if (error instanceof HttpClientError) {
        console.error('HttpClientError encountered, returning structured error', error)
        const data = error.data?.response?.data ?? error.data ?? {}
        return {
          content: [
            {
              type: 'text',
              text: JSON.stringify({
                status: 'error', // TODO: get this from http status code?
                ...(typeof data === 'object' ? data : { data: data }),
              }),
            },
          ],
        }
      }
      throw error
    }
  })

• src/openapi-mcp-server/mcp/proxy.ts:58-75 (registration)

  Registers and lists all MCP tools dynamically, constructing names like 'API-retrieve-a-database' from OpenAPI operations.

  this.server.setRequestHandler(ListToolsRequestSchema, async () => {
    const tools: Tool[] = []
  
    // Add methods as separate tools to match the MCP format
    Object.entries(this.tools).forEach(([toolName, def]) => {
      def.methods.forEach(method => {
        const toolNameWithMethod = `${toolName}-${method.name}`;
        const truncatedToolName = this.truncateToolName(toolNameWithMethod);
        tools.push({
          name: truncatedToolName,
          description: method.description,
          inputSchema: method.inputSchema as Tool['inputSchema'],
        })
      })
    })
  
    return { tools }
  })

• src/openapi-mcp-server/openapi/parser.ts:362-475 (schema)

  Generates the input schema and other metadata for each tool method (e.g., 'retrieve-a-database') from the OpenAPI operation definition, including parameters and request body.

  private convertOperationToMCPMethod(operation: OpenAPIV3.OperationObject, method: string, path: string): NewToolMethod | null {
    if (!operation.operationId) {
      console.warn(`Operation without operationId at ${method} ${path}`)
      return null
    }
  
    const methodName = operation.operationId
  
    const inputSchema: IJsonSchema & { type: 'object' } = {
      $defs: this.convertComponentsToJsonSchema(),
      type: 'object',
      properties: {},
      required: [],
    }
  
    // Handle parameters (path, query, header, cookie)
    if (operation.parameters) {
      for (const param of operation.parameters) {
        const paramObj = this.resolveParameter(param)
        if (paramObj && paramObj.schema) {
          const schema = this.convertOpenApiSchemaToJsonSchema(paramObj.schema, new Set(), false)
          // Merge parameter-level description if available
          if (paramObj.description) {
            schema.description = paramObj.description
          }
          inputSchema.properties![paramObj.name] = schema
          if (paramObj.required) {
            inputSchema.required!.push(paramObj.name)
          }
        }
      }
    }
  
    // Handle requestBody
    if (operation.requestBody) {
      const bodyObj = this.resolveRequestBody(operation.requestBody)
      if (bodyObj?.content) {
        // Handle multipart/form-data for file uploads
        // We convert the multipart/form-data schema to a JSON schema and we require
        // that the user passes in a string for each file that points to the local file
        if (bodyObj.content['multipart/form-data']?.schema) {
          const formSchema = this.convertOpenApiSchemaToJsonSchema(bodyObj.content['multipart/form-data'].schema, new Set(), false)
          if (formSchema.type === 'object' && formSchema.properties) {
            for (const [name, propSchema] of Object.entries(formSchema.properties)) {
              inputSchema.properties![name] = propSchema
            }
            if (formSchema.required) {
              inputSchema.required!.push(...formSchema.required!)
            }
          }
        }
        // Handle application/json
        else if (bodyObj.content['application/json']?.schema) {
          const bodySchema = this.convertOpenApiSchemaToJsonSchema(bodyObj.content['application/json'].schema, new Set(), false)
          // Merge body schema into the inputSchema's properties
          if (bodySchema.type === 'object' && bodySchema.properties) {
            for (const [name, propSchema] of Object.entries(bodySchema.properties)) {
              inputSchema.properties![name] = propSchema
            }
            if (bodySchema.required) {
              inputSchema.required!.push(...bodySchema.required!)
            }
          } else {
            // If the request body is not an object, just put it under "body"
            inputSchema.properties!['body'] = bodySchema
            inputSchema.required!.push('body')
          }
        }
      }
    }
  
    // Build description including error responses
    let description = operation.summary || operation.description || ''
    if (operation.responses) {
      const errorResponses = Object.entries(operation.responses)
        .filter(([code]) => code.startsWith('4') || code.startsWith('5'))
        .map(([code, response]) => {
          const responseObj = this.resolveResponse(response)
          let errorDesc = responseObj?.description || ''
          return `${code}: ${errorDesc}`
        })
  
      if (errorResponses.length > 0) {
        description += '\nError Responses:\n' + errorResponses.join('\n')
      }
    }
  
    // Extract return type (response schema)
    const returnSchema = this.extractResponseType(operation.responses)
  
    // Generate Zod schema from input schema
    try {
      // const zodSchemaStr = jsonSchemaToZod(inputSchema, { module: "cjs" })
      // console.log(zodSchemaStr)
      // // Execute the function with the zod instance
      // const zodSchema = eval(zodSchemaStr) as z.ZodType
  
      return {
        name: methodName,
        description,
        inputSchema,
        ...(returnSchema ? { returnSchema } : {}),
      }
    } catch (error) {
      console.warn(`Failed to generate Zod schema for ${methodName}:`, error)
      // Fallback to a basic object schema
      return {
        name: methodName,
        description,
        inputSchema,
        ...(returnSchema ? { returnSchema } : {}),
      }
    }
  }

• src/openapi-mcp-server/openapi/parser.ts:166-197 (registration)

  Core function that parses the OpenAPI spec and generates MCP tool definitions under 'API', mapping each operationId (e.g., 'retrieve-a-database') to a tool method.

  convertToMCPTools(): {
    tools: Record<string, { methods: NewToolMethod[] }>
    openApiLookup: Record<string, OpenAPIV3.OperationObject & { method: string; path: string }>
    zip: Record<string, { openApi: OpenAPIV3.OperationObject & { method: string; path: string }; mcp: NewToolMethod }>
  } {
    const apiName = 'API'
  
    const openApiLookup: Record<string, OpenAPIV3.OperationObject & { method: string; path: string }> = {}
    const tools: Record<string, { methods: NewToolMethod[] }> = {
      [apiName]: { methods: [] },
    }
    const zip: Record<string, { openApi: OpenAPIV3.OperationObject & { method: string; path: string }; mcp: NewToolMethod }> = {}
    for (const [path, pathItem] of Object.entries(this.openApiSpec.paths || {})) {
      if (!pathItem) continue
  
      for (const [method, operation] of Object.entries(pathItem)) {
        if (!this.isOperation(method, operation)) continue
  
        const mcpMethod = this.convertOperationToMCPMethod(operation, method, path)
        if (mcpMethod) {
          const uniqueName = this.ensureUniqueName(mcpMethod.name)
          mcpMethod.name = uniqueName
          mcpMethod.description = this.getDescription(operation.summary || operation.description || '')
          tools[apiName]!.methods.push(mcpMethod)
          openApiLookup[apiName + '-' + uniqueName] = { ...operation, method, path }
          zip[apiName + '-' + uniqueName] = { openApi: { ...operation, method, path }, mcp: mcpMethod }
        }
      }
    }
  
    return { tools, openApiLookup, zip }
  }

• src/openapi-mcp-server/client/http-client.ts:104-190 (handler)

  Executes the HTTP request for the specific OpenAPI operation corresponding to the tool 'API-retrieve-a-database' using dynamically generated client from openapi-client-axios.

  async executeOperation<T = any>(
    operation: OpenAPIV3.OperationObject & { method: string; path: string },
    params: Record<string, any> = {},
  ): Promise<HttpClientResponse<T>> {
    const api = await this.api
    const operationId = operation.operationId
    if (!operationId) {
      throw new Error('Operation ID is required')
    }
  
    // Handle file uploads if present
    const formData = await this.prepareFileUpload(operation, params)
  
    // Separate parameters based on their location
    const urlParameters: Record<string, any> = {}
    const bodyParams: Record<string, any> = formData || { ...params }
  
    // Extract path and query parameters based on operation definition
    if (operation.parameters) {
      for (const param of operation.parameters) {
        if ('name' in param && param.name && param.in) {
          if (param.in === 'path' || param.in === 'query') {
            if (params[param.name] !== undefined) {
              urlParameters[param.name] = params[param.name]
              if (!formData) {
                delete bodyParams[param.name]
              }
            }
          }
        }
      }
    }
  
    // Add all parameters as url parameters if there is no requestBody defined
    if (!operation.requestBody && !formData) {
      for (const key in bodyParams) {
        if (bodyParams[key] !== undefined) {
          urlParameters[key] = bodyParams[key]
          delete bodyParams[key]
        }
      }
    }
  
    const operationFn = (api as any)[operationId]
    if (!operationFn) {
      throw new Error(`Operation ${operationId} not found`)
    }
  
    try {
      // If we have form data, we need to set the correct headers
      const hasBody = Object.keys(bodyParams).length > 0
      const headers = formData
        ? formData.getHeaders()
        : { ...(hasBody ? { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' } : { 'Content-Type': null }) }
      const requestConfig = {
        headers: {
          ...headers,
        },
      }
  
      // first argument is url parameters, second is body parameters
      const response = await operationFn(urlParameters, hasBody ? bodyParams : undefined, requestConfig)
  
      // Convert axios headers to Headers object
      const responseHeaders = new Headers()
      Object.entries(response.headers).forEach(([key, value]) => {
        if (value) responseHeaders.append(key, value.toString())
      })
  
      return {
        data: response.data,
        status: response.status,
        headers: responseHeaders,
      }
    } catch (error: any) {
      if (error.response) {
        console.error('Error in http client', error)
        const headers = new Headers()
        Object.entries(error.response.headers).forEach(([key, value]) => {
          if (value) headers.append(key, value.toString())
        })
  
        throw new HttpClientError(error.response.statusText || 'Request failed', error.response.status, error.response.data, headers)
      }
      throw error
    }
  }