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Notion MCP Server

by gendosu

API-retrieve-a-page

Retrieve specific Notion page data by providing a page ID and optional property filters. This tool enables AI agents to access and interact with Notion workspace content efficiently, tailored for targeted queries.

Instructions

Notion | Retrieve a page

Input Schema

TableJSON Schema
NameRequiredDescriptionDefault
filter_propertiesNoA list of page property value IDs associated with the page. Use this param to limit the response to a specific page property value or values. To retrieve multiple properties, specify each page property ID. For example: `?filter_properties=iAk8&filter_properties=b7dh`.
page_idYesIdentifier for a Notion page

Implementation Reference

  • The MCP callTool handler that executes the logic for all tools, including "API-retrieve-a-page". It resolves the tool name to an OpenAPI operation and invokes the HTTP client.
    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
      }
    })
  • Registers the listTools request handler, which dynamically generates the list of available tools with names like "API-{operationId}" (e.g., "API-retrieve-a-page").
    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 }
    })
  • Helper function that performs the actual HTTP API call for the resolved OpenAPI operation corresponding to the tool "API-retrieve-a-page".
    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
      }
    }
  • Generates the input schema for each MCP tool (including "API-retrieve-a-page") by converting OpenAPI parameters and requestBody to JSON Schema.
    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 } : {}),
        }
      }
    }
  • Converts the OpenAPI spec to MCP tools structure, creating the tool definitions and lookup map used for "API-retrieve-a-page".
    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 }
    }
Behavior2/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

No annotations are provided, so the description carries the full burden of behavioral disclosure. It only states 'Retrieve a page', which implies a read-only operation but does not detail aspects like authentication needs, rate limits, error handling, or what the retrieval includes (e.g., full content vs. metadata). This is insufficient for a tool with no annotation coverage.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness4/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

The description is concise with 'Notion | Retrieve a page', which is front-loaded and wastes no words. However, it is overly brief, bordering on under-specification, as it could benefit from slightly more detail without losing efficiency, but it remains structurally sound.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness2/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

Given the complexity of a retrieval tool with no annotations and no output schema, the description is incomplete. It fails to explain what is returned (e.g., page data, properties), any limitations, or behavioral traits, leaving significant gaps for the agent to understand the tool's full context and usage.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters3/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

The description adds no parameter semantics beyond the input schema, which has 100% coverage with detailed descriptions for both parameters. Since schema_description_coverage is high, the baseline score is 3, as the description does not compensate but also does not detract from the schema's documentation.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose3/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

The description 'Notion | Retrieve a page' states the verb 'Retrieve' and resource 'page', which clarifies the basic action. However, it lacks specificity about what 'retrieve' entails (e.g., fetching metadata, content, or properties) and does not distinguish it from sibling tools like 'API-retrieve-a-block' or 'API-retrieve-a-database', making it vague in comparison.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines2/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

The description provides no guidance on when to use this tool versus alternatives. It does not mention scenarios for usage, prerequisites, or exclusions, nor does it reference sibling tools such as 'API-post-search' for broader queries or 'API-retrieve-a-block' for specific content, leaving the agent without contextual direction.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.

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