Notion Todo

A simple Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that integrates with Notion's API to manage my personal todo list through Claude. This is a basic implementation tailored specifically for my minimalist todo list setup in Notion.

Important Note

This is a personal project designed for a very specific use case: my simple Notion todo list that has just three properties:

• Task (title)
• When (select with only two options: "today" or "later")
• Checkbox (marks if completed)

Example Notion Database

While you can use this as a starting point for your own Notion integration, you'll likely need to modify the code to match your specific database structure and requirements.

Features

• Add new todo items
• View all todos
• View today's tasks
• Check off a task as complete

Prerequisites

• Python 3.10 or higher
• A Notion account
• A Notion integration (API key)
• A Notion database that matches the exact structure described above (or willingness to modify the code for your structure)

Setup

1. Clone the repository:

git clone https://github.com/yourusername/notion-mcp.git
cd notion-mcp

2. Set up Python environment:

python -m venv .venv
source .venv/bin/activate  # On Windows use: .venv\Scripts\activate
uv pip install -e .

3. Create a Notion integration:

   • Go to https://www.notion.so/my-integrations
   • Create new integration
   • Copy the API key

4. Share your database with the integration:

   • Open your todo database in Notion
   • Click "..." menu → "Add connections"
   • Select your integration

5. Create a .env file:

NOTION_API_KEY=your-api-key-here
NOTION_DATABASE_ID=your-database-id-here

6. Configure Claude Desktop:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "notion-todo": {
      "command": "/path/to/your/.venv/bin/python",
      "args": ["-m", "notion_mcp"],
      "cwd": "/path/to/notion-mcp"
    }
  }
}

Running the Server

The server can be run in two ways:

1. Directly from the command line:

# From the project directory with virtual environment activated
python -m notion_mcp

2. Automatically through Claude Desktop (recommended):

• The server will start when Claude launches if configured correctly in claude_desktop_config.json
• No manual server management needed
• Server stops when Claude is closed

Note: When running directly, the server won't show any output unless there's an error - this is normal as it's waiting for MCP commands.

Usage

Basic commands through Claude:

• "Show all my todos"
• "What's on my list for today?"
• "Add a todo for today: check emails"
• "Add a task for later: review project"

Limitations

• Only works with a specific Notion database structure
• No support for complex database schemas
• Limited to "today" or "later" task scheduling
• No support for additional properties or custom fields
• Basic error handling
• No advanced features like recurring tasks, priorities, or tags

Customization

If you want to use this with a different database structure, you'll need to modify the server.py file, particularly:

• The create_todo() function to match your database properties
• The todo formatting in call_tool() to handle your data structure
• The input schema in list_tools() if you want different options

Project Structure

notion_mcp/
├── pyproject.toml
├── README.md
├── .env                   # Not included in repo
└── src/
    └── notion_mcp/
        ├── __init__.py
        ├── __main__.py
        └── server.py      # Main implementation

License

MIT License - Use at your own risk

Acknowledgments

• Built to work with Claude Desktop
• Uses Notion's API