Common problems with Notion on Zapier – Zapier

## How to work with dates in Notion

Notion uses a specific date format called [ISO 8601](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISO_8601), which includes the:

*   Year.
*   Month.
*   Date.

It can also optionally include:

*   Time.
*   Timezone offset. 

When you use a Notion [date](https://www.notion.so/help/database-properties) field in Zapier, Zapier will try to convert your provided date to this format. However, if you are inputting a date, time, and timezone into a date field, Zapier recommends using Formatter to [modify the date format](https://help.zapier.com/hc/en-us/articles/8496257974029).

### How Zapier settings can affect dates 

If you do not have a [timezone set in your Zapier account](https://help.zapier.com/hc/en-us/articles/8496294243981-Manage-your-Zapier-account-profile) or [within your Zap](https://help.zapier.com/hc/en-us/articles/8496309697421-Create-Zaps#h_01HB9RNKSB0KB4WAWE6QTQ6XMR), Zapier will automatically set the timezone as UTC for any data that interacts with a date field. 

To avoid any confusion, Zapier recommends setting the timezone in either your Zapier account or Zap to match the timezone you set up in your Notion account. This will ensure your dates are read correctly and a timezone offset will automatically be applied when interacting with a date field.

### Search for a database item by a date field

When searching for a database item by a date field using the Find Database Item action, Zapier expects to read the time and timezone associated with a date, based on your Zapier account.

This can have unintended consequences when searching for a date only. 

To override Zapier’s default time and timezone setting for Notion date fields, you can add the time format `T00:00-0000` to the date field you are searching. This represents 12:00am in [UTC](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coordinated_Universal_Time) and ensures that only the date is considered in the search.

![](https://help.zapier.com/hc/article_attachments/23288568725645)

## My databases are not listed in the dropdown menu

If you're having trouble listing your database in your Zap, try these steps:

*   Check that Zapier has [permission to access your database in Notion](https://www.notion.so/help/add-and-manage-connections-with-the-api).
*   If the database you're looking for is a subpage, [un-nest it](https://www.notion.so/help/create-a-subpage#rearrange-your-page-structure), and temporarily make it a page. After the Zap finds it, you can change it back to a subpage.
*   [Create a new app account connection](https://help.zapier.com/hc/en-us/articles/8496258785421) to Notion.

After trying these steps, you should be able to refresh your fields and view your database in your Zap.

## When creating a database item, I’m getting an error about an invalid option

If your database contains a column that is either a "Select" or "Multi-select" [property type](https://www.notion.so/help/database-properties), you can only add options that match what you have in Notion. To add additional options, you must first add them in Notion.

## I can't see all fields in my Zap

Not all Notion [property types](https://www.notion.so/help/database-properties) are supported in Zapier. The following property types are not supported:

*   Files and media
*   Formulas
*   Relations
*   Rollups
*   Status

These property types will not appear in your triggers or actions.

## My Zap is triggering too much

If you find your Zap is triggering too frequently, you can add a filter to run only for [certain conditions](https://help.zapier.com/hc/en-us/articles/8496180919949) of your database. This will prevent your Zap from running on every change made to your database, ensuring actions get performed only on the items you want.

## I'm not seeing content appear in my Zap

When using either the _New Database Item_ trigger or _Find Database Item_ action, it’s not expected behavior that your Zaps will show you data from your content block.

Let us know in [this Community thread](https://community.zapier.com/how-do-i-3/notion-new-item-in-database-trigger-doesn-t-include-content-of-the-page-15781) if you want to be notified when this is available.

## My Zap doesn’t trigger from updates made to my content 

When using the _New Database Item_ trigger, it’s not expected behavior that your Zaps will trigger if you make updates to your content block.

Let us know in [this Community thread](https://community.zapier.com/troubleshooting-99/updating-an-item-in-notion-seems-to-ignore-the-content-field-10597) if you want to be notified when this is available.

## Unexpected error: !DOCTYPE html

This means Zapier has had temporary trouble communicating with Notion’s servers. App servers can be unavailable for short periods of time. To fix this:

*   Waiting for a few minutes. This type of error usually resolves itself. You can also check [Notion’s status page](https://status.notion.so/) to see if the app has an outage that could affect your Zap.
*   [Replay failed Zap runs](https://help.zapier.com/hc/en-us/articles/8496241726989).

## I gave Zapier full access to all of my pages, but new pages don’t appear

If you create new pages after connecting to your Notion account and want to interact with them in your Zaps, you'll need to [grant Zapier permission in your Notion account](https://www.notion.so/help/add-and-manage-connections-with-the-api). This is because Notion’s API requires you to specify permissions for each page that Zapier can access.

![miscEye icon](https://cdn.zapier.com/storage/photos/335619ab6472fe1fefab18d493cb39bf.png) Can't find what you're looking for?

*   Try [searching in Community](https://community.zapier.com/search?q=notion&category=Get%20Help), as someone else may have already asked your question.
*   Post your question in the Community:
    *   If you’re looking for help with a specific task, ask in [Get Help](https://community.zapier.com/how-do-i-3).
    *   If you’re looking for troubleshooting advice, ask in [Troubleshooting](https://community.zapier.com/troubleshooting-99).