notion 0.1.0
Unofficial Python API client for Notion.so
Requires Python: >=3.5

# notion-py

Unofficial Python 3 client for Notion.so API v3.

- Object-oriented interface (mapping database tables to Python classes/attributes)
- Automatic conversion between internal Notion formats and appropriate Python objects
- Local cache of data in a unified data store *(Note: disk cache now disabled by default; to enable, add `enable_caching=True` when initializing `NotionClient`)*
- Real-time reactive two-way data binding (changing Python object -> live updating of Notion UI, and vice-versa) *(Note: Notion->Python automatic updating is currently broken and hence disabled by default; call `my_block.refresh()` to update, in the meantime, while monitoring is being fixed)*
- Callback system for responding to changes in Notion (e.g. for triggering actions, updating another API, etc)

![](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/jamalex/notion-py/master/ezgif-3-a935fdcb7415.gif)

[Read more about Notion and Notion-py on Jamie's blog](https://medium.com/@jamiealexandre/introducing-notion-py-an-unofficial-python-api-wrapper-for-notion-so-603700f92369)

# Usage

## Quickstart

Note: the latest version of **notion-py** requires Python 3.5 or greater.

`pip install notion`

```Python
from notion.client import NotionClient

# Obtain the `token_v2` value by inspecting your browser cookies on a logged-in (non-guest) session on Notion.so
client = NotionClient(token_v2="<token_v2>")

# Replace this URL with the URL of the page you want to edit
page = client.get_block("https://www.notion.so/myorg/Test-c0d20a71c0944985ae96e661ccc99821")

print("The old title is:", page.title)

# Note: You can use Markdown! We convert on-the-fly to Notion's internal formatted text data structure.
page.title = "The title has now changed, and has *live-updated* in the browser!"
```

## Concepts and notes

- We map tables in the Notion database into Python classes (subclassing `Record`), with each instance of a class representing a particular record. Some fields from the records (like `title` in the example above) have been mapped to model properties, allowing for easy, instantaneous read/write of the record. Other fields can be read with the `get` method, and written with the `set` method, but then you'll need to make sure to match the internal structures exactly.
- The tables we currently support are **block** (via [`Block` class and its subclasses](https://github.com/jamalex/notion-py/blob/c65c9b14ed5dcd6d9326264f2e888ab343d2b831/notion/block.py#L143), corresponding to different `type` of blocks), **space** (via [`Space` class](https://github.com/jamalex/notion-py/blob/c65c9b14ed5dcd6d9326264f2e888ab343d2b831/notion/space.py#L6)), **collection** (via [`Collection` class](https://github.com/jamalex/notion-py/blob/c65c9b14ed5dcd6d9326264f2e888ab343d2b831/notion/collection.py#L91)), **collection_view** (via [`CollectionView` and subclasses](https://github.com/jamalex/notion-py/blob/c65c9b14ed5dcd6d9326264f2e888ab343d2b831/notion/collection.py#L175)), and **notion_user** (via [`User` class](https://github.com/jamalex/notion-py/blob/master/notion/user.py)).
- Data for all tables are stored in a central [`RecordStore`](https://github.com/jamalex/notion-py/blob/c65c9b14ed5dcd6d9326264f2e888ab343d2b831/notion/store.py#L69), with the `Record` instances not storing state internally, but always referring to the data in the central `RecordStore`. Many API operations return updating versions of a large number of associated records, which we use to update the store, so the data in `Record` instances may sometimes update without being explicitly requested. You can also call the `refresh` method on a `Record` to trigger an update, or pass `force_update` to methods like `get`.
- The API doesn't have strong validation of most data, so be careful to maintain the structures Notion is expecting. You can view the full internal structure of a record by calling `myrecord.get()` with no arguments.
- When you call `client.get_block`, you can pass in either an ID, or the URL of a page. Note that pages themselves are just `blocks`, as are all the chunks of content on the page. You can get the URL for a block within a page by clicking "Copy Link" in the context menu for the block, and pass that URL into `get_block` as well.

## Updating records

We keep a local cache of all data that passes through. When you reference an attribute on a `Record`, we first look to that cache to retrieve the value. If it doesn't find it, it retrieves it from the server. You can also manually refresh the data for a `Record` by calling the `refresh` method on it. By default (unless we instantiate `NotionClient` with `monitor=False`), we also [subscribe to long-polling updates](https://github.com/jamalex/notion-py/blob/master/notion/monitor.py) for any instantiated `Record`, so the local cache data for these `Records` should be automatically live-updated shortly after any data changes on the server. The long-polling happens in a background daemon thread.

## Example: Traversing the block tree

```Python
for child in page.children:
    print(child.title)

print("Parent of {} is {}".format(page.id, page.parent.id))
```

## Example: Adding a new node

```Python
from notion.block import TodoBlock

newchild = page.children.add_new(TodoBlock, title="Something to get done")
newchild.checked = True
```

## Example: Deleting nodes

```Python
# soft-delete
page.remove()

# hard-delete
page.remove(permanently=True)
```

## Example: Create an embedded content type (iframe, video, etc)

```Python
from notion.block import VideoBlock

video = page.children.add_new(VideoBlock, width=200)
# sets "property.source" to the URL, and "format.display_source" to the embedly-converted URL
video.set_source_url("https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHg5SJYRHA0")
```

## Example: Create a new embedded collection view block

```Python
collection = client.get_collection(COLLECTION_ID) # get an existing collection
cvb = page.children.add_new(CollectionViewBlock, collection=collection)
view = cvb.views.add_new(view_type="table")

# Before the view can be browsed in Notion, 
# the filters and format options on the view should be set as desired.
# 
# for example:
#   view.set("query", ...)
#   view.set("format.board_groups", ...)
#   view.set("format.board_properties", ...)
```

## Example: Moving blocks around

```Python
# move my block to after the video
my_block.move_to(video, "after")

# move my block to the end of otherblock's children
my_block.move_to(otherblock, "last-child")

# (you can also use "before" and "first-child")
```

## Example: Subscribing to updates

*(Note: Notion->Python automatic updating is currently broken and hence disabled by default; call `my_block.refresh()` to update, in the meantime, while monitoring is being fixed)*

We can "watch" a `Record` so that we get a [callback](https://github.com/jamalex/notion-py/blob/master/notion/store.py) whenever it changes. Combined with the live-updating of records based on long-polling, this allows for a "reactive" design, where actions in our local application can be triggered in response to interactions with the Notion interface.

```Python

# define a callback (note: all arguments are optional, just include the ones you care about)
def my_callback(record, difference):
    print("The record's title is now:" record.title)
    print("Here's what was changed:")
    print(difference)

# move my block to after the video
my_block.add_callback(my_callback)
```

## Example: Working with databases, aka "collections" (tables, boards, etc)

Here's how things fit together:
- Main container block: `CollectionViewBlock` (inline) / `CollectionViewPageBlock` (full-page)
    - `Collection` (holds the schema, and is parent to the database rows themselves)
        - `CollectionRowBlock`
        - `CollectionRowBlock`
        - ... (more database records)
    - `CollectionView` (holds filters/sort/etc about each specific view)

Note: For convenience, we automatically map the database "columns" (aka properties), based on the schema defined in the `Collection`, into getter/setter attributes on the `CollectionRowBlock` instances. The attribute name is a "slugified" version of the name of the column. So if you have a column named "Estimated value", you can read and write it via `myrowblock.estimated_value`. Some basic validation may be conducted, and it will be converted into the appropriate internal format. For columns of type "Person", we expect a `User` instance, or a list of them, and for a "Relation" we expect a singular/list of instances of a subclass of `Block`.

```Python
# Access a database using the URL of the database page or the inline block
cv = client.get_collection_view("https://www.notion.so/myorg/8511b9fc522249f79b90768b832599cc?v=8dee2a54f6b64cb296c83328adba78e1")

# List all the records with "Bob" in them
for row in cv.collection.get_rows(search="Bob"):
    print("We estimate the value of '{}' at {}".format(row.name, row.estimated_value))

# Add a new record
row = cv.collection.add_row()
row.name = "Just some data"
row.is_confirmed = True
row.estimated_value = 399
row.files = ["https://www.birdlife.org/sites/default/files/styles/1600/public/slide.jpg"]
row.person = client.current_user
row.tags = ["A", "C"]
row.where_to = "https://learningequality.org"

# Run a filtered/sorted query using a view's default parameters
result = cv.default_query().execute()
for row in result:
    print(row)

# Run an "aggregation" query
aggregations = [{
    "property": "estimated_value",
    "aggregator": "sum",
    "id": "total_value",
}]
result = cv.build_query(aggregate=aggregate_params).execute()
print("Total estimated value:", result.get_aggregate("total_value"))

# Run a "filtered" query (inspect network tab in browser for examples, on queryCollection calls)
filter_params = {
    "filters": [{
        "filter": {
            "value": {
                "type": "exact",
                "value": {"table": "notion_user", "id": client.current_user.id}
            },
            "operator": "person_contains"
        },
        "property": "assigned_to"
    }],
    "operator": "and"
}
result = cv.build_query(filter=filter_params).execute()
print("Things assigned to me:", result)

# Run a "sorted" query
sort_params = [{
    "direction": "descending",
    "property": "estimated_value",
}]
result = cv.build_query(sort=sort_params).execute()
print("Sorted results, showing most valuable first:", result)
```

Note: You can combine `filter`, `aggregate`, and `sort`. See more examples of queries by setting up complex views in Notion, and then inspecting the full query: `cv.get("query2")`.

You can also see [more examples in action in the smoke test runner](https://github.com/jamalex/notion-py/blob/master/notion/smoke_test.py). Run it using:

```sh
python run_smoke_test.py --page [YOUR_NOTION_PAGE_URL] --token [YOUR_NOTION_TOKEN_V2]
```

## Example: Lock/Unlock A Page
```Python
from notion.client import NotionClient

# Obtain the `token_v2` value by inspecting your browser cookies on a logged-in session on Notion.so
client = NotionClient(token_v2="<token_v2>")

# Replace this URL with the URL of the page or database you want to edit
page = client.get_block("https://www.notion.so/myorg/Test-c0d20a71c0944985ae96e661ccc99821")

# The "locked" property is available on PageBlock and CollectionViewBlock objects
# Set it to True to lock the page/database
page.locked = True
# and False to unlock it again
page.locked = False
```

## Example: Set the current user for multi-account user

```python
from notion.client import NotionClient
client = NotionClient(token_v2="<token_v2>")

# The initial current_user of a multi-account user may be an unwanted user
print(client.current_user.email) # → not_the_desired@email.co.jp

# Set current_user to the desired user
client.set_user_by_email('desired@email.com')
print(client.current_user.email) # → desired@email.com

# You can also set the current_user by uid.
client.set_user_by_uid('<uid>')
print(client.current_user.email) # → desired@email.com
```

# _Quick plug: Learning Equality needs your support!_

If you'd like to support notion-py development, please consider [donating to my open-source nonprofit, Learning Equality](https://learningequality.org/donate/), since when I'm not working on notion-py, it probably means I'm heads-down fundraising for our global education work (bringing resources like Khan Academy to communities with no Internet). COVID has further amplified needs, with over a billion kids stuck at home, and over half of them without the connectivity they need for distance learning. You can now also [support our work via GitHub Sponsors](https://github.com/sponsors/learningequality)!

# Related Projects

- [md2notion](https://github.com/Cobertos/md2notion): import Markdown files to Notion
- [notion-export-ics](https://github.com/evertheylen/notion-export-ics): Export Notion Databases to ICS calendar files
- [notion-tqdm](https://github.com/shunyooo/notion-tqdm): Progress Bar displayed in Notion like tqdm

# TODO

* Cloning pages hierarchically
* Debounce cache-saving?
* Support inline "user" and "page" links, and reminders, in markdown conversion
* Utilities to support updating/creating collection schemas
* Utilities to support updating/creating collection_view queries
* Support for easily managing page permissions
* Websocket support for live block cache updating
* "Render full page to markdown" mode
* "Import page from html" mode