Step by Step Guide to Building a Notion API Integration in Python

Introduction

Hey there, fellow developer! Ready to dive into the world of Notion API integrations? You're in for a treat. Notion's API opens up a treasure trove of possibilities, and with the notion-sdk package, we'll be building cool stuff in no time. Let's get cracking!

Prerequisites

Before we jump in, make sure you've got:

• A Python environment ready to roll
• A Notion account and workspace (I know you probably have one, but just checking!)

Setting up the Notion Integration

First things first, let's get you set up with Notion:

1. Head over to your Notion workspace
2. Click on Settings & Members > Integrations > Develop your own integrations
3. Create a new integration (give it a snazzy name!)
4. Grab that API key – we'll need it soon

Installing the notion-sdk package

Time to arm ourselves with the right tools. Open up your terminal and run:

pip install notion-client

Easy peasy, right?

Authenticating with the Notion API

Now, let's get our Python script talking to Notion:

from notion_client import Client

notion = Client(auth="your_secret_api_key_here")

Pro tip: Keep that API key secret! Use environment variables in production.

Basic Operations

Let's start with some bread-and-butter operations:

Retrieving a page

page = notion.pages.retrieve("page_id_here")
print(page)

Creating a new page

new_page = notion.pages.create(
    parent={"database_id": "database_id_here"},
    properties={
        "Name": {"title": [{"text": {"content": "New page, who dis?"}}]},
        "Tags": {"multi_select": [{"name": "API"}, {"name": "Python"}]}
    }
)

Updating page content

notion.pages.update(
    "page_id_here",
    properties={"Name": {"title": [{"text": {"content": "Updated title"}}]}}
)

Working with Databases

Databases are where Notion really shines. Let's play with them:

Querying a database

results = notion.databases.query(
    database_id="database_id_here",
    filter={"property": "Tags", "multi_select": {"contains": "API"}}
)

Adding items to a database

notion.pages.create(
    parent={"database_id": "database_id_here"},
    properties={
        "Name": {"title": [{"text": {"content": "New item"}}]},
        "Status": {"select": {"name": "In Progress"}}
    }
)

Advanced Features

Ready to level up? Let's tackle some advanced stuff:

Working with blocks

notion.blocks.children.append(
    "page_id_here",
    children=[
        {
            "object": "block",
            "type": "paragraph",
            "paragraph": {
                "rich_text": [{"type": "text", "text": {"content": "Hello, blocks!"}}]
            }
        }
    ]
)

Handling different property types

Notion has various property types. Here's how to handle a few:

# Date property
"Due Date": {"date": {"start": "2023-06-15"}}

# Number property
"Priority": {"number": 1}

# Checkbox property
"Completed": {"checkbox": True}

Error Handling and Best Practices

Always be prepared for things to go sideways:

from notion_client import APIResponseError

try:
    page = notion.pages.retrieve("non_existent_page_id")
except APIResponseError as error:
    print(f"Oops! {error}")

And remember, Notion has rate limits. Be kind to their servers (and your integration) by implementing proper error handling and retries.

Conclusion

And there you have it! You're now equipped to build some seriously cool Notion integrations. We've covered the basics, dipped our toes into advanced features, and talked about keeping things running smoothly.

The Notion API is incredibly powerful, and we've only scratched the surface. Keep experimenting, and who knows what awesome tools you'll create!

Resources

Want to dive deeper? Check out these resources:

• Official Notion API documentation
• notion-sdk GitHub repository
• Notion API community

Now go forth and build something amazing! Happy coding!