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Aakash R for Composio

Posted on • Originally published at composio.dev

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How to Get the Best Out of Notion MCP Server with Cursor and Claude?

I have a Notion page for everything. Specs, product ideas, meeting notes, feedback, random thoughts that made sense at 2 AM. It’s all in there. But every time I try to actually use that content to do something useful, I end up copying half the page into a prompt, trimming it down, and hoping the AI picks up what I mean.

I have done this way too many times, and it never feels smooth.

But we’re in a pretty wild timeline. We’ve got LLMs, smart agents, and now MCPs that can connect tools in ways that actually make life easier.

Lately, I have been using Notion MCP server, and it just works. It gives my tools live access to the docs I already use, without any copying or syncing.

In this blog post, I’ll show you how to set up the Notion MCP and use it to turn your pages into something tools like Cursor and Claude can work with directly.

What is Covered?

  • Configuring Composio Notion MCP (This is the cleanest way to connect Notion. Seriously, it just works.)
  • Use the Notion MCP server to provide tools with real-time access to your documents. (Works great with Claude and Cursor, but Claude is my personal favorite for working with text-heavy pages.)

How to Set Up Notion MCP Server

Before building workflows in Cursor, you need to connect Notion through Composio. The setup is quick, and the steps are straightforward.

Step 1: Connect Your Notion Account

Before creating the server, you need to authenticate your Notion account with Composio.

  1. Go to https://mcp.composio.dev/dashboard
  2. Search for Notion
  3. Click Connect Account and complete the sign-in flow

Once it shows as connected, you’re ready to move on.

Step 2: Give a Unique Name to the Server

Give your MCP server a clear name so it's easy to find later—something like notion-live-access or cursor-notion-context.

Step 3: Choose which actions your agent will use

Enable only the actions needed for your workflow with Notion:

  • Search Notion Page
  • Fetch Notion Block Children
  • Get Page Property
  • Fetch Notion Data

These actions give your tools access to live Notion content, including full page structure, metadata, and real-time updates.

Step 4: Copy the MCP Setup Script

After your server is created, Composio will generate a setup script. This script connects your tools to the Notion MCP server.

The script will look something like this:

npx @composio/mcp@latest setup "https://mcp.composio.dev/composio/server/customerId=><customer_id>/mcp?include_composio_helper_actions=true" "Notion-access"
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Use Case 1: Generate an Onboarding Flow from Notion in Cursor

Let’s start with a practical workflow: building a workflow flow based on a product spec written in Notion.

In this setup:

  • Notion holds the product requirements document (PRD)
  • Composio MCP connects that PRD to your local environment
  • Cursor uses the live Notion content to generate code based on the latest version

Instead of copying specs into prompts or guessing what changed, you can ask Cursor directly:

“Generate the onboarding UI flow based on the Notion page ‘Onboarding PRD’.”

🔧 How to Set It Up in Cursor

  1. Open Cursor in your desired project folder and launch the terminal
  2. Make sure Node.js is installed:
node -v
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  1. Run the MCP setup script you copied earlier:

By default, this config is saved to:

~/.config/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
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Now Cursor is ready to access live content from your Notion workspace.

Watch it work in the video

The video below shows this full flow in action. From writing the PRD in Notion, to setting up Composio, to watching Cursor generate real, working code based on a live document.

Use Case 2: Generate a Product Brief from Notion in Claude

Now let’s look at a writing-focused workflow, turning notes or research in Notion into a structured product brief using Claude.

In this setup:

  • Notion holds the source content (research, notes, feature ideas)
  • Composio MCP connects your Notion workspace to Claude
  • Claude uses the live content to generate summaries or briefs based on what’s actually written

Instead of copying raw notes into the chat window or explaining context manually, you can let Claude read the document directly and respond with something meaningful.

“Create a product brief based on the Notion page titled ‘Q3 Planning”

🔧 How to Set It Up in Claude

  1. Download and open Claude Desktop

  1. Go to File > Settings

  1. Then, go to Developer > Edit Config
  2. This will open the Claude config folder. In my case, it’s located at:
C:\Users\AAKASH\AppData\Roaming\Claude
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  1. Open a terminal in that exact directory
  2. Run the MCP setup script you copied earlier:
npx @composio/mcp@latest setup "https://mcp.composio.dev/composio/server/customerId=><customer_id>/mcp?include_composio_helper_actions=true" "Notion-access"
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Once the setup is complete, Claude should be restarted, and now it is ready to use live content from your Notion workspace in its responses.

  1. You can confirm the Notion MCP server is connected by opening this menu in the chat bar. From there, you can start using prompts that reference your actual Notion pages.

Watch it work in the video

Conclusion

Your team’s thinking already lives inside Notion, but getting that knowledge into AI tools has often been a slow and clumsy process. Composio’s Notion MCP server changes that by giving tools like Claude and Cursor direct access to your live documents, with full structure and context.

This approach keeps your workflow cleaner and more reliable. Instead of relying on outdated copies or reformatting content manually, your tools can work with the most current information available.

FAQs

1. Can I point Claude or Cursor to a specific Notion page?

Yes. Once the MCP server is connected, you can reference any page by its title in your prompt. Make sure the page is shared with Composio and that you’ve enabled the right actions (like Search Notion Page and Fetch Block Children).

2. What happens if I update the Notion page?

The tools will always pull the latest version when they access it. No need to re-sync or re-run anything. If the page content changes, the output will reflect that next time it's used.

3. Can I use the same MCP server with both Claude and Cursor?

Yes. You can run the same setup script in both environments. One server can serve both tools as long as you’ve set it up with the right actions.

4. How do I know the connection worked?

In Cursor, you’ll see responses based on live Notion content immediately. In Claude, check the developer settings; your MCP server should show up as a connected source. You can also test with a simple prompt like:

“Summarize the Notion page titled ‘Getting Started’.”

5. Do I need to rerun the script every time?

No. Once the script is run and the config is saved, your tool remembers the connection. You only need to run it again if you change the server or reset your setup.

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Top comments (1)

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aarthy_r_8c96d7b27057673d profile image
Aarthy R

Great tutorial!

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