Notion VIP: Automate Notion Relations with Zapier

Zapier is essential to architecting a cohesive and streamlined system with Notion. It powers automations an integrations with other apps. But a persisting limitation is Zapier’s inability to update Relation properties. As a workaround, we can directly access the Notion API with the Code by Zapier action.

Let’s walk through the configuration with a hypothetical scenario. Members of Notion A-to-Z enjoy access to the functional demos and Zap template. If you’ve yet to join, we’d love to have you onboard.

For this tutorial, you’ll want to have an existing Zapier account and basic familiarity with Zaps, including the Webhooks by Zapier trigger.

The Scenario

As a framework for our configuration, imagine…

A contact form has two fields: Full Name and Country.
When submitted, the form sends a webhook to Zapier, with the values of Full Name and Country contained in query strings.
Zapier adds the submission to the Submissions database in Notion. It contains two properties:
1. Full Name — the Title property
2. Country — a Relation to the Countries database

We’ll leave the form to your imagining. Let’s build the rest.

Generate a token.

In Notion, an integration connects a workspace with third-party apps, like Zapier. Each integration includes a token that allows other apps to exchange information with Notion and make updates to the workspace.

Visit notion.so/my-integrations.
Create a new integration with a name like “[Workspace] :: Zapier Extension.” Ensure your intended workspace is selected, then Submit.
Leave the tab open for copying the Internal Integration Token later.

https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/63e19fb61b378b1f7340fc96/643f2a70b924ec0ea337e6a4_notion-relations-zapier_create-integration.gif

Create the databases.

Within a Notion page:

Create a Submissions database. Rename the Title property Full Name.
Create a Countries database. Rename the Title property Country. Give it any three countries.
Relate the databases via reciprocal Country and Submissions properties.

https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/63e19fb61b378b1f7340fc96/643f2a6fb924ec637b37e4dc_zapier-notion-relation_demo-databases.png

Add your integration.

To the page containing your Submissions and Countries databases, add your integration:

From the ••• menu at the top-right, choose + Add connections at the bottom, then choose your integration.

https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/63e19fb61b378b1f7340fc96/643f2a6fb924ec430d37e4f7_zapier-notion-relation_invite-integration.png

Create the Zap.

Step 1 (Trigger) — Receive the webhook.

Create a Zap triggered by a webhook that receives two values: full_name and country.
Provide a test submission where country matches an item in your Countries database.

https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/63e19fb61b378b1f7340fc96/643f2a6fb924ec3e3137e4dd_zapier-notion-relation_webhook.png

Step 2 — Create item in Submissions.

Using Zapier’s standard integration (not your custom “Zapier Extension”), the first action after the trigger is Create Database Item.
It creates the item in the Submissions database and populates the Full Name (Title) property with the webhook’s full_name value. (Country remains blank.)

https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/63e19fb61b378b1f7340fc96/643f2a6fb924ecfa8637e4de_zapier-notion-relation_add-database-item.png

Step 3 — Find the country.

The next action uses the standard Notion integration to Find Database Item.
It searches the Countries database for the webhook’s country value.

Step 4 — Relate the country. ✨

This is where the magic happens.

Choose Code by Zapier as the app and Run JavaScript as the event.
Add three input values:
1. updatedPage — ID from Step 2 (the created page in Submissions).
2. propertyName — The name of the Relation property to populate. In this case, Country.
3. relatedPage — ID from Step 3 (the found page in Countries).
4. token — The Internal Integration Token from your custom integration (which you left open to copy). Click Show then Copy.

https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/63e19fb61b378b1f7340fc96/643f2a6fb924ec691e37e4b0_zapier-notion-relation_code-input-data.png

Paste the following code into the Code area. No updates required, as all variables are provided are provided from Input Data.


let requestURL = 'https://api.notion.com/v1/pages/' + inputData.updatedPage;
let bodyJSON = JSON.stringify({
    "properties": {
        [inputData.propertyName]: {
            "relation": [
                {
                    "id": inputData.relatedPage
                }
            ]
        }
    }
});

fetch(requestURL, { method: 'PATCH', headers: { 'Authorization': `Bearer ${inputData.token}`, 'Content-Type': 'application/json', 'Notion-Version': '2022-06-28' }, body: bodyJSON }) .then( response => response.json() ) .then( response => { callback(null, response) });

For anyone who may be curious:

This JavaScript make a PATCH request to Notion’s API.
The page to update is included in the request URL.
Your token is included in the Authorization header.
The request body includes the property to update and page to Relate.

To Relate multiple pages, you can add additional objects within the relation key’s array.

Once you’ve successfully configured the demo, bolster your Notion automations with Relation property updates. If you hit any snags along the way, shoot me your questions on Twitter, LinkedIn or YouTube.