Notion Advanced

Full-featured Notion node with exhaustive block and formatting support using existing credentials

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Overview

The "Append Children" operation of the Block resource in this Notion Advanced node allows users to add one or more child blocks to an existing block in a Notion workspace. This is useful for dynamically expanding content hierarchies within pages or other blocks, such as adding paragraphs, headings, lists, images, or other supported block types as children under a parent block.

Common scenarios include:

  • Adding new content sections or items inside an existing block.
  • Building complex nested structures like tables with rows and columns.
  • Appending multimedia elements (images, videos) or embeds to enrich page content.
  • Automating document updates by programmatically inserting blocks.

For example, you could append a bulleted list and a code snippet as children to a specific paragraph block, thereby extending the content without replacing existing children.

Properties

Name Meaning
Block ID The unique identifier of the parent block to which new child blocks will be appended.
Blocks A collection of blocks to append as children. Each block supports:
- Type: The type of block to create (e.g., Paragraph, Heading 1, Bulleted List Item, Image, Code, etc.).
- Content: Text, code, URL, or relevant content for the block.
- Rich Text (JSON): Rich text content with formatting as a JSON array.
- Properties (JSON): Additional block properties such as color, checked status, language, etc., provided as JSON.
- Children (JSON): Child blocks of this block as a JSON array, allowing nested structures.
Additional Fields Not applicable specifically for this operation (present in other operations).

Output

The output JSON contains the response from the Notion API after appending the children blocks. It typically includes:

  • Confirmation of the updated block structure.
  • Details of the newly appended child blocks.
  • Metadata such as object type, block IDs, timestamps, and any nested children.

If binary data were involved (not in this operation), it would represent media files or attachments, but here the output is purely JSON describing the block hierarchy.

Dependencies

  • Requires valid Notion API credentials configured in n8n to authenticate requests.
  • Uses internal utility functions for:
    • Validating credentials.
    • Parsing and converting input block data into the format expected by the Notion API.
    • Validating block structure before sending.
  • Relies on the Notion API endpoint PATCH /blocks/{blockId}/children to append children.

Troubleshooting

  • No blocks provided error: If the "Blocks" property is empty or not properly formatted, the node throws an error indicating no blocks were provided. Ensure at least one block is defined with correct fields.
  • Invalid JSON in properties or children: The node expects JSON strings for block properties and children arrays. Malformed JSON will cause parsing errors. Validate JSON syntax before input.
  • Invalid block type or content: Unsupported block types or missing required content fields may cause validation failures. Use only supported block types and provide necessary content.
  • Authentication errors: Invalid or missing Notion API credentials will prevent execution. Verify API key/token setup.
  • API rate limits or network issues: May cause request failures; retry or check connectivity.

Links and References

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