Database Tools

Semantic Boundary

Database tools must keep database and data_source distinct:

• database is the Notion database container.
• data_source is the concrete table under that database.
• Database tools own container-level operations such as retrieve, create, update, sources, and rename.
• Table-level schema, query, templates, entries, and pages belong to data source tools.

The current CLI/Core/MCP stack implements container-level retrieve/create/update/sources/rename. database_query remains as a legacy compatibility entrypoint through the Core Raw API compatibility path for databases.query; new table-level queries should prefer data_source_query.

• database_retrieve
• Description: reads a Notion database container.
• Required parameters: database_id.
• database_sources
• Description: lists data sources under a database container.
• Required parameters: database_id.
• database_query
• Description: legacy database query compatibility entrypoint. Prefer data_source_query for new table-level queries.
• Required parameters: database_id.
• Optional parameters: payload.
• database_create
• Description: creates a Notion database container.
• Required parameters: payload.
• Optional parameters: dry_run.
• database_update
• Description: updates a Notion database container.
• Required parameters: database_id, payload.
• Optional parameters: dry_run.
• database_rename
• Description: renames a Notion database container.
• Required parameters: database_id, new_name.
• Optional parameters: dry_run.

MCP database tools call DatabasesService. They do not call CLI and do not import the Notion SDK directly. database_sources returns:

{
  "database_id": "database-id",
  "data_sources": []
}