The Notion Real-Time connector lets AlphaSense read your Notion content live, at the moment you ask a question. When you use AlphaSense to research or ask the Assistant something, AlphaSense looks up the relevant Notion pages, page content, database entries, and comments on demand and uses them in your answer.
Unlike a traditional sync, the Real-Time connector does not copy or index your Notion content into AlphaSense. Nothing is stored in AlphaSense's search index — your Notion workspace stays the source of truth, AlphaSense simply reads from it when needed, and only ever reads (it can never create, edit, move, or delete anything in Notion).
Contents
- Before You Begin
- Setting Up the Connection
- What's Accessible
- How It Works
- Using the Notion Connector
- Items to Note
- Managing Access
- Disconnecting
- Troubleshooting & FAQs
- Security
- Sources
Before You Begin
Before you connect Notion, make sure you have:
- An active AlphaSense account with the Notion Real-Time connector enabled for your organization.
- A Notion account that is a member of the workspace you want to reach. Any Notion plan works — Free, Plus, Business, or Enterprise. (Notion pricing)
- A workspace owner to complete the one-time installation. For a Notion workspace, only a Workspace Owner can add and approve a connection. Until the owner installs the AlphaSense connection, other members won't be able to connect. (Create integrations with the Notion API)
- Access to the content you want AlphaSense to read. When you connect, Notion only lets you share pages and databases you already have full access to. AlphaSense can never see Notion content you can't see yourself. (Notion authorization)
Setting Up the Connection
Accessing the Integration Center
To connect Notion:
- Navigate to the Integration Center.
- Select Notion under the Productivity category.
The Integration Center is your central hub for managing the connection.
Prerequisite
An admin must complete the initial installation before users can connect their accounts.
Step A: Installation (Workspace Owner Only)
- The workspace owner must initiate the integration by starting the authentication flow within AlphaSense. Click on Add Workspace
- During setup, only the Notion pages that the workspace owner has full access to will appear for selection.
- After successfully completing the authentication process, AlphaSense will appear under Settings → Connections in Notion.
Important: If the workspace owner has not installed the integration, other users (members and membership admins) will not be able to connect Notion directly from AlphaSense. In such cases, users attempting to connect will see an error screen.
Now the standard users can proceed to make their individual connections.
Step 1: Connect Your Individual Notion Account
To begin using your Notion data with AlphaSense:
- Click Add Workspace. This opens the Notion authentication UI.
- Authorize the connection by signing into your Notion account. Only one Notion workspace may be authorized at a time.
- Select the Teamspaces, Shared, and private pages you want AlphaSense to access from this workspace. You can select multiple Teamspaces or individual pages; selecting a parent page includes its sub-pages. Only pages you have full access to appear here.
After successful connection:
Step 2: Connect Additional Workspaces (Optional)
The Notion connector lets you connect multiple Notion workspaces with AlphaSense. To do so:
- Go to the Notion page in the Integration Center.
- Click Add Workspace. This opens the Notion authentication UI.
- Follow the same steps as in Step 1. Choose the workspace you want in the top-right corner of the authentication dialog, and authorize the connection by signing into your Notion account.
- Select the teamspaces and pages within the workspace as described in Step 1.
What's Accessible
The Real-Time connector can read the Notion content you shared with AlphaSense in the page picker, limited to what your own Notion account is permitted to see. Because AlphaSense reads Notion live, it can work with the following:
| Notion content | What AlphaSense can read |
|---|---|
| Pages | Page content — text, headings, lists, callouts, and other supported blocks on the pages you shared. |
| Sub-pages | Pages nested under a shared page, when the parent was shared. |
| Databases | Database entries and their properties (for the databases you shared). |
| Page properties | Individual properties/fields on a page. |
| Comments | Comments and discussion threads on a shared page. |
| People | Basic workspace member details (name, email) for context. |
Because the connector reads Notion live rather than importing content, it is not limited to a fixed file type. It works with the Notion pages, sub-pages, and databases you've granted access to.
Capabilities
AlphaSense's Notion connector is read-only. It can look up and read your Notion content, but it can never write to Notion. In plain terms, it can:
| Capability | What it does |
|---|---|
| Find content | Search your shared Notion pages and databases by title to locate what's relevant to your question. |
| Read a page | Open a page and read its full content. |
| Read a database | Read a database's structure and query its entries. |
| Read properties | Read specific properties/fields on a page. |
| Read comments | Read comments and discussion threads on a shared page. |
| Look up people | Resolve workspace members (name/email) referenced in your content. |
There are no create, edit, move, or delete capabilities — the connector cannot change anything in your Notion workspace.
How It Works
- Live, on-demand reads. When you ask a question that draws on Notion, AlphaSense queries your Notion workspace at that moment and uses the results in your answer. Your Notion content is not ingested into AlphaSense's search index.
- Read-only. The connector can only read. It cannot create, update, move, or delete Notion content.
- Your permissions are respected at query time. AlphaSense reads using your Notion connection, so it can only ever access the pages and databases you shared with it and that your Notion account is allowed to view. If your access in Notion changes, what AlphaSense can read changes with it.
-
Limited retention. AlphaSense does not keep a copy of your Notion pages. Query results may be retained briefly in internal observability traces for up to 10 days and are then automatically deleted.
[CONFIRM: 10-day observability trace retention for the Notion Real-Time connector]
Using the Notion Connector
Once connected, you can bring your Notion content into your AlphaSense research:
- Start a question in Generative Search, a Workspace, or the Generative Grid.
- Open Sources → Integrations and select Notion as a source (alongside market data and your other content).
- Ask your question. AlphaSense reads the relevant Notion pages and databases live and includes them in the answer, with citations back to the source pages.
Items to Note
- Read-only. AlphaSense never modifies your Notion workspace.
- Live access, no stored copy. Content is read on demand and not indexed into AlphaSense.
- You control the scope. AlphaSense can only read the teamspaces and pages you shared in the Notion page picker, limited to pages you have access to.
- Owner install is required first. Members can't connect a workspace until a Workspace Owner has installed the AlphaSense connection. (Create integrations with the Notion API)
- One workspace authorized at a time, but you can connect multiple workspaces via Add Workspace.
- Enterprise controls. On Enterprise plans, Workspace Owners can restrict which connections members are allowed to use, which may affect whether members can connect AlphaSense. (Add & manage connections)
Managing Access
You can change which teamspaces and pages AlphaSense can read at any time, from Notion:
- In Notion, go to Settings → Connections → Installed and click the AlphaSense connection. This shows its current access. Locate the access management section and click Select pages.
- The Manage page access window opens. Check or uncheck the specific pages and teamspaces you want to grant or remove.
- Confirm and save. Changes take effect on your next query, since AlphaSense reads live.
Disconnecting
Because the Real-Time connector doesn't store your Notion content in AlphaSense, disconnecting simply stops AlphaSense from reading Notion — there's no imported copy to remove. You can disconnect from either side:
-
From AlphaSense: open Notion in the Integration Center and disconnect the workspace (or use the ✕ next to a specific workspace to remove just that one).
[CONFIRM: exact AlphaSense disconnect controls/labels for the Real-Time connector] - From Notion: go to Settings → My connections (or Settings → Connections for a Workspace Owner), select AlphaSense, and remove it. Workspace Owners can also disconnect individual members or remove AlphaSense from the workspace entirely. (Add & manage connections)
After you disconnect, AlphaSense immediately loses access and can no longer read your Notion content. Any query results held in short-term observability traces are deleted on the normal retention schedule. [CONFIRM: 10-day observability trace retention]
Troubleshooting & FAQs
I can't connect Notion — I see an error.
The most common cause is that a Workspace Owner hasn't installed the AlphaSense connection yet. Ask a Notion Workspace Owner to complete the one-time installation (Step A), then try again. On Enterprise plans, also confirm the owner allows the AlphaSense connection.
AlphaSense isn't returning content I expected.
Check that the page or database was shared with AlphaSense in the Notion page picker (see Managing Access) and that your Notion account has access to it. AlphaSense can only read what you shared and what you're permitted to see.
Can AlphaSense change or delete my Notion pages?
No. The connector is read-only — it can find and read content, but it can never create, edit, move, or delete anything in Notion.
Is my Notion content copied into AlphaSense?
No. The Real-Time connector reads Notion live, on demand. Your content is not ingested or stored in AlphaSense's search index. [CONFIRM: 10-day observability trace retention]
Which Notion plan do I need?
Any Notion plan works (Free, Plus, Business, or Enterprise). (Notion pricing)
Can I connect more than one workspace?
Yes. Authorize one workspace at a time and use Add Workspace to add more.
Does AlphaSense read my whole workspace?
Only the teamspaces and pages you explicitly share in the page picker, and only those you personally have access to.
Security
AlphaSense reads your Notion content using your own permissioned connection, applies your Notion access at query time, and does not store your Notion content in its search index. For details on AlphaSense's security, privacy, and compliance posture, visit trust.alpha-sense.com.
Sources
- Notion pricing (plans: Free, Plus, Business, Enterprise)
- Create integrations with the Notion API (Workspace Owners create/authorize connections)
- Add & manage connections in Notion (manage, restrict, and revoke connections)
- Notion authorization — selecting pages via the page picker; full-access requirement
- Notion API reference (read operations: search, retrieve page/block/database, query database, comments, users)