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Notion MCP splits search: notion-search for your workspace, notion-connector-search for Slack, Drive and GitHub

By Dave de Céspedes · Updated · 2 min read

TL;DR

On October 20, 2026 Notion changed its hosted MCP server so notion-search only searches Notion pages and databases. A new notion-connector-search tool covers connected sources like Slack, Google Drive, GitHub, mail and calendar, and takes a sources parameter. notion-ai-search is now hidden from tools/list but still callable.

Status
Live
Released
Plans
All plans; connected sources depend on plan
Source
Notion developer changelog, Oct 20, 2026
Last verified

What changed

In hosted Notion MCP sessions:

  • notion-search now searches only Notion pages and databases.
  • notion-connector-search is new. It searches connected sources (Slack, Google Drive, GitHub, mail and calendar) and accepts a sources parameter to choose which ones.
  • notion-ai-search is hidden from tools/list but still callable, so existing integrations do not break.

The same changelog entry adds show_data_source_title to database create and update calls, a create_database option when creating a view, and linked views through notion-create-view.

How we got here

Search in Notion MCP has changed several times in six weeks:

  • September 2: notion-search became keyword-only and semantic search moved to a new notion-ai-search tool.
  • September 10: notion-search started routing content queries to AI search when available.
  • October 7: hosted MCP consolidated to one search tool, notion-search (exposed as search for OpenAI clients).
  • October 20: search split again, this time by source rather than by method.

What to update

  1. Agent instructions and skills that tell an agent to "search Slack via Notion" should now point at notion-connector-search.
  2. Prompts that expect Slack or Drive results from notion-search will now only get Notion pages and databases.
  3. Hard-coded calls to notion-ai-search still work, but it is no longer advertised, which suggests it is on the way out.

Frequently asked questions

Does Notion MCP search Slack and Google Drive?

Yes, through the notion-connector-search tool added on October 20, 2026. It covers connected sources such as Slack, Google Drive, GitHub, mail and calendar.

What does notion-search return in Notion MCP?

As of October 20, 2026, notion-search in hosted MCP sessions returns only Notion pages and databases.

Is notion-ai-search deprecated?

It is hidden from tools/list but remains callable. Notion has not announced a removal date.

Sources

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