What is Notation?
Notation is a developer-friendly tool that bridges the gap between code and documentation by allowing you to write Markdown files in your repository and automatically publish them to Notion. This eliminates the need for separate documentation platforms or complex static site generators like Docusaurus, which often require wrestling with React and deploying a separate website. With Notation, your documentation stays close to your code—literally living in the same repo—making it easy for engineers to maintain and update without leaving their workflow.
Key features include automatic publishing of Markdown to Notion, support for CLI flags at the top of files (e.g., for custom titles or parent pages), and the ability to use an `intro.md` file to display content directly on a parent page instead of as a subpage. Configuration is handled via a simple `Notation.toml` file placed alongside the binary. You can specify the target Notion page name, and Notation handles the rest, including creating an integration in Notion for secure API access.
Benefits include leveraging Notion's powerful search, AI capabilities, and formatting options for free, without having to build or maintain a separate search solution. Documentation can be shared internally or published as a public website, all from the same Markdown source. This approach reduces friction for developers, as they can write docs in their familiar Markdown format and see them instantly reflected in Notion.
Use cases include technical documentation for open-source projects, internal knowledge bases, product guides, and API references. Notation is ideal for teams that want to keep documentation in sync with code but prefer Notion's collaboration features over traditional documentation tools. Technical details: Notation is a CLI tool that reads Markdown files from a local directory, parses optional frontmatter for metadata, and syncs them to a specified Notion page using the Notion API. It requires a Notion account and an integration token. The tool is lightweight, with no external dependencies beyond the Notion API.
Use Cases
Key Features
Markdown to Notion publishing CLI flag support intro.md display simple TOML config automatic Notion integration code doc proximityWho is it for?
Developers, technical writers, engineering teams, documentation managers, product teams, open, source maintainers
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