Notion Integration

Transform Notion into a powerful oil price tracking system. Build databases, dashboards, and team wikis that automatically update with the latest commodity prices from OilPriceAPI.

Overview

Notion combines documents, databases, and collaboration tools in one workspace. By integrating OilPriceAPI, you can create centralized commodity tracking systems that your entire team can access and use.

What You Can Build:

  • Auto-updating oil price databases
  • Team commodity dashboards
  • Daily market briefing pages
  • Price alert wikis
  • Project cost tracking with live fuel prices
  • Client-facing price reports

Prerequisites

Before you begin:

  1. An active OilPriceAPI account with API key (Sign up)
  2. A Notion account (Create free account)
  3. A connector tool: Zapier, Make, or n8n

Method 1: Via Zapier

The simplest way to connect OilPriceAPI to Notion.

Step 1: Set Up Your Notion Database

  1. Create a new page in Notion
  2. Add a Database - Full page
  3. Configure these properties:
Property NameTypeDescription
NameTitleCommodity name or code
PriceNumber (Dollar format)Current price
ChangeNumber (Percent format)Daily change
UpdatedDateLast update time
TrendSelectUp, Down, Stable
CategorySelectCrude, Gas, Refined, etc.

Step 2: Connect Notion to Zapier

  1. In Zapier, search for Notion
  2. Choose Create Database Item as the action
  3. Click Sign in to Notion
  4. Select the workspace and grant access to your database

Step 3: Create Your Zap

Trigger: Schedule by Zapier

  • Frequency: Every day at 8:00 AM

Action 1: Webhooks by Zapier (GET)

  • URL: https://api.oilpriceapi.com/v1/prices/latest?by_code=BRENT_CRUDE_USD
  • Headers: Authorization: Token YOUR_API_KEY

Action 2: Notion (Create Database Item)

  • Database: Oil Price Tracker
  • Name: Brent Crude USD
  • Price: {{data.items[0].price}}
  • Change: {{data.items[0].change_percent}}
  • Updated: {{data.items[0].updated_at}}
  • Trend: {{data.items[0].change_percent > 0 ? "Up" : "Down"}}

Step 4: Test and Activate

  1. Test the Zap to create a sample record
  2. Verify the data appears in your Notion database
  3. Turn on the Zap

Method 2: Via Make

Build more sophisticated Notion integrations with Make's visual workflows.

Scenario Setup

[Scheduler] → [HTTP: Get Prices] → [JSON Parse] → [Iterator] → [Notion: Create/Update Page]

Step 1: Create Notion Connection

  1. In Make, add a Notion module
  2. Click Create a connection
  3. Authorize Make to access your Notion workspace
  4. Select the database to connect

Step 2: Configure the Workflow

HTTP Module:

  • URL: https://api.oilpriceapi.com/v1/prices/latest
  • Headers: Authorization with API key

Iterator:

  • Array: {{1.data.items}}

Notion Module:

  • Select Create a Database Item or Update a Database Item
  • Map fields from the iterator to database properties

Step 3: Add Update Logic

To update existing records instead of creating duplicates:

  1. Add Notion: Search Objects before the create module
  2. Filter by commodity code
  3. Use a Router to:
    • Update if record exists
    • Create if record doesn't exist

Method 3: Via n8n (Self-Hosted)

For users who prefer self-hosted automation.

n8n Workflow

[Cron] → [HTTP Request] → [Split In Batches] → [Notion]

Configuration

See the n8n Integration Guide for detailed setup instructions with Notion as a destination.

Building Your Notion Dashboard

Database Views

Create multiple views of your oil price data:

Table View (Default)

  • Show all properties
  • Sort by Update date (descending)
  • Filter by Category if needed

Gallery View

  • Create visual cards for each commodity
  • Show Price and Change prominently
  • Use conditional formatting for trend colors

Board View

  • Group by Trend (Up, Down, Stable)
  • See at a glance which commodities are moving

Calendar View

  • Track price records over time
  • See historical entry dates

Dashboard Page Layout

Create a master dashboard page with embedded database views:

# Oil Price Dashboard

## Current Prices
[Embedded Gallery View - filtered to today's prices]

## Price Trends
[Embedded Board View - grouped by trend]

## Historical Log
[Embedded Table View - last 30 days]

## Quick Links
- [Full Database](link)
- [Price Alerts](link)
- [Market Analysis](link)

Use Case Templates

Template 1: Daily Market Briefing

Create an automated daily page with current prices.

Structure:

# Market Briefing - {{date}}

## Key Prices
| Commodity | Price | Change |
|-----------|-------|--------|
| Brent Crude | ${{brent_price}} | {{brent_change}}% |
| WTI | ${{wti_price}} | {{wti_change}}% |
| Natural Gas | ${{gas_price}} | {{gas_change}}% |

## Analysis
[Space for manual notes]

## Action Items
- [ ] Review if prices crossed thresholds
- [ ] Update client reports

Automation: Use Zapier/Make to create this page daily with embedded price data.

Template 2: Project Cost Tracker

Track fuel costs for projects with live prices.

Database Properties:

  • Project Name (Title)
  • Estimated Fuel (Gallons)
  • Current Diesel Price (Rollup from prices database)
  • Estimated Cost (Formula: Fuel x Price)
  • Budget (Number)
  • Variance (Formula: Budget - Estimated Cost)

Template 3: Supplier Comparison

Compare commodity prices across suppliers.

Database Properties:

  • Supplier Name
  • Commodity
  • Quoted Price
  • Market Price (Synced from OilPriceAPI)
  • Difference (Formula)
  • Last Updated

Template 4: Price Alert Log

Track when prices hit important thresholds.

Database Properties:

  • Alert Name
  • Commodity
  • Threshold Type (Above/Below)
  • Threshold Price
  • Triggered Date
  • Actual Price
  • Notes

Advanced Notion Features

Formulas for Price Analysis

// Calculate spread between two commodities
prop("Brent Price") - prop("WTI Price")

// Percentage above/below threshold
round((prop("Price") - prop("Threshold")) / prop("Threshold") * 100)

// Trend indicator emoji
if(prop("Change") > 0, "^", if(prop("Change") < 0, "v", "-"))

// Days since last update
dateBetween(now(), prop("Updated"), "days")

Rollups and Relations

Link prices to projects:

  1. Create a relation between Projects and Prices databases
  2. Add a Rollup to show the latest price
  3. Use in cost calculations

Aggregate by category:

  1. Create a Categories database
  2. Relate prices to categories
  3. Rollup average price per category

Templates for Repeated Entries

Create database templates for common scenarios:

  • Daily Price Entry: Pre-filled with commodity list
  • Weekly Report: Standard format with analysis sections
  • Alert Record: Threshold tracking template

Notion API Direct Integration

For developers who want direct Notion integration:

Using Notion API with OilPriceAPI

// Fetch oil prices and update Notion database
const oilResponse = await fetch(
  'https://api.oilpriceapi.com/v1/prices/latest',
  { headers: { 'Authorization': 'Token YOUR_OIL_API_KEY' } }
);
const oilData = await oilResponse.json();

// Update Notion
const notionResponse = await fetch(
  `https://api.notion.com/v1/pages`,
  {
    method: 'POST',
    headers: {
      'Authorization': 'Bearer YOUR_NOTION_TOKEN',
      'Content-Type': 'application/json',
      'Notion-Version': '2022-06-28'
    },
    body: JSON.stringify({
      parent: { database_id: 'YOUR_DATABASE_ID' },
      properties: {
        'Name': { title: [{ text: { content: oilData.data.items[0].code } }] },
        'Price': { number: oilData.data.items[0].price },
        'Updated': { date: { start: oilData.data.items[0].updated_at } }
      }
    })
  }
);

Team Collaboration

Sharing Your Dashboard

  1. Click Share on your dashboard page
  2. Options:
    • Invite team members directly
    • Share to workspace
    • Create public link (read-only)

Comments and Discussions

  • Add comments to specific price records
  • Use @mentions to notify team members
  • Create discussion threads on analysis pages

Workspace Organization

Structure your oil price tracking:

Workspace
  Energy & Commodities
    Oil Price Dashboard
    Price Database
    Market Analysis
    Alerts & Thresholds

Troubleshooting

Data Not Appearing in Notion

  • Verify Notion connection in Zapier/Make
  • Check database permissions (integration must have access)
  • Ensure property types match data types

Duplicate Records

  • Add update logic using Search before Create
  • Use unique identifiers (date + commodity code)
  • Set up deduplication automation

Slow Updates

  • Notion API has rate limits (3 requests/second)
  • Batch updates where possible
  • Use Make's built-in rate limiting

FAQ

Can I use Notion's free plan for oil price tracking?

Yes, Notion's free plan includes unlimited pages and databases for individual use. For team features, you'll need a paid plan starting at $8/user/month.

How often can I update prices in Notion?

This depends on your automation tool's plan and OilPriceAPI limits. Daily updates work well for most use cases. For more frequent updates, consider caching or webhook-based approaches.

Can I embed live charts in Notion?

Notion doesn't have native charting. You can embed charts from external tools (Google Sheets, Datawrapper) or use Notion chart integrations from the marketplace.

How do I create alerts based on Notion data?

Use Zapier or Make to monitor your Notion database. Set up automations that trigger when prices in your database cross certain thresholds.

Can multiple team members edit the price database?

Yes, with a Notion team plan. You can set granular permissions so some users can edit while others have view-only access.

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