I’m building an app that needs to connect with Notion and I’m having trouble accessing a specific database. In my workspace, there’s a default database called ‘Getting Started’ that has this URL format:
Where the first hash is normally the database ID I need. I’ve tried using both the complete slug and just the UUID portion from the URL but neither works with the API. Is there a way to retrieve this type of database through the Notion API, or do I need to approach this differently? Any help would be appreciated.
yeah, totally feel your pain! those default dbs can be a hassle. try opening the db view, then check the network tab in your browser’s dev tools. you’ll find the real database_id in the api calls there. works like a charm for me!
This is super common with Notion template databases. That URL format means you’re dealing with a page-based database, not a standalone one. Here’s what fixed it for me: create a new integration in Notion’s developer settings, then explicitly share your Getting Started database with that integration. After that, use the search API endpoint to find the database by title instead of trying to pull an ID from the URL. The search gives you the real database ID you need for other API calls. Way more reliable than parsing those template URLs - they’re weird and don’t follow normal formatting.