Write Modes
When you import data into Notion using Note API Connector, you can choose how new data should be written into your database. This choice is called the Write Mode.
Write modes control whether the connector only adds new records or also updates or deletes existing ones.
Available Write Modes
1. Append Mode
- What it does: Always adds new rows to your Notion database.
- What it won’t do: Never changes or deletes any existing rows, no matter how they were created.
- Best for: Logs, historical data, or situations where you always want to keep past entries unchanged.
Example: If your API returns 100 records today and 105 tomorrow, Append Mode will only add the 5 new ones. The first 100 will stay exactly the same.
📄 Read more about Append Mode →
2. Update Mode
- What it does: Updates rows that were created by the same request in previous imports. Can also delete missing records if you choose.
- What it won’t do: Won’t touch rows created manually or by a different request.
- Best for: Keeping an existing set of records in sync with an external source.
Example: If you imported 50 tasks last week and 10 of them have new statuses, Update Mode will change those 10 tasks in Notion. If you enable Delete Missing Records, it will also remove tasks that are no longer in the API.
📄 Read more about Update Mode →
Choosing the Right Mode
| If you want to... | Choose this mode |
|---|---|
| Keep adding new records without touching old ones | Append |
| Keep existing records updated (and optionally delete missing) | Update |