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Notion: Zap failing to find db to trigger on

  • 23 March 2023
  • 5 replies
  • 631 views

Userlevel 2

I'd like to trigger on new items in the "New vendor onboarding requests" database, but the trigger step does not find this db.

  • This db is shared with Notion
  • Other dbs do show up, but this one does not. "Load more" is grayed out
  • The "Custom" option doesn't seem to allow input
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Best answer by Jean 3 April 2023, 07:09

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5 replies

Userlevel 7
Badge +11

Hey there @Jean

Normally if a database isn’t showing up it’s due to it not being shared with the Zapier integration. 
 

You’ll want to head to Settings & Members > My Connections in Notion then click the  next to the Zapier connection. That’ll then allow you to review and edit what Zapier has access to:
7109730831bea0e1e79b191ca65cc152.png

Can you take a quick look there and confirm whether Zapier has access to the database? If it has and was given access after the Zapier account was added, you may need to try reconnecting your Notion account in Zapier to get it to see the database.

Please do let me know how that goes, eager to help get this sorted!

Userlevel 2

Hi Sam, thanks, I’m checking this out now.

I’m not seeing Zapier at all under “My connections”, so apparently it’s someone else’s connection. We do use Zapier to create pages in Notion though.

Notion shows Zapier in the list of “connections” on the database in question, which lead me to think that it is shared, but it sounds like that indication is misleading.

Userlevel 7
Badge +11

Thanks for checking on that @Jean! 🙂

That’s odd. Are the Zaps that create pages in Notion using your Notion app connection? Or is it connected to another person’s Notion account? 

Just wondering if that’s why you’re not seeing it in Notion under the “My connections” section. 

If you add Zapier as a new connection in Notion (Go to Settings & Members > My Connections then click on the Browse connections in Gallery link, search for Zapier and add it) and then give it access to the database, whether it would appear in the Zap then. 

Could you give that a try and let me know if that works?

Userlevel 2

What worked in the end was:

  • created a new Notion connection in Zapier.
    • this enables selecting pages shared with that connection
  • subsequently, this connection shows in my Settings in Notion
    • I can now select shared pages in Notion --- NOT any more in Zapier

Takeaways: 

  • it doesn’t really work to have one Zapier<->Notion connection, e.g. using a service account. The owner of that service account would have to allow access to all pages any zap needs to access on behalf of Zap owners. That potentially reduces security and adds an admin bottleneck.
  • when sharing a Zapier<->Notion connection with the team, name it so that it’s very clear which pages this connection makes available. 
  • the reason for wanting to have one service account connection is to prevent zaps breaking if someone leaves the company. It looks like this is not viable in Zapier, and we’ll just have to keep an eye out for Zap errors and patch things up after the fact. 
Userlevel 7
Badge +12

Hi @Jean!

Thanks for updating us on how you got on with this issue and how you’re using Notion with Zapier. It sounds like a tricky situation when you have a team of people that need access to different pages within notion.