Notion is not only a productivity tool, but also an AI tool. Following features such as Nosey and AI Meeting Notes, Notion introduced Custom Agents on 25 February. Notion describes these agents as AI teammates that continue working in the background based on your instructions.
This article was last updated on 15 March 2026. Given the rapid evolution of (Notion) AI, some aspects of this article may have changed since then.
What exactly does Notion AI mean? Within a Notion workspace, there are several AI functionalities, each with its own role. In this article, we use “Notion AI” as an umbrella term for all AI features within Notion, from AI Meeting Notes to AI assistance in a formula field.
What is a Notion Custom Agent?
A Notion Custom Agent is an AI model that can automatically perform tasks based on instructions you provide.
The key difference compared to the earlier personal Notion Agent is that you don’t need to prompt a Custom Agent each time. Once the right conditions are met, the agent can independently perform actions in the background. Examples include:
- generating a weekly report for your Monday meeting
- logging bugs in a ticketing database
- sending Slack messages to welcome a new employee
When is an agent triggered?
A Custom Agent performs tasks when certain conditions (triggers) are met.
These triggers can be divided into two categories:
- Time-based (schedule)
- every morning at 08:00, the first Monday of the month, etc.
- Event-based (event): possible in Notion, Mail, Calendar, and Slack
- a change or comment in a database page
- a new email from a specific client, or a modified calendar event
- a new Slack message
Creating and managing Custom Agents
You can create and manage Custom Agents via the “Agents” section in the sidebar in both the desktop app and browser. You can create a new Custom Agent in three ways:
- configure an agent from scratch
- start from a template
- let Notion AI generate one
Settings
Both through your workspace settings and the specific settings of a Custom Agent, you can define permissions for members and for the Custom Agent itself.
Via Share (top right), you can share an agent with specific members in your workspace or publish it on the Notion Marketplace. As with databases and pages, you can also define the access level for users here.
Custom Agent settings include:
- Triggers: Define when the agent should respond
- Instructions: Describe what the agent should do when a trigger occurs
- Tools & access: Determine which information the agent can view and edit
- Model: Choose the AI model. By default, this is set to ‘Auto’, which typically selects the most cost-efficient model. Always carefully consider which model you use and whether you want to allow ‘experimental models’ access to your data.
- Advanced settings: Add trusted links the agent is allowed to use
Who can use Custom Agents?
Custom Agents are only available in Business and Enterprise plans for paid members of the workspace.
By default, all members in your workspace have access to Custom Agents, but via workspace settings, an admin or workspace owner can decide who can create, manage, and use them.
Members do not need direct access to an agent to trigger it. For example, if you have a Custom Agent monitoring a specific Slack channel, a new message from a member can still activate the agent.
Security
Using AI safely remains essential.
Notion states that Custom Agents do not have full access to your workspace by default. In addition, all actions are logged, actions are reversible, and your data is not used to train the model.
That said, we strongly recommend always reviewing the settings of both your Custom Agent and your workspace:
- What can the agent see?
- What can the agent modify?
- Who can use the agent?
⚠️ A shared Custom Agent may surface information from pages that a user does not have direct access to. Always review both your workspace AI settings and the Custom Agent’s configuration.
What does a Custom Agent cost?
To use Custom Agents, you need a Business or Enterprise plan, and only paid members can use them.
A free trial is available until 3 May.
Notion Credits
The cost of Custom Agents is calculated using Notion credits.
These credits cost $10 per 1,000 credits, are calculated per workspace, and reset monthly. Unused credits expire at the end of the month and cannot be carried over.
The more and the more complex the tasks, the more credits are consumed.
You will receive notifications when you reach 80% and 100% of your limit.
When your credits run out, your Custom Agents are automatically paused until the next billing cycle.
You can track your usage via the Credits dashboard in your workspace AI settings.
Conclusion
Custom Agents can automate repetitive tasks and processes without requiring constant prompting.
However, we still often prefer traditional automations, as they tend to be more reliable and easier to control.
If you use Notion AI, we recommend:
- limiting and reviewing permissions
- always verifying generated information
- actively monitoring your credits and usage
Avoid surprises and stay in control.