How can I implement an upsert operation when syncing HubSpot data to Notion?

Below is some background on how you might handle your scenario in n8n:

Native Notion Node Limitations
Currently, the Notion node in n8n does not provide an "upsert" (update or insert) operation out-of-the-box. You need to build your workflow so that it first checks whether the page exists (using a search, for example) and then conditionally either updates it or creates a new one. This two-step approach naturally makes more API calls.

Reducing API Calls
Some ideas to reduce the number of calls include:

• Batching:
  Instead of processing one HubSpot object at a time, consider batching several objects together and then performing one search that can return multiple pages if possible. You might then split the results and determine which objects already have a matching Notion page.

• Caching or Storing Identifiers:
  If your workflow runs regularly, you could store the Notion page IDs that correspond to the unique field (for example, in a database or even using an n8n data store node). Then, when pulling data from HubSpot, cross-check using your local cache rather than calling Notion every time.

• Custom API Call Using the HTTP Request Node:
  If you need more control over the logic or want to try and reduce the number of calls, you could bypass the Notion node completely and use the HTTP Request node. In doing so, you can directly call the Notion API endpoints. Although the Notion API itself does not offer an upsert endpoint, crafting custom logic (for example: first perform a search via the API and, based on the response, either call the update or create endpoint) can give you more flexibility in how you manage API calls.

Using the HTTP Request Node
Here’s a rough outline of what that logic might look like using the HTTP Request node:

1. Search for the Page:
   Make a call to the Notion Search API endpoint, filtering for the unique field value from HubSpot.

2. Check the Search Results:
   Use a conditional or IF node to check if a page with that unique field exists.

3. Conditional Branch:

   • If the page exists, use the HTTP Request node to update the page via the Notion API.
   • If the page does not exist, use the HTTP Request node to create a new page.

While you’ll still need to make at least two separate API calls (one search and one for update/create), consolidating logic into a single HTTP Request per branch can help you optimize control over rate-limiting or batching.

Conclusion
At this time, there isn’t an out-of-the-box single upsert operation in Notion’s integration with n8n. The recommended approach is to implement conditional logic either by chaining the native Notion node with an IF node or by crafting a custom solution with HTTP Request nodes to directly call the Notion API.

If you have further questions specifically related to n8n’s workflow automation or integrating API calls directly, feel free to ask!