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Step 5: Save to Notion

Save your meal plan to Notion pages using markdown.

Goal

Generate a meal plan and save it to Notion using the Notion integration with markdown content.

Setup

  1. Sign up for Notion at https://www.notion.so if you don’t have an account
  2. Create a workspace if you don’t have one
  3. Create a “Meal Plans” page in your workspace (use the “empty page” option)
  4. Create an integration at https://www.notion.so/profile/integrations
  5. Share the page with your integration (click ••• at top right → Connections → Add your integration)
  6. Copy your integration token
  7. Copy the page ID from the URL (the 32-character string, remove hyphens)
  8. Configure the Notion integration in Conductor:
Terminal window
conductor integrations add notion --token "your-integration-token"

The Workflow

Update recipe.yaml:

# yaml-language-server: $schema=../../schemas/workflow.schema.json
name: meal-planner
description: Generate meal plans with detailed recipes and save to Notion


# This example demonstrates:
# - Markdown input/output for Notion pages (simpler than block arrays)
# - default_markdown parameter (initializes page only when created)
# - format: markdown for reading content (returns markdown string)
# - Template range loops for dynamic content


inputs:
  - name: parent_page_id
    type: string
    description: Notion page ID where meal planning pages will be created
    pattern: "^[a-f0-9]{32}$"


  - name: days_to_plan
    type: number
    default: 3
    description: Number of days to plan (1-7)


  - name: diet
    type: string
    default: "balanced"
    description: Dietary preference (balanced, vegetarian, low-carb, etc.)


steps:
  # Step 1: Create pantry page with default content (only applied when page is created)
  # The is_new field in the response indicates if it was created or found
  - id: pantry
    name: Setup Pantry Page
    notion.upsert_page:
      parent_id: "{{.inputs.parent_page_id}}"
      title: "Pantry"
      default_markdown: |
        # My Pantry


        List the ingredients you have available. The meal planner will use these to generate your meals.


        ---


        Add your ingredients here...


  # Step 2: Read pantry contents as markdown (easier for LLM to process)
  - id: pantry_content
    name: Read Pantry Contents
    notion.get_blocks:
      page_id: "{{.steps.pantry.id}}"
      format: markdown


  # Step 3: Generate meal plan with LLM
  - id: generate_plan
    name: Generate Meal Plan
    type: llm
    model: balanced
    output_schema:
      type: object
      properties:
        overview: { type: array, items: { type: string } }
        days:
          type: array
          items:
            type: object
            properties:
              name: { type: string }
              breakfast: { type: string }
              lunch: { type: string }
              dinner: { type: string }
        shopping_list: { type: array, items: { type: string } }
    prompt: |
      Create a {{.inputs.diet}} meal plan for {{.inputs.days_to_plan}} days.


      Available pantry ingredients:
      {{.steps.pantry_content.content}}


      Generate DETAILED recipes with full cooking instructions. Each recipe must include:
      - Dish name
      - Prep time and cook time
      - Estimated calories and macros (protein, carbs, fat) per serving
      - Complete ingredient list with exact measurements
      - Step-by-step cooking instructions (numbered)
      - Any tips or variations


      FORMAT REQUIREMENTS:
      - All recipe fields must be plain text strings (not nested objects)
      - Each day object MUST have four fields: name, breakfast, lunch, dinner
      - Day names must have numbered prefixes for sorting: "1 - Day 1", "2 - Day 2", "3 - Day 3"
      - Shopping list must be an array of strings, one item per entry


      DAYS ARRAY EXAMPLE:
      [
        {"name": "1 - Day 1", "breakfast": "recipe...", "lunch": "recipe...", "dinner": "recipe..."},
        {"name": "2 - Day 2", "breakfast": "recipe...", "lunch": "recipe...", "dinner": "recipe..."}
      ]


      OVERVIEW: Return as an array of strings, one per day in title case (not all caps):
      ["Day 1: Veggie Omelette -> Grilled Chicken Salad -> Garlic Butter Salmon", "Day 2: Greek Yogurt Parfait -> Turkey Club Wrap -> Beef Stir-Fry"]


      RECIPE FORMAT - YOU MUST FOLLOW THIS EXACT STRUCTURE:


      "Honey Garlic Salmon


      Prep: 10 min | Cook: 15 min | Serves: 2
      Calories: 385 | Protein: 34g | Carbs: 18g | Fat: 19g


      Ingredients:
      - 2 salmon fillets (6 oz each)
      - 3 tbsp honey
      - 2 tbsp soy sauce
      - 4 cloves garlic, minced
      - 1 tbsp olive oil


      Instructions:
      1. Pat salmon dry and season with salt and pepper.
      2. Mix honey, soy sauce, and garlic in a small bowl.
      3. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.
      4. Place salmon skin-side up, cook 4 minutes until golden.
      5. Flip salmon, pour honey garlic sauce over top.
      6. Cook 4-5 more minutes, basting with sauce.


      Tip: Serve with steamed rice and roasted vegetables."


      SHOPPING LIST: Return as a flat array of item strings with quantities:
      ["2 lemons", "1 bunch parsley", "4 tomatoes", "2 salmon fillets (6 oz each)"]


  # Step 4: Update parent page with meal plan overview using markdown
  # The markdown parameter converts markdown to Notion blocks automatically
  - id: update_meal_plan
    name: Update Meal Plan Overview
    notion.replace_content:
      page_id: "{{.inputs.parent_page_id}}"
      markdown: |
        # Weekly Meal Plan


        Your personalized meal plan with breakfast, lunch, and dinner for each day.


        ---


        ## Overview
        {{range .steps.generate_plan.output.overview}}
        - {{.}}
        {{end}}


        ---


        ## Daily Recipes
        Click on each day below for detailed recipes with ingredients, instructions, and nutritional info.


  # Step 5: Create daily pages with markdown content
  - id: create_daily_pages
    name: Create Daily Pages
    type: parallel
    foreach: "{{.steps.generate_plan.output.days}}"
    steps:
      - id: create_day
        name: Create Day Page
        notion.upsert_page:
          parent_id: "{{.inputs.parent_page_id}}"
          title: "{{.inputs.item.name}}"
          markdown: |
            # {{.inputs.item.name}}


            ## Breakfast
            {{.inputs.item.breakfast}}


            ## Lunch
            {{.inputs.item.lunch}}


            ## Dinner
            {{.inputs.item.dinner}}


  # Step 6: Create shopping list with checkboxes using markdown
  # The - [ ] syntax creates to_do blocks (checkboxes)
  - id: create_shopping
    name: Create Shopping List
    notion.upsert_page:
      parent_id: "{{.inputs.parent_page_id}}"
      title: "Shopping List"
      markdown: |
        # Shopping List
        Check off items as you shop!


        {{range .steps.generate_plan.output.shopping_list}}
        - [ ] {{.}}
        {{end}}


outputs:
  - name: pantry_url
    type: string
    value: "{{.steps.pantry.url}}"
    description: Link to Pantry page


  - name: shopping_list_url
    type: string
    value: "{{.steps.create_shopping.url}}"
    description: Link to Shopping List page

Key Concepts

Markdown Content

Instead of constructing Notion blocks one by one, use the markdown parameter:

notion.replace_content:
  page_id: "{{.inputs.parent_page_id}}"
  markdown: |
    # Weekly Meal Plan


    ## Overview
    {{range .steps.generate_plan.output.overview}}
    - {{.}}
    {{end}}

This converts markdown to Notion blocks automatically, including:

  • Headings, paragraphs, lists
  • Checkboxes (- [ ] and - [x])
  • Code blocks, quotes, dividers
  • Rich text formatting

Default Content

Use default_markdown to initialize a page only when it’s created:

notion.upsert_page:
  parent_id: "{{.inputs.parent_page_id}}"
  title: "Pantry"
  default_markdown: |
    # My Pantry
    Add your ingredients here...

If the page already exists, default_markdown is ignored. The response includes is_new: true/false.

Reading as Markdown

Read page content as markdown for LLM processing:

notion.get_blocks:
  page_id: "{{.steps.pantry.id}}"
  format: markdown

Returns content as a markdown string instead of a blocks array.

Run It

Terminal window
conductor run recipe.yaml -i parent_page_id="your-page-id"

What You Learned

  • Markdown content - Use markdown: parameter instead of blocks: arrays
  • Default content - Initialize pages with default_markdown (only on create)
  • Format output - Read content as markdown with format: markdown
  • Template loops - Use {{range}} to generate dynamic lists

Next

Step 6: Deploy - Deploy your workflow to run on a schedule.