How To Automate Siri And Notion To Never Miss Precious Moments Again

What You Are Building

You will build a Notion database called Memory Inbox and an iPhone Shortcut called something discreet like Log Memory. When you say, “Hey Siri, Log Memory,” Siri will ask a question, you dictate the moment, and the Shortcut will create a new page in Notion with the text saved into your inbox.

This article uses baby first words and cute moments as the example, but the same workflow works for any parent “don’t forget this” capture.

Step 1: Create the Notion “Memory Inbox” Database

Create a database in Notion (table view is easiest) named Memory Inbox. Add the properties below exactly. You can add more later, but do not overbuild now.

Required properties (recommended schema)

• Name (Title property) — this is the page title in Notion.
• Date (Date property) — the timestamp of the moment.
• Inbox Status (Select property) — add options: Inbox, Processed.
• Memory Text (Rich text property) — the dictated text.

Optional but useful

• Child (Relation or Select) — if you track multiple kids.
• Source (Select) — e.g., Siri, Manual.

Why this schema works

The Shortcut will set Date, Inbox Status, and Memory Text automatically. Name can be a simple default title that includes the timestamp so the entry is always identifiable.

Step 2: Create a Notion Integration Token

Notion Shortcuts do not have a first-class “set properties” action for databases. The reliable method is the Notion API with an internal integration.

Create the integration

1. In Notion, open Settings (workspace settings) and go to Connections or Integrations (wording varies by plan and UI).
2. Create a new Internal Integration.
3. Copy the Internal Integration Token. This is your secret key.

Share the database with the integration (required)

1. Open the Memory Inbox database page in Notion.
2. Click Share.
3. Find your integration under connections and grant it access (read/write).

Security note

Anyone with the token can write to whatever the integration has access to. Do not paste this token into public pages or share screenshots containing it.

Step 3: Get Your Notion Database ID

Your Shortcut needs the database ID to create new pages inside it.

Method (fast and reliable)

1. Open the Memory Inbox database in a browser.
2. Copy the URL.
3. The database ID is the long string of characters in the URL (often 32 characters). Some URLs include hyphens; the API accepts either format.

Tip: If you paste the URL into a notes app, you can usually spot the ID as the longest uninterrupted ID-like segment.

Step 4: Build the iPhone Shortcut (Siri Prompt → Voice-to-Text → Notion)

Open Shortcuts on iPhone and create a new shortcut. Name it something short and Siri-friendly, such as Log Memory.

Shortcut actions (exact order)

1. Current Date (Action: Get Current Date)
2. Format Date
   • Format: Custom
   • Custom format example: MMM d, yyyy h:mm a
   • Save output as: FormattedDate
3. Dictate Text
   • Prompt: What would you like to remember?
   • Language: your primary language
   • Stop listening: when you stop speaking
   • Save output as: MemoryText
4. Text (Action: Text)
   • Set text to: Memory – [FormattedDate]
   • Save output as: TitleText
5. Get Contents of URL (this is the Notion API call)
   • Method: POST
   • URL: https://api.notion.com/v1/pages
   • Request Body: JSON
   • Headers: add the three headers exactly as shown below
   • JSON body: paste the JSON payload below, and replace the placeholders
6. Optional: Open URLs
   • If you want the new Notion page to open immediately, extract the url field from the API response and open it.

Headers for “Get Contents of URL”

Add these headers in the Shortcut action:

• Authorization: Bearer YOUR_NOTION_TOKEN
• Notion-Version: 2022-06-28
• Content-Type: application/json

JSON body for creating the page

In the “Get Contents of URL” action, set Body → JSON. Use this structure. Replace YOUR_DATABASE_ID and ensure your property names match your database exactly:

{
  "parent": { "database_id": "YOUR_DATABASE_ID" },
  "properties": {
    "Name": {
      "title": [
        { "text": { "content": "TITLE_PLACEHOLDER" } }
      ]
    },
    "Date": {
      "date": { "start": "DATE_ISO_PLACEHOLDER" }
    },
    "Inbox Status": {
      "select": { "name": "Inbox" }
    },
    "Memory Text": {
      "rich_text": [
        { "text": { "content": "MEMORY_TEXT_PLACEHOLDER" } }
      ]
    }
  }
}

How to wire Shortcut variables into the JSON

In Shortcuts, you do not type the placeholders literally. Instead:

• For TITLE_PLACEHOLDER, insert the variable TitleText.
• For DATE_ISO_PLACEHOLDER, insert the variable Current Date but format it to ISO. The simplest path is:
  • Use the raw Current Date token (Shortcuts often sends it in ISO automatically), or
  • Add another Format Date action set to ISO 8601 and insert that output.
• For MEMORY_TEXT_PLACEHOLDER, insert the variable MemoryText from Dictate Text.

Optional: Open the created Notion page

The Notion API response includes a url field. If you want it to open automatically:

1. After “Get Contents of URL,” add Get Dictionary Value (key: url).
2. Add Open URLs.

Step 5: Add Siri and Home Screen Access

Now make it usable in real life.

Enable Siri usage

1. Go to Settings → Siri & Search.
2. Enable Listen for “Hey Siri” and Allow Siri When Locked.
3. Make sure your shortcut name is short and pronounceable: Log Memory is ideal.

Add to Home Screen (recommended)

1. Open the shortcut → tap Share → Add to Home Screen.
2. Use a neutral icon and name so it is discreet in public.

Testing and Troubleshooting

Test 1: Permission failure

If the database is not shared to the integration, Notion will reject the request. Re-open the database and confirm the integration is listed under Share.

Test 2: Wrong Database ID

If the database ID is wrong, Notion will return an error that it cannot find the database. Re-copy the database ID from the URL and try again.

Test 3: Property name or type mismatch

Notion API is strict. If your property is named Inbox status but your JSON says Inbox Status, it fails. The property name must match exactly. The property type must also match:

• select must map to a Select property
• date must map to a Date property
• rich_text must map to a Rich text property

If Siri does not run the shortcut

• Rename the shortcut to a simpler phrase.
• Avoid punctuation and emojis.
• Restart the phone and re-enable “Hey Siri.”

One-Sentence Recommendation

Create a Notion Memory Inbox, connect it to a Notion integration token, and use a Siri Shortcut with Dictate Text + a Notion API POST so you can capture first words hands-free in seconds.