Building an Agentic System with Reddit and Notion

In this tutorial we will construct a simple agentic system to scout for intriguing ideas from various data sources. We will use Reddit as our data source for this example, but you can add more sources as per your requirements.

Step 1: Understanding the Agentic System

At the top, we have the trigger. This is the event that prompts the agent. In this example it is set to trigger daily, but you can customize it to trigger based on specific schedules or events.

The agent has a backstory that describes its behavior. This includes instructions specifying what you want to achieve and how to create the specific output.

The agent's abilities are connected to a skillset. This is like a toolbox and can be shared between multiple agents.

In our skillset, the Reddit abilities allow us to fetch feeds and search for content from specific subreddits. The Notion abilities allow us to search, create, update, and introspect the database. All the Notion abilities are connected to a Notion API key that you configure as a secret.

Step 2: Creating a Blank Blueprint

We will start by creating a blank blueprint. Navigate to Blueprints and create a new blank blueprint, then open it in the designer. The first step involves dragging all the needed abilities onto the canvas.

Step 2.1: Adding Reddit Abilities

Add the following Reddit abilities from the ability catalogue. Search for "reddit" in the ability templates panel:

1. Get Reddit Subreddit Feed (reddit/feed/sub/get) - fetches the latest posts from a subreddit, with support for sorting by hot, new, top, or rising.
2. Search Reddit (reddit/feed/search) - searches Reddit posts across all subreddits or within a specific one.
3. List Reddit Post Comments (reddit/feed/post/comment/list) - fetches the comments for a specific post when the agent wants to read the full discussion.

These abilities use Reddit's public RSS feeds, so no API key or secret is required for basic usage.

Step 2.2: Adding Notion Abilities

Instead of adding individual Notion abilities one by one, use the Perform Notion Operation pack (pack/notion). This single pack bundles all necessary Notion abilities together, including:

• Search Notion pages and databases
• Introspect database properties
• List, fetch, create, update, and delete database items

To add it, search for "Perform Notion Operation" in the ability templates panel and drag it onto the canvas.

If you prefer fine-grained control, you can also add the individual abilities: notion/search, notion/database/property/introspect, notion/database/item/list, notion/database/item/fetch, notion/database/item/create, notion/database/item/update, and notion/database/item/delete.

Step 3: Configuring the Notion Database ID

After adding the Notion pack or abilities to the canvas, you need to configure the target database ID:

1. Click on the Notion ability (or pack) on the canvas to open its configuration.
2. Fill in the Database ID field with the ID of your target Notion database. You can find this in your Notion database URL - it is the string of characters after the last / and before the ?.
3. Leave the property name fields blank where optional; the agent will discover the schema using the introspect ability.

Step 4: Configuring the Notion API Key

The Notion abilities require a Notion integration token to access your workspace:

1. Go to Notion Integrations and create a new integration. Give it a name like "ChatBotKit" and copy the generated API token.
2. In ChatBotKit, navigate to Secrets and create a new secret named "Notion API Key". Paste the token as the secret value.
3. Back in Notion, open the database you want the agent to use, click the three-dot menu, and select Connect to to add your integration.
4. Return to the blueprint canvas and link the Notion secret to the Notion pack or abilities.

Step 5: Configuring the Bot Backstory

Give your bot a name (for example, "IdeaScout") and a model. A capable model like gpt-4o or claude-4.5-sonnet works well for agentic tasks that involve multi-step reasoning and tool use.

Define a goal-oriented backstory. For example:

This backstory instructs the agent on what to do, which subreddits to monitor, and how to avoid duplicates. You can refine it further after testing.

Step 6: Building and Testing the Bot

After setting up the abilities, API key, and backstory, click Build to compile the blueprint.

Test the bot in Colabo by opening the chat panel at the bottom of the designer. Ask it to scan Reddit for articles related to a specific topic. For example:

"Can you scan Reddit for articles related to AI agents and use-cases and save any interesting ones to Notion?"

Observe how it calls the Reddit and Notion abilities in sequence. If the bot does not find results, try adjusting the subreddit name or the search query in your instructions.

Step 7: Customizing the Trigger

The last step is to set up the trigger so the agent runs automatically on a schedule:

1. Add a Trigger element to the blueprint canvas.
2. Connect it to your bot.
3. Set the schedule to trigger daily, weekly, or at whatever interval suits your workflow.

Once the trigger is connected and saved, you can invoke it manually to run the first scan immediately. On subsequent runs it will execute automatically and keep your Notion database updated with fresh ideas.

And there you have it! You have successfully built an agentic system to scout for intriguing ideas from Reddit and store them in Notion. This system can be extended with more data sources (Hacker News, LinkedIn, RSS feeds) or more Notion operations to suit your specific requirements. Happy building!

Troubleshooting

The bot cannot find Reddit posts. Verify that the subreddit name is spelled correctly and does not include the r/ prefix. Some subreddits may have restricted feeds - try all as the subreddit to confirm the ability is working, then narrow it down.

Notion operations fail with an authorization error. Confirm that your Notion integration has been connected to the specific database you are targeting. Go to the database in Notion, open the three-dot menu, and verify your integration appears under "Connections".

The agent creates duplicate Notion entries. Add an explicit instruction to the backstory reminding the agent to search Notion before creating a new item. For example: "Always call notion/search before creating a new database item to avoid duplicates."

The trigger does not execute on schedule. Ensure the trigger is in a "built" state and that the blueprint has been saved after connecting the trigger to the bot.